Trying To Restore Natural Habitat

Across the Fence #506

I was sitting on the back deck the other day, enjoying the beauty and fullness of the green summer foliage around us. Majestic, puffy cumulus clouds filled the sky, all the way to the horizon. Patches of blue, the color of Robin’s eggs, were visible between the clouds, accentuating the white highlights and bluish-gray shadows of the clouds. The afternoon sun shone brightly through the breaks in those clouds. I basked in the warmth of the sun’s rays as I remembered the bitterly cold winter we had all endured not that many months ago. Summer feels good!

There was a slight breeze, but the leaves of the trees were barely moving. Then I heard the wind as it began moving through the large tree along the fenceline behind our house. It began slowly and increased in volume until it sounded like waves crashing on the shore. It was a wonderful, soothing sound. As I listened and observed the movement in the tree, I couldn’t help but wonder what our world would be like without trees.

I know I’d miss their beauty, the many changing colors in the fall, the snow-capped branches and evergreens in the winter, the magic of hoarfrost clinging to the trees, the soothing sound of leaves rustling in the wind, watching birds and squirrels build nesting places in them, seeing birds and other wildlife seek shelter there, listening to the chorus of tree frogs in the night, sitting or lying in the cooling shade on a hot, muggy summer day, attaching a rope swing to a limb, and watching children climb and play in trees as I remember the days when I did the same thing. I see how they form a windbreak barrier against winter storms, and provide a refuge, shelter, and home for wildlife, all year ‘round. Yes, trees are essential to all life.

It takes years to grow a tree to maturity, and only a few minutes to cut or bulldoze it down. We don’t have the respect and reverence for trees and nature that Native Americans had and still have. I like this quote by Chief Qwatsinas of the Nuxalk Nation. “We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren, and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves, such as the birds, animals, fish, and trees.” Another Native saying I like says: “Nature is our mother, our home, our security, our peace, our past and our future. We should treat natural things and habitats as believers treat their temples and shrines, as sacred – to be revered and preserved in all their intricate and fragile beauty.”

Sherpe Road before the DOT destroyed all the trees.

There’s an area of land between the Uff da Bahn and Sherpe Road that’s now owned by the state. When they built the new four-lane highway and multi-use trail between Viroqua and Westby, they destroyed every bush and tree that lined both sides of Sherpe Road. Those areas were used as natural habitat for all types of birds and other wildlife. When I look at the areas that were destroyed, I see where they could have left most of the trees and brush on the east side of what is now the new location for Sherpe Road. I guess it was easier to destroy than work around them. That area is now wide open and was filled with wildflowers until they were mown down. We’d like to restore that area to again provide wildlife habitat with wildflowers, brush, and eventually trees. It would also provide a better sound barrier against the traffic noise on the Uff da Bahn. 

Trying to restore this area between Sherpe Road and the Uff da Bahn, but people keep mowing it down and destroying the habitat. 

I realize it’s state-owned and no longer our land, but hopefully the state and county won’t mow everything down and destroy the new growth. It takes a long time to grow brush and trees of any size. I doubt if I’ll see that area restored to the way it was during my lifetime. But, as the Native American quote says, we must protect areas like that for our children, grandchildren, and the children yet unborn, so they may enjoy it.

It would be great to have that area of land become a bird and wildlife refuge in the middle of humanity again, so future generations can enjoy the views, sights, and sounds, as they walk along the road. We used to enjoy seeing deer suddenly emerge from the brush and trees, the singing of birds filled the air, butterflies and bees feasted on the wildflowers, Monarch butterflies found milkweed plants that are essential for their life, wild blackberries grew along the ditches beside the road, and plum trees provided us fruit for picking and canning. That was all destroyed by the construction of the Uff da Bahn. Now we’d like to restore that natural habitat for those who come after us to enjoy. We need to be conscious of the environment in which we live so we don’t end up destroying the land, water, and air, that all the animals, fish, birds, butterflies, bees, and yes even us humans, depend on to sustain life on this very small, blue dot in a very vast universe.

I’ll leave you with this Native American proverb, “A frog does not drink up all the water of the pond in which it lives.” Such a simple statement with such a powerful and profound message for all of us to think about.

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