Hamster fun and information
Homegrown National Park
Hello All,
In my lifetime on two occasions an entomologist has figuratively elevated me from my chair. The first was 75 + years ago as a student at Rutgers when I was taking an introductory class in entomology. The professor’s name is long forgotten, but the quality of his lectures are still strongly anchored. Fast forward 70 + years and while idling through a Medford bookstore, I notice Nature’s Best Hope. The author is Doug Tallamy, PhD who coincidentally received a master’s degree from Rutgers 25 + years after my time there. Doug’s book had a similar impact. He and I have had e-mail correspondence ever since.
It is Doug’s book that stimulated me to become active in promoting native plants. Susan and I began in a small way at our home. One evening sitting in a City Council meeting it occurred to me that from a promotional basis (NOT administratively) the City of Shady Cove, on a residence by residence basis should become involved. Which puts us where we are today.
A few days ago I forwarded to everyone a notice concerning the steep decline of the Monarch butterfly and its consideration for being listed as endangered. The following is the opening to an email that arrived this weekend: “Fifty years of data tells us that bird populations are declining at alarming rates. Birds have declined in all major habitats most often because of habitat destruction or degradation. Fortunately, with thoughtful practices land stewards can be agents of change. What you do with your land can restore and enhance native plant communities needed to produce the cover, food, and water needed for thriving bird populations.”
A few days ago I was talking with Susan about the bird count at our feeder(s). This year we are down in population numbers and the variety of species we usually see.
Today, I would like to encourage you all to take a few minutes and visit Doug Tallamy’s website Homegrown National Park (HNP). The HNP concept is one of the ideas we like to promote as a goal of our native species programs. According to the HNP website as of 12/2024, they have 104.392.1 acres of land dedicated to the reversal of habitat destruction and degradation. This consists of plots across the US, the smallest I saw was 250 s.f. and of course, many larger. This, by the way, was 85% of their annual goal. Within Oregon we have 778.3 dedicated acres. That ranks # 18 in the US. The ranking is based on the percentage of dedicated acres within the entire acreage of the state. We are higher on the list than any state bordering Oregon.
I know within our county there are people active in creating native gardens, pollinator gardens and Monarch Waystations. Every one of those activities would qualify the owner to register with the folks at HNP. As far as I am able to determine there is NO fee to enter your property on their interactive map. See: Map New – Homegrown National Park
I would encourage anyone to peruse this site and make a determination about including your parcel on the map. There is no question that every square foot toward which we apply sound land stewardship practices that link our parcels with our ancient ecosystem we are one square foot closer to restoring the land we occupy, to a condition that supports all the native species that have the capacity to exist in the same space.
Stay Tuned, Thanks, hank
Hank Hohenstein, OFS
