It's that time of year again...

Back by popular demand (and yes, I'm aware I may be the only one who has waited all year for this), the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Falcon Cam! A tradition was started 13 years ago by the university having a falcon box placed on top of the tallest building in the area, the Du Bois Library. Here's a little history about the 2014 season:

This box has housed multiple nesting falcons and you can be a part of the family by watching their webcam! Riveting as always, I think it's like a great movie, unfolding every day. Happy watching!

Watch Falcon Cam

Song of the Day

Totally diggin on this new song so I thought I would share. Plus, beyond great beats, this video is super sweet and makes me remember that I really need to read "Where the Wild Things Are".

Enjoy...

Green Lake's Phosphorous Problem

Last week, Seattle's Green Lake got an alum treatment to help combat the phosphorous issues that lead to blue green algae. Alum is a non-toxic chemical that binds with phosphorous to inhibit the growth of toxic algae. Since this is an issue that should be dealt with, it's great that Seattle is taking a step in that direction. However, this is a small indicator of a bigger problem that needs attention... humans.

First Issue: Lawn Care 
While Seattle might be slightly better regarding sustainable lawn care practices than many places in the country, it still has a long way to go. Many homes in Seattle do not apply heavy chemical treatments for herbicide and fertility issues. And to their credit, most homeowners in Seattle and the surrounding Puget Sound area do not water their lawns, preferring instead to bring sexy back with their brown lawns during the drier summer season. However, bad habits continue and making matters worse, many homes are built next to waterways, exacerbating pollution issues.

We've all seen these homes before. Grass lawn or turf is planted right up to adjacent waterways. This close proximity aids in water pollution.

In Seattle, the moist environment often encourages moss to grow in lawns in addition to other weeds that plague most lawns. Scott's and other "turf experts" out there have successful advertising campaigns saying moss is terrible for your lawn and must be removed, most often by herbicides. This treatment of so-called undesirable vegetation is the reason for pollution that in recent years has been making headlines. The Great Lakes, for example, are battling a huge issue with blue green algae and chemical pollutants. When will it be enough?

Second Issue: Pet Waste
Isn't he adorable? Don't you just love dogs? So much fun... oh wait, they come with a lot of issues!

Seattle is a mecca for dogs and their people. For dog owners with yards, most of us have no idea how damaging pet waste is for the environment. In my soils class a few years ago, I used my yard as a test case for a project. It is relatively small and, at the time, I had one large dog and multiple small dogs. While we did pick up after the dogs, it wasn't an everyday occurrence. When I sent a sample of my soil in for testing, I found it had extremely high levels of phosphorous. This problem is a small glimpse of what could be ailing parks like Green Lake.

The park at Green Lake is a popular destination with a trail around the perimeter attracting every type of person for all types of activities, many of which include dogs. Even though people are fairly good about cleaning up after their dogs, this doesn't take care of the liquid waste issue. If this is part of the pollution issue, what can be done with vegetation and soil treatment moving forward to help combat this problem?

By the way, the dog above is our foster Sawyer who is, as of the date of this post, up for adoption through People United for Pets.

Explaining the Science Behind the Issue
Watering grass can be a tricky thing. Grass blades naturally bend when water is applied. It takes a slower process like rain to get past the natural sheeting effect and penetrate the root system. Most irrigation applies water to grass at a rate that is impossible for it to be fully used by the roots. All that excess water then sheets off downhill. This is part of the issue regarding polluted stormwater runoff.

Another issue in water and nutrient uptake is the pH of the soil. If the pH is off, which it often is, applied nutrients will instead leech into waterways. Seattle tends to have acidic soils so limestone can be applied appropriately to balance the pH levels. While you can optimize the pH of your soil, it is something that requires constant maintenance, something which most homeowners are not interested in doing.

This results in problems when applying chemicals such as fertilizers or herbicides. Due to soils not being able to take in all applied nutrients, what does not get taken up by the grass leeches into our streams and waterways via rain or irrigation. This is why having that waterfront property I discussed earlier is a big problem.

Disclaimer: Please get your soil tested prior to applying any amendments. 


Bottom line is we need to be better stewards of our green spaces. This responsibility is not only on homeowners or even renters, but on businesses and city governments. While it is not the only source of pollution in places like our now fair Green Lake, our actions in these green spaces need to take into consideration the bigger environmental picture and the impact our actions have. In the continual water cycle we learned about in grade school, our water eventually goes to places that affect wildlife like fish that are vital to ecosystems. Let's take our responsibility to the earth seriously for once and change our default from reaction to ACTION!

Save Dory!

Song of the Day

Yes, it's been a while, and for that I would like to dedicate this post to my dear friend Orinda.

I just had to share my newest favorite song... totally obsessed. Enjoy!