Did you know that studies show that roughly 28% to 40% of dog owners admit they do not always pick up their pet's waste. When questioned they list a bunch of not particularly good reasons for not scooping the poop. One person told me it was natural therefore it was okay not to pick it up! BTW, it's not natural!
It could contain harmful parasites, pathogens and bacteria that can be transferred to people and other pets. Dog poop is a common carrier of nasty things like heart worms, whipworms, hookworms, roundworms, parvovirus, giardia, salmonella and E. coli.
It can be washed into the storm drains and local waterways because it's untreated, creating excess nitrogen and phosphorus that feed suffocating algae blooms.
It's not a fertilizer! Their waste is overly acidic and harmful to grass and local ecosystems.
In cities the problem is compounded by rats and other rodents. Dog waste is often a leading food source for rats in urban areas. Rat urine and feces have been linked to a number of diseases that can easily be passed to humans, including leptospirosis, typhus, and salmonellosis. (source)
ALWAYS carry poop bags with you whenever you are out and about with your dog. Take more than you think you will need…you never know.
PICK IT UP! Every. Single. Time.
Tie the bag closed and toss it in the garbage. Dog poop CANNOT go in compost or yard waste bins. I repeat, DO NOT compost dog poop!
Don't drop the bag on the side of the rode to pick up later...You won't remember!
Pick up poops in your yard weekly (more often is better and definitely before a big rain). Rain won't wash it away.
Hire a dog poop collection service. Yes, this is real, and they exist in many cities and counties. They do it so you don’t have to.
Dear Readers, None of us enjoy picking up poop but we do it because
it's the right thing to do for the environment, for wildlife, for other
pets and for others.
xoxogail
Take the Taking Care of Wildlife In Our Gardens Challenge
The
first part of this challenge is to do something, even lots of
things, each month that support the critters living in our gardens.
Gardening with native wildflowers, shrubs and trees that make sense for
our ecoregion is a good place to start or continue (as the case may be).
Plants and their pollinators are a classic example of mutualism: they
have coevolved through evolutionary time in a reciprocal beneficial
relationship. This is also true for other critters that visit and live
in our gardens.
Activities that increase our
knowledge of
the natural world are equally as valuable. Helping others learn about
nature is included. Golly gee whiz, there are so many things you can
do.
The second part of the challenge is to post about it somewhere: Your
blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or even your neighborhood listserve.
Wouldn't an article in the local paper be a coup for nature! Why post
it? Because positive publicity is needed to
educate our friends, neighbors and communities about how important even
the smallest changes we make as gardeners can be for pollinators, birds,
insects and mammals, including humans, that live all around us.
Why now? My
neighborhood is changing. Yours might be, too. Every day an older home
along with many (if not all) of the mature oak, hickory, maple, Eastern
cedar and hackberry trees are cut down. Insects, birds, even mammals
lose their home site and food supplies when we lose trees. During construction
soil is compacted by bulldozers, trucks and piles of
debris cause runoff; surface runoff that can carry pollution to
streams and rivers. It's
important that our neighbors and our community have information about how important trees
are to our ecosystem. Trees contribute to their environment by providing
oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water,
preserving soil, and supporting wildlife.
In place of the "bee
lawns" composed of Claytonia, Salvia lyrata, Ruellia humilis,
fleabane,
Western Daisy, Violets, self-heal, clovers, native grasses (in my
neighborhood it's poverty oat grass) and sedges, they're being sodded
with non-native grasses. These monoculture turf lawns contribute nothing environmentally. Here's what we lose when our diverse lawns are replaced with pristine turf grass:
Gone
are the lightening bugs.
Gone are the ground dwelling/nesting native
bees.
Gone is the habitat for insects, spiders and other critters.
Gone
is plant diversity.
Gone are trees that provided for hundreds of moths,
butterflies and other insects.
Gone are the nesting sites for
woodpeckers, hummingbirds, Chickadees and other birds.
Gone is a healthy foodweb.
We can't stop the progmess, but,
maybe we can make a lot of educational noise and help our new neighbors
see the value in providing for critters and ultimately helping the environment. xoxogail
Gail Eichelberger is a gardener, Tennessee Naturalist and nature writer in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.
I love listening to the sounds of birds in the early morning and the last robin singing as the sun goes down. I don't often get to hear either these days. Things starting changing in our neighborhood when the 1950s brick homes with large yards became hot for development. They didn't want the homes, they wanted the land. Now, it's no longer as quiet as it once was.
Videos I take of bumblebee's buzzing among the native wildflowers are accompanied by the constant drone of traffic and construction noise.
