One of my favorite areas of our local park is being subjected to some drastic engineering. If you ask me, this looks more like an attempt to turn it into a sad place -- reminiscent of Mordor.
For the last month or so, there have been people and trucks and things all over the park's soccer field. You can see the soccer field on the right side of this panorama along with big piles of dirt. The field is bordered on one side by an area of the park that has been left in a natural state, providing habitat for birds, frogs, marsh rabbits and other creatures.
We've been seeing equipment like this for days now and wondering what was going to be happening in this area.
Dirt has been carted in by the truckload and piled in the field for some future, mysterious use.
You can see the natural area in the background of this photo along with more dirt.
All of the wooden light poles have been taken down. They are being replaced by metal ones. I do understand the logic of this from a maintenance perspective but it is a loss for the several species of birds who used the wooden poles as nesting sites.
Now we are faced with this: the wholesale uprooting of trees and other vegetation from the natural area. I'm told this is being done to make the area "safer" for children.
Another view of the area that is being "renovated." On the left side of this photo is a place where there used to be a shaded pool harboring a small population of native frogs. I doubt they will survive this mess.
What I have been told is that the land directly adjacent to the soccer field is actually owned by the public school system. Fortunately, it appears that their section of the natural area only extends in about 40 feet or so. The rest, including a small marshy wetland, is apparently under government jurisdiction and will (hopefully) remain untouched. I'm sure the city and the school district will replace what they have ripped out with some nice grass that eats resources for maintenance. Do I think the children will be any safer for all this destruction? No. But we might all be safer in the long run if our children were taught to appreciate the natural world instead of being protected from it.
© Karen Kleis 2012 All Text and Images
