Tequesta Notes
an initiative for the citizens of Tequesta
bee on a blanket flower in Tequesta
Friday, May 28, 2021
The Vital Need
To Restore Habitat
In this post we share an excellent discussion featuring a panel of experts from the town hall of the Town of Palm Beach sponsored by several civic organizations from Palm Beach.
The whole discussion is worth listening to carefully (see the YouTube link below). Here are some important points that we would like to spotlight from that discussion relevant to Tequesta.
1) As a society, we are not conserving enough land to support the natural life necessary for healthy land, healthy water, and healthy human communities. We cannot count on someone else to do the conservation work required for a healthy future. We must do that work ourselves—right where we live—individually and collectively.
2) Restoring habitat by planting native plants is crucial to this work. The health of the land, the water, and the community begins with having sufficient habitat to support the life that is foundational to healthy ecosystems. This means we must dedicate much more space to native plants.
3) Native plants are key because ecologically essential beneficial insects only live with specific native plants.
4) Lawns are deserts of death and poison from the perspective of beneficial insects and healthy land. The chemicals they require are deadly and harmful also to pets and humans who play in them. And they end up in the water all around us.
5) Every little space makes a difference. Even a little container garden can support pollinator life and be a bridge for beneficial insects connecting habitats separated by human development.
6) The combined efforts of a community, collectively and residents individually, can have a huge beneficial impact on the health of our land and water and biodiversity.
This is especially true for Tequesta because of our strategic location in the estuary and between a state park and a natural preserve. The good effect of our efforts will be amplified by connecting these habitats.
There is no downside in this priority of restoring habitat everywhere we can. It benefits every important long term village interest. It will result in a more beautiful village. A healthier community. Healthier people, kids, pets. Stronger local business (from more walkable streets and plazas). Better property values. Better flood mitigation characteristics. A more interesting region. A more peaceful region. A more coherent community.
This should be a strategic priority for the village. It's the only way forward to a healthy future.
For your convenient reference, please also see the following excellent document (pdf) from the Garden Club of Palm Beach. It includes a very useful list of native plants well-suited to our land.
→ Going Native Gardening for Birds, Butterflies, and Pollinators in Palm Beach.
Palm Beach Town Hall
Where have all the songbirds gone?
For even more details on this important topic, please see this discussion by Doug Tallamy for the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach:
→ Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy (youtu.be/RnLwAedfacU).
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