Yesterday, I hollered for Michael at the top of my voice and he couldn't hear me over the noise of 2 mowers and a leaf blower in the yard next door.To top that off, just as the new house construction across the street was nearing completion, I heard the sounds of a house being bulldozed. More noise on the way.
I really miss the quiet. I can go inside to get a break from the noise, but, I worry about the effects all that noise has on the critters that live and visit my garden.
Noise pollution is serious.
Noise
pollution in my neighborhood has had significant negative impacts on my
well-being. I no longer spend a lot of time outside because the
construction noise is so unpleasant.
Noise is the second largest environmental cause of health problems, just after the impact of air pollution. Approximately 10 million persons in the US have permanent hearing loss from environmental noise or noise related trauma. Scientists measure sound in decibels using scales to determine harmful sounds. Sound levels above 85 decibels are potentially harmful to a person’s ears. See the chart below to see how many sound sources in our lives are impacting our well being and our hearing.
Research (source) has shown that it can also significantly harm wildlife by interfering with their ability to communicate, navigate, find food, care for their offspring and avoid predators. This can lead to stress, reduced breeding success, and even population declines. In birds, alterations in foraging, vocalizations and nests were noted; laboratory studies, on the other hand, carried out on small mammals, highlighted spatio-temporal cognitive alterations and memory loss. Researchers concluded that greater attention to all ecosystems should be given as soon as possible so as to try to achieve a balance between human activity and the well-being of terrestrial fauna. (source)
Here's the noise that's found disruptive and harmful to human and critter well being.
Traffic noise: Possibly the biggest source of noise pollution in cities and
suburbs. It comes from cars, trucks, motorcycles and construction vehicles. This noise impacts animals even in natural areas that are near busy roads.
Construction noise:
Jackhammers, machinery, and other construction activities generate
intense noise that can disrupt animal behavior and well-being. (source) The constant beep-beep of vehicles backing up totally disrupts my peace of mind.
Loud music and gatherings: Music played at high volumes, especially during parties or events, can bother mammals in the vicinity.
Domestic animals: Barking dogs, particularly when frequent or loud, can be a significant
source of neighborhood noise that is disruptive to other mammals and
even humans. I suspect that most people are unaware of noise ordinances for barking dogs.
Yard work equipment: Lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and other power tools used for yard maintenance can generate high levels of noise.
Other sources:
Airplanes flying overhead, industrial noise, and even noise from
appliances and fireworks can contribute to the overall soundscape and
impact animals.
Impact of noise on mammals
Behavioral changes: Animals have been observed changing their territorial movements, abandoning their nests, changing feeding patterns to avoid noisy areas.
Communication interference:
Noise can mask the calls animals use for mating, warning signals, or
social bonding, messing with their communication and potentially impacting
breeding success and survival rates.
Increased stress levels:
Chronic noise exposure can increase stress hormones in mammals,
impacting their health, immune system function, and overall well-being. A University of Georgia study even found that highway noises can elevate heart rates in monarch caterpillars.
Reduced foraging efficiency: Noise can distract animals while foraging, reducing their efficiency in finding and handling food.
Habitat abandonment or displacement:
Some mammals may choose to leave or avoid areas with high noise levels,
leading to habitat fragmentation and reduced access to resources,
according to the Morris Animal Foundation.
Hearing loss: Prolonged exposure to loud noise can lead to temporary or even permanent hearing loss in mammals. That's humans, too.
Speaking of humans: From the EPA."Problems related to noise include stress related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity. Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is the most common and often discussed health effect.
What can we do. Yes, even small changes can make a big impact.
You've probably noticed how chatty birds are in the early mornings, that's when they are busy communicating with each other. Mowing and blowing in our yards disrupts that communication; we should do noisy yard work later in the day (after 9am). Better yet, start raking instead of blowing grass and leaves away, it's good exercise and very quiet. You could do what I do...Leave the leaves.
After dark is another critical time for wildlife so if you're having a party, turn the music down and while you're at it turn off the lights after 11pm.
To keep sound out of your yard, densely plant native trees, evergreens or deciduous shrubs to act as noise blockers. If you've driven past my yard, you might have wondered why I still have some forsythia hedging. It's there because it protects my yard from street noise.
Do your own hearing a favor, as well as animals' hearing, by switching from gas- to battery-powered tools, including leaf blowers, string trimmers and chainsaws. Better yet, replace lawns with native plants that don’t need mowing.
Get involved with local groups that are working to change noise laws. Start with your homeowners association, schools, businesses and churches to get them to limit loud, destructive activity on their properties. When we understand the disruptive effects of noise pollution, we along with our community leaders can work towards creating quieter environments that are
more beneficial for both people and mammals.
