Ecosystem Gardening Weekly Best of the Web #5

Here’s my weekly roundup of the best of the web. We’ve got a fabulous new children’s book, healthy soil, a look at windpower and wildlife, raising native bees, the winner of the lawn alternative contest, rubber mulch, and more. Great stuff, Enjoy!

Follow the work of my friend Kathy Woods  as she rescues a Baby Owl in this charming new book by Jennifer Keats Curtis. Kathy is a devoted wildlife rescuer who owns Phoenix Wildlife Center. When I say devoted, I mean REALLY devoted. I was there for dinner one night and there was a Loon in the bathtub and an immature Bald Eagle recuperating from it’s injuries in the basement, plus assorted Warblers, Orioles, Tree Swallows, a baby deer, and all manner of other critters being healed in Kathy’s expert care. Some of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Phoenix Wildlife Center, which is operated by donations from lovers of wildlife.

Shawna Coronado, at Gardening Nude has written a great summary of the importance of healthy soil with a list of the best ways you can help create it.

Treehugger posted an article that may finally resolve the anti-wind power environmentalist’s concern over the deaths of bats and birds in Scientists solve wind powers mass bat killing problem.

You can learn to raisie and protect native bees in your garden at the Daily Green. Native pollinators are in great danger due to habitat loss and pesitcide use. We need to do everything we can to help.

See beautiful photos of the gardens of the winners of the lawn alternative contest at Blue Planet Blog by Susan Morrison. While you’re there, click the link to visit The Lawn Reform Coalition. There is great information there.

Linda Chalker Scott writes about how much rubber mulch rubs her the wrong way at Garden Professors. I agree. When rubber breaks down it releases toxic chemicals into our soil and waterways. I would also propose that “fake lawns” made of astroturf rub me the wrong way. Exactly what kind of habitat for wildlife do you think we get from fake lawns? Nada. Zilch. Even less that we get from our obsession with lawns.

Learn about the native plant garden in fall at Alison Gillespie’s Where You are planted, where she discusses the joys of trying to have an environmentally healthy garden in the metro D.C. area

Here’s another great restoration story from Mother Nature Network. Scientists have removed or excluded the feral non-native hogs from Maui’s Mount Haleakalā and the native plants are returning, confirming that strategic conservation efforts, like fencing and feral animal removal, can help restore damaged ecosystems. Yay for this great success!

This is just a sampling of what I found interesting on the web this week. What did you find? Let us know in the comments below.

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