Create new areas for wildlife habitat

There is a concern that too much potential wildlife habitat has been pre-empted for agriculture and urban development.

In order to make a living and contribute to the feeding of the approximately 7 billion people on earth, cropland has expanded. Likewise, to provide housing for expanding urban populations, potential wildlife habitat is increasingly being destroyed.

Solutions to the problem of the provision of additional wildlife habitat need not be limited to the countryside. Cities, as we know, often contain sizable tracts of vacant land for which no suitable use has been determined. These parcels of land generally grow grass and/or weeds and are mowed (or not) by landowners or the municipalities. Perhaps such areas could be seeded in native prairie grasses and wildflowers. This would provide suitable habitat for small animals. Environmentally concerned city dwellers might also consider buffer strips seeded in native prairie grasses and wildflowers. This would not only provide habitat for small animals, but also help to filter out herbicides and pesticides that otherwise might enter storm sewers and be carried to natural waterways. Obviously aesthetic concerns and the presence of existing ordinances would need to be considered.

Robert J. Boes

Ely