Find out about your local city noise ordinances. For instance in Nashville construction noise is regulated, particularly in residential areas. Generally, construction work cannot occur between 7:00 PM and 7:00 AM, except during June, July, and August, when the restriction extends from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Also, construction activities are generally prohibited on Sundays. Specifically, the current Metro Nashville noise ordinance prohibits construction work on Sundays between midnight Saturday night and midnight Sunday night. This applies to all construction, demolition, and related activities that generate noise.
We need to be aware of the noise we create. Always observe noise ordinances at home and in public places...Especially parks and nature centers.
To learn more about the body of scientific literature exploring the effects of noise on wildlife and humans, see the the Natural Sounds & Night Skies Division's Annual Synthesis of Studies on the Effects of Noise: a systematic, comprehensive up-to-date query of the scientific literature. To date, more than 800 peer-reviewed studies on the effects of noise on wildlife have been published. The synthesis summarizes the noise sources and effects, and highlights suggested readings from the most current research. (source)
I can't stop the development that's happening all around me and probably near many of you, but I believe that at the very least I can share noise pollution information with neighbors. That's why I publish the First Wednesday Challenge. Maybe, we can get organized to tackle this
serious and growing problem.
Thanks for stopping by and for caring about wildlife...xoxogail
Here's an
incomplete list of things you might consider doing or changing in your
garden, and things you can do for and/or in your community. But don't limit yourself to my list, make your own list or check
out the
internet for ideas.
Shrink your lawn and make your planting beds larger.
Plant
your favorite native perennials and shrubs. Leave them standing after
they've gone to seed to continue to provide for wildlife. What you plant in your yard makes a difference to wildlife. I garden for wildlife
so every tree, shrub and plant is chosen with wildlife in mind.
Plant
more natives and then consider planting even more. "A typical suburban
landscape contains only 20-30% native plant species. Try reversing that
trend in your own landscape by using 70-80% native species." (source)
Plant
for bloom from late spring to early winter. Bees are most active from
February to November (longer in mild climates) late winter blooming Hamamelis vernalis
and the earliest spring ephemerals (like the toothworts, hepaticas,
spring beauties, and False rue-anemeone) are perfect plants for a
variety of pollinators.
Commit to never, ever, ever, ever using pesticides in the garden.
Stay away from native plant hybrids and cultivars that are double
flowered. They are sterile and have no pollen or nectar for insects and
no seeds for the birds. If possible plant “true open-pollinated native
wildflowers”
Don't be in a rush to clean up the fall garden. Leave plant stalks and
seed heads standing all winter. Leave those fallen leaves or as many as
you can tolerate! Insects over winter in the fallen and decaying leaves. Leave
a layer of leaves as a soft landing material under trees for moths and
butterflies to over winter. Many caterpillars drop to the ground from
the trees in the fall and need a soft landing site and a place to live over the winter.
Allow
a fallen tree to remain in the garden. Limbs on the ground are a
perfect shelter for small animals such as rabbits, chipmunks and
squirrels and a habitat for beetles, termites and other insects.
Make a brush pile. Stack fallen brush, cut tree limbs, broken pots for ground beetles.
Ground beetles are excellent at eating "bad bugs". Bugs are also good
bird, toad and small critter food.
Rethink what you consider a pest. Lots of good bugs eat aphids. Spiders are important predators and they're great bird food!
Add nesting boxes for birds.
Turn
off your yard up-lighting, eave lights and porch lights after 11pm.
This is important for nocturnal critters including mammals, snakes,
insects, bats, birds (especially during migration). (Birdcast suggestions)
Keep a nature journal: You can observe visitors to your water feature, make note of when they visit. Notice which flowers attract the most pollinators and which ones are just pretty faces.
Encourage your local garden clubs to offer native plant talks.
If your garden club has a plant sale encourage them to sell more native plants.
Get trained as a naturalist (Tennessee Naturalist Program. Almost every state has their own Master Naturalist training program
Take an online course on tree, fungi and wildflower id.
Take an online course on designing with native plants.
Take a walk in your neighborhood and observe nature. To quote Joanna Brichetto in Sidewalk Nature "Look Around. Nature is here, is us, our driveways, our baseboards, parks, and parking lots."
Read!
There are hundreds of books on gardening for wildlife, the environment,
and rewilding our world. There are delightful blogs with wonderful and
informative articles.
Support
trees by joining the effort to make sure developers don't remove more
trees than are necessary for their project. Work to make sure there are
tree removal permits and that they are actually enforced in your
community.
Gail Eichelberger is a gardener, Tennessee Naturalist and nature writer in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.
