CLEAR December 2021

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UD professor Douglas Tallamy hopes to save native species, one lawn at a time | News | newarkpostonline.com
by DUANE NICHOLS 01 Dec '21

01 Dec '21

https://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/ud-professor-douglas-tallamy-hopes-to… Standing in a garden of native plants on the University of Delaware campus, UD professor Douglas Tallamy puts his hand on an oak tree, one of the many species he hopes to encourage people to grow in their own yards. “It’s a grassroots solution, and the goal is to convert 50 percent of the area that’s in lawns now to functional ecosystems,” Tallamy said. Tallamy started the nonprofit Homegrown National Park with the help of Michelle Alfandari in the fall of 2020. The organization helps homeowners transform their yards from plots with nothing but grass into ecosystems full of native plants like the ones at UD. “It’s our effort to reach beyond the choir,” Tallamy said. “I’ve been lecturing to the choir for 15 years, a choir of people who already get it.” Tallamy met Alfandari when she attended a talk he gave in Connecticut about biodiversity. “He motivates you to take action by telling you that you are empowered to turn this around to regenerate biodiversity,” Alfandari said. Homegrown National Park’s website has an interactive map showcasing individuals who have contributed to the project by turning their yards into homes for native plants. The site currently counts over 11,000 participants. Tallamy’s goal is to move the focus of conservation from public lands, like national and state parks, to private land, which represents the vast majority of land in the U.S. He said 78 percent of land in the United States is privately owned, with 86 percent of land east of the Mississippi being privately owned. “For this to work, you need to reach tens of millions of people – all the people who don’t have any clue that their little piece of earth is important for the future of this country,” Tallamy said. He said the health of an ecosystem can be measured by the number of caterpillar species, because caterpillars are an important food for birds. Approximately 96 percent of birds raise their young on insects. “Most of those insects are caterpillars,” Tallamy said. “So you get rid of your caterpillars, you’ve gotten rid of your birds.” Tallamy said there are four things every ecosystem needs to accomplish: sequester carbon dioxide, manage the watershed, support the local food web and support pollinators. “A lawn does none of those,” Tallamy said. “It’s the worst plant for carbon sequestration. It destroys watersheds rather than manages them. It doesn’t support any pollinators, and it doesn’t support any food webs.” His latest book, “The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees,” published in 2021, focuses on oaks because the native species supports over 950 species of caterpillars, far more than other trees. The problems facing Delaware’s ecology – climate change, the extinction crisis, overpopulation of deer and invasive species – are all linked together. Humans and nature cannot exist separately, Tallamy added, since our actions impact areas like White Clay Creek State Park that are often considered pristine untouched nature. “You go to White Clay Creek, walk around, and over a third of that vegetation is from China,” Tallamy said. Tallamy’s interest in conservation began when he was in third grade and a bulldozer filled in a pond near Tallamy’s childhood home, killing his favorite toads. “I pursued it in the same way that everybody did,” Tallamy said. “I thought we had to preserve what wasn’t wrecked yet. I never once thought about enhancing our yard where I lived. It never occurred to me. Nature was someplace else.” Tallamy’s shift toward public advocacy started when he moved to Oxford, Pa., and saw how invasive plants covered his lawn. He worked with an undergraduate conducting research into how invasive plants damage the food web for insects, which in turn hurts bird populations. An article on his research got picked up by the Associated Press, leading to a bird club in Pennsylvania inviting him to give a speech. “My message is that you can help turn this around,” Tallamy said. “People get excited about that. I get four talk requests a day now.” Tallamy’s own garden is a testament to native plants, with 10 species of oaks living along with 120 genera of woody plants on his 10-acre property in Oxford. Newark Neighbors is a biweekly column that spotlights everyday Newarkers who have an interesting story. Know somebody who should be featured? Contact reporter Matt Hooke at mhooke(a)chespub.com.

