Letter To The Editor - Green Party Leader Asks For Changes In Urban Areas
Dear Editor, I write to you and your readers today about an issue that affects us all – bio-diversity. As leader of the Saskatchewan Green Party, I propose we enact legislation to create small, inter-connected native plant and pollinator sanctuaries across the province, wherever we live work and play. Added together, side by side, these can form our newest Provincial Park while strengthening our bio-diversity.
The recent story of a Regina couple losing their lot of wildflowers to a bylaw is not an isolated event, and something we must seriously address.
Having a yard that helps pollinators is something everyone can do to fight the Climate Crisis and support Local Food Security. All flowering plants are needed by pollinators, even the weeds.
I used to think this was only an issue in certain areas. However, as I travel the province I'm hearing the same thing over and over. People want to convert their yards to foodscapes and more natural aisles, but sadly in many cases when their neighbours complain, the town, city or RM literally comes in and mows down these citizens yards.
I propose the Province and Municipalities legislate and enact bylaws that promote and encourage:
1. The planting of native plant species. The deep roots of our native plants are incredibly valuable to the environment. They sequester carbon, filter water, enrich soil, decrease erosion and produce plants that are tough as nails! Lawns and pavement don’t offer any food or shelter for the birds, bees and other wildlife. Add native plants, watch birds come in: Native plants add interest and beauty to a yard and the neighbourhood. They provide shelter and nesting areas for birds. The nectar, seeds, berries, and insects will sustain birds and diverse wildlife.
2. Not raking up leaves in the fall (many insects and small animals find refuge in those leaves in the fall). The brand new human concept of ‘The Pristine Lawn’ defies 300 million years of normal seasonal changes. Stop The War On Leaves! Keep all leaves and twigs on your property. Leave them where they fall or gently rake them into your ‘Wild Area’.
3. Long grass or diversified yards. Right now, municipalities enforce people’s grass be cut short. Instead , we should move away from grass and mono-cultured landscapes.
4. Back and front yard gardens, with allowance for straw bales as mulch for those gardens.
5. An end to light pollution. Encourage motion sensor lights in municipalities. Turning off outdoor lights helps migratory birds, fireflies and other insects.
6. Regulate commercial lawn care company practices. Currently, their main strategy is to apply gallons and gallons of chemicals in the form of herbicides and pesticides to yards. These chemicals cause cancer in children (who play in a yard where neighbours have these applied). Dogs and cats also have a 70% higher chance of cancer if in a yard with with pesticides. Many lawn fertilizers have pesticides that kill bees. Lastly, these chemicals don’t stay on your lawn! Runoff leaches into our creeks, rivers and lakes through the ground and via storm drains. This kills fish and other aquatic life. Ultimately, they contaminate our drinking water supply.
7. The END of gas leaf blowers! The noise pollution scares away wildlife, and is utterly obnoxious to most humans. They are incredibly high polluters too. Their engines may be small, but they are actually big contributors to the climate crisis. California's Environmental Protection Agency reports that “the best-selling commercial leaf blowers emit as much smog-forming pollution during just one hour of use as driving a 2016 Toyota Camry about 1,100 miles.”
8. Better enforcement of litter pickup and garbage removal from yards, empty lots and ditches. Litter and plastics can be very harmful to birds and other wildlife. They will pick it up and take it back and consume it. Garbage quite literally tangles up and ensnares birds and other wildlife.
9. An end to the planting of exotic, non-native flowers and plants. We should be taught to think of our yards as bird and wildlife feeders and encouraged to plant at least 70% native species. Birds and insects will benefit by not needing to forage over larger areas. Promote bio-diversity, not wildlife 'food deserts' within your yard. We can still have beautiful and well tended yards, but healthier, more diverse ones. We should be taught to think of what will help the wildlife when planting. Non-native species often don’t provide food, and are sprayed with chemicals in the greenhouse. Native trees and plants are more likely to have local bugs on. This is important for birds. They eat a lot of insects.
10. Promote non-toxic methods of weed control. There are invasive weeds (often non-native plants), that need to be curtailed. However, chemical spraying as the solution is very harmful. I use this recipe: - 1 gallon of white vinegar, mixed with 1/4 cup of table salt and 1 tablespoon of natural dish soap. Put it in a sprayer and apply to weeds. It takes a day or two to work but it will kill the weeds.
11. Smaller-scale agriculture to implement all of these recommendations. My father and I have done this successfully at our haskap orchard near Birch Hills. At first, our neighbours near our farm complained a lot about “weeds”. As time went on our permaculture, pollinator-encouraging methods, slowly created a more “beautiful looking” orchard. We talked to them about why we were proceeding this way. As they started to better understand us and our methods, they became more supportive. The Saskatchewan Environment and Agriculture Ministries should actively help by educating farmers and the public about the need for creating wildlife-friendly spaces within our own properties.
The citizens of Saskatchewan and our governments can come together around sensible policies and practices that benefit us all, and the environment for future generations.
Please contact me for more information or to talk about your own experiences.
Naomi Hunter
Leader, Saskatchewan Green Party
1-305-561-8880
Editor’s note: The preceding was the viewpoint of the author and may or may not represent the views of MJ Independent. We run it because we encourage alternative points of view, discussion and debate.
Some of the issues presented in the letter have come up at Council or elsewhere in the community, so another viewpoint is welcomed.