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People do not willingly accept change, especially change they can see out their kitchen window. Photo on page 20: When a neighborhood includes natural areas, residents better appreciate them and will support further efforts to protect the environment through natural landscaping. |
The concept of "natural landscaping" is not a new one and, among public lands caretakers, the benefits of incorporating native plants, naturalistic plantings and "no-mow" policies is more and more widely accepted. However, the use of native plants and the creation of wild landscapes within our parks is still considered unconventional and uncommon.
Why is this so? Too costly? Too difficult? Too risky? Too alternative? Consider the following tale as instructive.
The Schaumburg Park District serves a community that is perceived by many people to epitomize the modern American suburb, with its attendant mix of old and new tract housing, ubiquitous strip malls (plus one huge mall), an abundance of office and retail space, etceteras. Schaumburg also has an extensive system of neighborhood parks and even has a 135-acre nature center. In 1995, the park district applied for, and was awarded, a grant from the Urban Resources Partnership (a coalition of federal and state agencies) to restore an eroding retention pond into a functional wetland ecosystem. Everything about the project pointed toward a successful outcome. The soils and hydrology were right, the eroding peaty banks were in need of help, the nature center staff had experience restoring native plant ecosystems. Plus, students from the high school located across the street would be assisting with the project and would benefit from the results. One factor was overlooked, however, and resulted in the project being scrapped and the grant being withdrawn: the park's neighbors wanted no
part of a plan to transform "their beautiful park" into a "swamp." |
Doubtless, other park managers have similar stories. You adopt a no-mow policy for certain areas, and the residents complain about the weeds. You install native plants onto a steep slope to control the erosion, and residents wonder where their tax dollars are going. As the stewards of public recreation dollars and lands, we do our best to serve the needs and desires of the community of which we are part. When enough residents complain loudly enough, we bow to the pressure and return to traditional landscape designs and maintenance methods.
Fortunately, all attempts at natural landscaping don't end up this way. Many golf courses successfully have incorporated prairie plants into out-of-bounds areas. Many of our formerly mowed roadsides are now flanked with strips of waist-high native grass. Even office buildings have utilized native perennial grasses and flowers within parking lot islands and as accent plantings.
Public support for these landscapes at nature centers and other designated wildlife conservation areas has never been stronger. It is when these strange and seemingly chaotic plantings appear in or near to people's backyards and within traditionally manicured landscapes that eyebrows and resentment rise, and phone calls are made to public officials. Many of the above success stories started out by raising eyebrows and inspiring a few irate citizens or patrons to complain about the new look. Eventually, though, people either grew to accept and possibly |