GeoGrow’s Post

Utility Arborist’s Almanac – June Two weeks ago, was #pollinatorweek, which is a great time to highlight the work Eversource’s Transmission Vegetation Management team does to promote the plants in our rights-of-way that support pollinators. We use integrated vegetation management techniques to ensure the reliability of transmission system to keep tall growing vegetation away from the lines in our ROWs. By controlling the tall-growing vegetation, we arrest the natural succession that would occur, which would typically transform any open or disturbed areas into the widespread forests we have in New England. Our ROWs can then support low growing grass, fern, flower and shrub plant communities that would normally be taken over by larger growing trees. Over time, using this method reduces the amount of work needed to be performed, reduces the impact and is the most sustainable. The results can be beautiful, but more importantly our ROWs promote biodiversity in our region and are home to protected plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Continuing to perform best management practices in ROWs will support and protect the beauty and ecological importance of these corridors, while helping to keep the lights on. Check out Eversource's Pollinator Plant guide: https://lnkd.in/eTvxQwKK Research regarding ROW management: https://lnkd.in/efrUTyid https://lnkd.in/eGGbqad8 EXCITING NEWS Eversource Energy has qualified and has been recognized by The Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Line USA Utility. This is the first time that all three states in Eversource’s service territory have been recognized. The requirements to be recognized include: 1.   Quality Tree Care 2.   Annual Worker Training 3.   Tree Planting and Public Education 4.   Tree-Based Energy Conservation Program 5.   Arbor Day Celebration I am proud of Eversource for supporting the effort it takes to obtain this achievement and to the Vegetation Management team for putting in the work to complete the requirements. Arbor Day Foundation Aldo Leopold Foundation

Experts Warn Against Mass Mangrove Planting Mangroves play a critical role in coastal ecosystems, offering benefits such as shoreline stabilization, carbon sequestration, and habitat for diverse marine life. However, experts have raised significant concerns about the mass planting of mangroves, suggesting that this approach, though well-intentioned, might do more ... [...] #Mangrove Read more... https://lnkd.in/en5mEZKJ

Experts Warn Against Mass Mangrove Planting Mangroves play a critical role in coastal ecosystems, offering benefits such as shoreline stabilization, carbon sequestration, and habitat for diverse marine life. However, experts have raised significant concerns about the… #Mangrove >>> Read more

Celebrating Olive Awhi’s Wetland Restoration! Thanks to the Nelson City Council's Environmental Grants Scheme, Olive Awhi’s wetland has been transformed into a thriving natural haven. Hear from Olive’s dad about his journey to restore, protect, and enhance this beautiful slice of paradise in Nelson. You too can make a difference! The Environmental Grants scheme offers funding to support projects that protect, enhance, and restore our local environment’s health. Applications for the 2024/2025 funding round open on Sunday, 1 September 2024, and close on Monday, 30 September 2024. Funding of up to $20,000 is available per project per year. Note that applications up to $5,000 are more likely to be successful, except for projects mitigating erosion. Support can include financial assistance, professional ecological advice, and native plants. Apply online and find more details below! https://lnkd.in/gVgne8_M Funding priorities for the 2024/2025 financial year: ·        Restoration of riparian margins or wetlands ·        Reduction of erosion from streambanks or steep slopes on farming and forestry land ·        Enhancement of soil conservation ·        Exclusion of stock from waterways ·        Protection and restoration of Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) ·        Community projects* that control weeds or browsing animals (e.g., goats, possums) ·        Community projects* that enhance native wildlife through predator control ·        Restoration projects supporting ecological connectivity across Nelson ·        Restoration of important coastal ecosystems, including saltmarsh, estuary, and dune ecosystems *Community projects involve three or more landowners and/or public land. #EnvironmentalGrants #NelsonCityCouncil #WetlandRestoration #Biodiversity #SustainableFuture #CommunityProjects #EcologicalRestoration #NelsonNZ

