Category Archives: Local government

Climate Change, Energy, Environmental Education, Local government, Water Quality

New Year’s Resolutions for the Environment!

This past year has been full of crucial steps toward protecting the environment…and challenges to protecting natural spaces and natural resources. From progressive strides such as the Paris Agreement, to obstacles like the pipeline that was almost erected at Standing Rock in North Dakota, 2016 has been a roller coaster of ride for those concerned with the environment, which is to say is has been an average year for those concerned with the environment. In that same vein, 2017 promises to be no different. Please read the article written by renowned teacher, writer and environmentalist, Donella H. Dana Meadows twenty-four years ago for tips on how we environmentalists can stay on our toes, ever-vigilant for the environmental movement.

http://donellameadows.org/new-years-resolutions-for-the-environment/

Local government, Urban ecology

Fort Wayne Using more Native Plants in Parks and on the Streets

City landscapers and park departments have been working hard on incorporating native plants into suburban development and parks.

Using native plants highlights the local ecology of Fort Wayne, providing common sources of food for native fauna- pollen, seeds, and nectar for the birds and insects  of the city. These plants also function well within rain gardens: many have the capability to trap pollutants from rainwater and keep them from joining local streams.

While they do require a little more cost and care in the beginning, native plants actually require less maintenance than annual flowers due to their hardiness in the local weather.

This makes them a perfect candidate for use along streets and public work projects as well. They are perfectly suited to both the climate and the soils, and adding native trees to the typical honey locust trees allows for a diversity that could stand against massive die-offs.

The city offers workshops on planting rain gardens , and also offers incentive programs to help people pay for native plants to use in their rain gardens.

The full story can be found at this link: News-Sentinel.