by Tom Braford
Our yard is all natural. Since our neighbors’ are all neatly manicured, I feel I need to keep ours somewhat trimmed up.
So, if you have to keep the grass cut, E-Lawn Must is a must for the eco-conscious. They are all battery, renewable electric so no noxious fumes and just a fraction of the noise. Owner Matt McWilliams tells me that the average gas powered mower is responsible for as much pollution as a gas guzzling automobile.
I know the birds and the bees in our yard at the Ecovillage prefer all electric lawn care, as well. Matt stays well away from the hive to protect them and he lets the rookery go about their business of nest building while he works below. The great white and snowy egrets and small blue and night herons have returned to the trees around the Ecovillage for the third year in a row.
Several mixed fly arounds of great whites and small blues early this spring tipped us off that they were considering our site again for their rookery. But they kept us waiting with bated breath for a few weeks.
Then, just as the first leaves started to appear, three pairs of great whites staked their claim to the highest trees and began tightening up last year’s nests. Before long, they were joined by all the others and the trees are now full.
Meanwhile, the bees are doing well. As is the custom in healthy colonies, the old queen and the other older bees swarmed early this spring and set out to find a new home, leaving the youngsters and four or five new queens to sort it out as to who would become the new queen mother.
And if that were not enough of a nature treat with the bees, a yellow butterfly and several native pollinators investigating the wildflowers at my feet, while a lone bunny nibbled on clover under the peach tree nearby, one day last week a beautiful blond coyote strode down the alley just twenty feet away, briefly glanced at the bunny and me turned and headed back downtown.
Contact:
braford@sbcglobal.net
www.ArizmendiEcovillage.com