Struggling to manage the degraded native plant communities within your parkland? A natural resource management plan can help you prioritize your natural areas investment, establish a strategy for restoration, and obtain funding. In our latest blog article, landscape architect and ecologist Fred Rozumalski covers the four simple steps you’ll need to create actionable improvements for your park system: https://lnkd.in/gcZZHatQ. #BarrInsights #NaturalResourceManagementPlan #NativePlants #ParkSystem

The 4 Returns Framework: A Guide to Holistic Landscape Restoration After more than a decade of working on holistic landscape restoration with partners all over the world, we announces the release of our new guidebook, “The 4 Returns Framework: A Guide to Holistic Landscape Restoration”, a one-stop-shop for holistic landscape restoration best practices and implementation tips.  Faced with the giant threat of landscape degradation worldwide, it’s easy to feel small. Faced with the long term and energy-intense task of holistic restoration, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Faced with the complex web of – sometimes competing- stakeholder interests, it’s easy to feel alone. But we can do this, we can restore landscapes – as long as we’re guided by facts and not by myths.   At 16:30 CEST on Tuesday 25 June, we will be hosting a live Zoom webinar featuring three practitioners who are on the frontlines of landscape restoration, in conversation with experts – each busting a myth. This event is for anyone who is in the first few years of their landscape restoration process – you could be interested in setting up a landscape partnership in the near future – or you could already be on your restoration journey. If you keep running into challenges, sometimes struggle to figure out myth from reality – or would simply like some advice, solidarity and support – then this webinar is for you. https://lnkd.in/euwtc7h6 #generationrestoration #restoration #ecosystems #biodiversity #landscapes #regeneration #ecology #agriculture #livestock #regenerativeagriculture #climatechange #forests #water #soil #farmers #conservation #4returns Wetlands International IUCN CEM- Forest Ecosystems Landscape Finance Lab 1000 Landscapes For 1 Billion People CGIAR FAO

Fish-friendly passages are key to increasing the populations of freshwater fish species here in New Zealand. Fish such as inanga as well as eels and other freshwater organisms need to be able to travel upstream to complete their lifecycle. Barriers such as culverts, dams and fords can prevent this from happening, but they can be modified to allow safe passage for these creatures. Here is a great article about how Project Parore are helping landowners to make this happen. Their Restoration, Enhancement, Protection crew member Tejay in the photo is also on our current intake of BCA cadets! https://lnkd.in/g2-ji7cu

PEATLAND ‘RESTORATION’ DAMAGING PEATLANDS   In the latest issue (No.106) of ‘Wild Land News’ I have an article ‘The Wagons are Rolling’. Conservationists and land managers are particularly prone to jumping on these bandwagons because of the money. I have talked about the woodland ‘restoration’ bandwagon, and there are similar ones for montane scrub and riparian woodland. Unfortunately, many of these bandwagons are not based on any understanding of vegetation history: for example, there is no evidence that montane scrub ever existed in Scotland (relict sub-arctic/alpine scrub, yes, but montane scrub, no.)   A current bandwagon, into which money is being poured, is peatland ‘restoration’; again, this is rarely based on any understanding of the long-term dynamics of blanket peat. The conservation NGOs are fond of telling us that 85% of Scotland’s blanket peat is degraded, which to me, as a peatland ecologist, seems improbable. Certainly, there may be some erosion on 85% of peatlands, but this is not the same thing. It is worth noting a conclusion from SNH’s Commissioned Report 410: “7. No significant relationships were identified between the area of eroded peatland vegetation and the densities of large herbivores across Scotland as a whole.”   Again, there is no understanding of the long-term dynamics of blanket peat: it cannot go on getting thicker for ever, and a soft material in an erosive climate will always be susceptible to erosion. The deeper the peat, the greater the probability of erosion setting in; peat does not start off ready formed (!), so shallow peats have the best potential for long-term carbon sequestration – but these are the ones trees are being planted on!   There is learning to be had by looking at the simplest peat-forming system in the world, in Antarctica, where erosion occurs in the complete absence of animals and humans: see my 2022 paper in Antarctic Science. Blanket peat forms because compression of dead plant material enables capillary action to be a stronger force than gravitational drainage. This enables the water table to rise-up with the peat, but there will be a depth limit once gravitational drainage takes over: research is need on this: what is the maximum depth blanket peat can reach??   You often read that peat is like a sponge, good for flood control, &c, but this is nonsense: water is held firmly in the catotelm (the peat itself), and does flow in or out. This, of course, enables the same peat bank to be cut year after year. It means also that drains cannot drain peat (a picture attached showing this), although water can evaporate from the surface of exposed peat, and some drains can go on to erode into gullies.   The question is, should we be taking diggers up and reprofiling what NatureScot calls “a globally important resource … protected under the EC Habitats Directive Annex I”.   This is a big topic, to be pursued further, but all in my ‘Illustrated Book of Peat’, available from nhbs.com  

