Accent on Natural Landscaping

Donna VanBuecken

Search Results for: ddt

Banning DDT

Reference my previous post on Lorrie Otto and DDT. Since I mentioned that banning DDT led to the charter of Wild Ones, I thought you might like to read a synopsis about how it all happened:

1942: DDT First Used
DDT was introduced during WWII to protect our troops from the mosquito-borne disease malaria. It is still being used selectively in some tropical countries.

1949: A Sand County Almanac
Aldo Leopold published his landmark book, A Sand County Almanac, calling for a “land ethic” connecting people and nature.

1950s: Citizen Activists Got Involved
Citizen activists started sending letters and confronting editors, WDNR, and local municipalities. These activists included not just conservationists, but also hunters, fishermen, professors, members of garden clubs and many others. [Read more…]

The Art of Mending the Earth

The following post is from an e-mail received from long-time Wild Ones member Nancy Aten regarding Art at the Urban Ecology Center now through September 2019 at the Riverside Park Branch in Milwaukee*.

If you’re in the area, this Thursday, July 11th from 5-7 pm is the free opening reception of The Art of Mending the Earth. There will be refreshments, good company, and the artists will speak informally at 6 pm. Bring your copies of their books and get them signed by the author.

Ney wrote of the showing: “Yesterday, a colorful van decorated with images of spiders, birds, lizards, fish etc arrived at my house with a team to transport the paintings to the Urban Ecology Center. Image above is of a 60” x 30” oil painting of the view from my porch.

The orange milkweed planted in monarch way station at Doctors Park returned and is in bloom. Last week, we planted more common milkweed. The week before, a group of young people from Cream City Conservation took out seven Ace bags full of day lilies. Progress continues.”

The Artists

Artist and Photographer Ney Tait Fraser

Ney’s very large, personal oil paintings of close-up wildflowers will cover the gallery’s walls giving viewers an opportunity to consider and discuss the Nature of Art. Ney says, “In a world already smothered by objects, perhaps it is time to start making living, conceptual art that mends the web of life. Small creatures such as birds, butterflies and spiders could be given habitat with indigenous plants.”

Over a period of several decades, Ney has improved Big Bay/Buckley Park by removing invasive plants, and she says, “This landscape is now a living, conceptual piece that sustains wildlife…. Loss of pollinators is one of the most import issues of our time. Instead of making more interior decoration, Art — as native plant landscapes — could address this problem.”

Ney, a long-time Wild Ones member and friend of Wild Ones hero Lorrie Otto, wrote and illustrated a book called Mending the Earth in Milwaukee which includes sixteen stories of extraordinary pioneer gardeners (including Lorrie) who created mini Edens by replacing lawn and exotic plants with native plants. Ney’s book is for sale locally at Outpost Natural Foods to benefit Teens Growing Greens. Also at Woodland Pattern, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Wehr Nature Center, Riveredge Nature Center. Or for sale on-line.

Poet Terimarie Degree

Terimarie grew up with both parents serving in the US Navy. This afforded her the opportunity to live everywhere from Southern California to unique locales such as the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Those experiences birthed an appreciation for nature.

Her nature poetry is a combination of reflecting on the beauty found in the natural world and also the role people have to care for it. Terimarie has a number of poems published on-line as well as work in four books: Permeable to the Year (2017), The Third Eye (2017), Where I Want to Live (2018) and Secret Words Volume 4 (2019). Her work recently was on display as part of the Swan Day MKE gallery show, “Water: Reflection, Ritual & Resource” at Urban Ecology Center, Menomonee Valley.

Terimarie’s poems will be on display with Ney Tait Fraser’s work and she will  kick off the opening reception with a poetry reading.

*The Riverside Park branch of the Urban Ecology Center is open Monday – Thursday 9 am – 7 pm, Friday – Saturday 9 am – 5 pm, and Sunday noon – 5 pm. Located at 1500 E Park Place, Milwaukee 53211, (414) 964-8505.

 

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Earth Day 2019

Although not a national holiday, Earth Day is celebrated each April 22nd. Founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970, after the banning of DDT, this observation should be a reminder to we humans about just how much our livelihood depends upon the health of this Earth.

It is a good day to reread We went to the moon… and we discovered the Earth.

From Mars, the view of Earth would be just as lonely as this view shown here from the moon.

Although I won’t be around when it becomes necessary, if I was, I’d prefer to live here on Earth and not settle for Mars. Going to Mars may be a great adventure, but I’m certain most humans would not like to spend the rest of their lives there.

I hope the time comes when humans stop taking Earth for granted and start valuing what it is providing for us — before it is too late.

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Women’s History Month 2019 – Aroline Schmitt

March is Women’s History Month. Women have been celebrated nationally since 1981 when Congress passed a law creating “Women’s History Week.” That week was celebrated in March annually until 1987 when Congress began passing “Women’s History Month.” And then finally in 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama issued annual proclamations designating March as “Women’s History Month.”

Aroline Schmitt. Photo by Maxine Schmitt Roberts

Aroline Schmitt (1904-1995)

So I thought it would be fitting to mention this year the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame will be inducting on May 13, 2019, a woman infamous for her stand on sustainable forestry. Her name was Aroline Schmitt. [Read more…]