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Inaugural WV TRAIL Conference Energizes Mass Effort for Statewide Trails Movement
by DUANE NICHOLS 30 Nov '21

30 Nov '21

https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/2021/november/23/inaugural-wv-trail… Inaugural WV TRAIL Conference Energizes Mass Effort for Statewide Trails Movement Kelly Pack is RTC's trail development director and a driving force behind many successul rail-trail projects around the country. Pack recently served as a lead author for RTC's 2013 America's Rails-with-Trails report. Posted 11/23/21 by Kelly Pack in America's Trails As part of the conference program, longtime West Virginia trail advocates Peggy Pings, Ella Belling and Amanda Pitzer celebrate Ella’s recognition as a leader of trail advocacy on the Mon River Rail-Trail System in Morgantown. | Photo courtesy Amanda Pitzer Exciting happenings in West Virginia last week—as local and national trail advocates gathered virtually for the inaugural WV TRAIL Conference (Nov. 16–18, 2021). Hosted by WV TRAIL, the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, Friends of the Cheat and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the conference brought together more than 250 people with the goal of building a broad network of trail planners, managers and advocates from across the Mountain State. Special thank you to the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, whose generous support to the Mountain State Trail Alliance and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy made this conference possible. In his keynote address on Tuesday, Nov. 16, Peter Harnik, RTC co-founder and author of “From Rails To Trails: The Making of America’s Active Transportation Network,” highlighted West Virginia’s role and good standing as a national leader in rail-trail development, noting the nearly 600 miles of rail-trails that crisscross the state. RELATED: Top 10 Trails in West Virginia West Virginia Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby emphasized the demand for trails in her welcome remarks. “I regularly meet with local officials across the state, and I’ve never had a meeting where somebody didn’t say, ‘What can I do to get more trails in my area?’” said Ruby. “It’s the hot topic.” Rich Edwards, the outdoor recreation infrastructure coordinator for West Virginia University’s Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative emphasized the importance of trails in boosting West Virginia’s economy. He stated, “Our dream is a West Virginia that is known as a place for outdoor recreation ... the energy from this conference makes me think that dream is being realized.” Caperton Trail along the Mon River in Morgantown, West Virginia | Courtesy RTC Conference attendees heard from a variety of panelists and speakers who shared inspiring stories, lessons learned and recommendations for building a trails movement in West Virginia. On Wednesday, RTC’s Vice President of Communications, Brandi Horton, joined Flatwater Trail Commission leader Bill Currey and West Virginia-based communications strategist James Hersick to share stories and strategies for communicating the impact of trails. The closing session on Thursday, “Trail Advocacy in Action,” highlighted the role and importance of engaging state, local and federal officials to support investment in trail development at all levels of government. State Rep. Kent Smith (D-Ohio), State Sen. Dennis Kruse (R-Ind.) and Andrea LaFontaine, executive director of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, spoke about the impact of legislative trails caucuses—which have built support and momentum for trail development in Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin in recent years—while Mayor Amy Goodwin (Charleston, West Virginia), Mayor Sam Felton (Marlinton, West Virginia) and Amy Dingle of Five Rivers MetroParks (Dayton, Ohio) shared successful strategies for engaging decisionmakers at the local level. To round things out, Marianne Fowler, RTC’s senior strategist for policy advocacy, provided a helpful overview of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and its potential impact for West Virginia communities. Analysis: Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes With New Opportunities for Trails, Walking and Biking Greenbrier River Trail in Marlinton, West Virginia | Photo by TrailLink user tarwheel Along with nonmotorized trail groups from across the Mountain State, RTC is contributing to the trail movement in West Virginia by creating and connecting a broad network of trail advocates and users through our leadership in the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition and beyond. We look forward to supporting WV TRAIL, the new statewide trails organization that aims to increase the awareness of and appreciation for trails of all kinds—with a mission to develop a vibrant network of trail leaders who will work toward expanding trail systems throughout West Virginia.

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CLEAR December 2021