When it comes to reclamation across Western Canada's diverse landscapes—whether wet or dry—getting the right start for native plants is critical. That’s where peat plugs shine. Peat plugs are not only an efficient use of expensive seed, but they also provide a consistent growing medium that promotes better establishment of native plants. Their compact design makes planting easier, saving time and resources on-site. Plus, their moisture retention benefits are ideal for wet sites, while their lightweight structure ensures success even in drier conditions. Using peat plugs is just part of the solution. Real impact comes from choosing the right species mix and density for each location. By prioritizing biodiversity, we can create ecosystems that restore and thrive—supporting wildlife, improving soil health, and building resilient landscapes. If you’re tackling reclamation projects, our team is here to help. From selecting the best species for your site to ensuring efficient and successful planting, we have the expertise to make your project a success. 👉 Need help selecting the right mix and approach for your reclamation site? Let’s talk! #Reclamation #Biodiversity #NativePlants #SustainableLandscapes #WesternCanada

Celebrating National Rewilding Day Today marks National Rewilding Day, a time to reflect on the transformative power of rewilding our landscapes. Rewilding, at its core, is a progressive approach to conservation that focuses on letting nature take care of itself, enabling natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems, and restore degraded landscapes. This year, I had the pleasure of exploring the Knepp Wildland Project Knepp Estate one of the largest rewilding projects in lowland Europe, alongside some of my friends from the On Purpose Cohort On Purpose London. Knepp stands as a beacon of rewilding success, sprawling over 3,500 acres in West Sussex, England. What started as a conventional farming operation has morphed into an extraordinary biodiversity hotspot, thanks to the vision of its owners, Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree. By stepping back and allowing nature to take the reins, Knepp has become a living laboratory, demonstrating how rewilding can benefit both wildlife and people. Herds of free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs, and deer have become the architects of the land, creating a mosaic of habitats that support an astonishing variety of life. The project has garnered global attention, attracting conservationists, scientists, and policymakers eager to learn from its success. It demonstrates how rewilding can not only restore biodiversity but also provide ecosystem services like flood mitigation, carbon sequestration, and soil regeneration, offering solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges we face today. Our journey with the On Purpose Cohort to Knepp was more than a visit; it was an immersion into the possibilities of a wilder future. As we celebrate National Rewilding Day, let's draw inspiration from Knepp and similar projects around the world. Let's champion the wild, not only for the sake of biodiversity but for the health of our planet and future generations. In embracing the wild, we discover not only the untamed beauty of our world but also the potential for a harmonious coexistence with the natural world. Here's to rewilding, a path forward that rekindles hope, fosters resilience, and renews our sense of wonder in the natural world. A natural world which existed before us and will rekindle itself willingly, if we let it. #Rewilding #Nature #Wildlife #Conservation #Rewild #NatureLovers #Biodiversity #Sustainability #Sustainable #EcoFriendly #SustainableLiving #Environment