|
|
|
 |
Additional information on this topic provided below. |
|
Friends of Mingo Creek
By Guest Writer and Watershed Volunteer, Alice Lang
 he
Friends of Mingo Creek (FMC) kicked off "Watershed Awareness
Month" with programs on May 3rd and May 10th that celebrated
our local streams and offered hands-on activities designed to
help protect them. These programs provided FMC members, friends
and volunteers with the chance to learn about the watershed
and take part in restoring healthy streams. Along the way seeds
of new ideas were planted in the vision for our back yards.
We are starting to make a difference in our watershed.
 n
May 3rd, FMC held its 3rd annual stream clean up and worked
alongside Boy Scouts from Troop #87 to install disks that say
"Rain only in the drain" on storm drains in Upper
Providence.
n
May 10th, FMC partnered with the Montgomery County Conservation
District to hold "Protecting Our Backyards, Streams &
Drinking Water," a workshop on watershed protection. The
workshop featured presenters such as Eric Jarrell, Montgomery
County Planning Commission, who spoke about how zoning laws
and regulations affect development and how the Planning Commission
can make suggestions to municipalities. Jarrell explained how
rapid development is affecting both the quality and quantity
of our water. Stronger laws are needed to protect our streamside
lands and buffer them with trees and native plants. Also, homeowners
need to be educated about how they can help protect these environmentally
sensitive areas.
 lison
Linder, of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) explained
how municipalities throughout Pennsylvania are forming environmental
advisory councils to aid township supervisors. As an example,
she described one situation in which a developer wanted to build
where a large colony of Great Blue Herons nested. The local
environmental advisory council was able to inform the developer
of the presence of the heron rookery early in the planning process.
With this information, the developer was able to make adjustments
to his plans and move the structure to an area that would not
affect the herons.
 ext
David Harper, of the Natural Lands Trust, explained how native
shrubs and trees improve water quality in our streams and storm
water basins as well as improve the beauty of the landscape.
Stormwater basins that are designed to be wet, when planted
with native grasses and shrubs, are better able to recharge
groundwater, which in turn replenishes our wells and the flow
in small streams like the Mingo Creek. Allowing naturalizing
of a basin also helps to filter impurities, like lawn chemicals
or pollution from our roads, out of stormwater before it enters
out streams and it also provides habitat for wildlife and amphibians
that are displaced by development.
fter
listening to the featured speakers, FMC members, friends and
volunteers visited two neighboring streamside properties on
Tara Drive, a housing development built about 4 years ago, for
some hands-on stream protection. FMC donated several native
trees and shrubs for planting. Participants saw first hand how
the banks of the Mingo Creek are eroding during storms and heard
suggestions as to how to locate plants for maximum results.
When we left the streambank, we all felt a great sense of accomplishment
that we had made a change that would benefit the creek.
 uring
our planting efforts, we saw signs of the wildlife that depend
on these local streams. A nest high in a rotted out tree was
pointed out to us and identified as the home of wood ducks.
We also spotted a mallard duck on her nest with 12 eggs!
he
next stop was a property in the Highlands owned by FMC members.
They maintain the large stormwater basin, but were unhappy with
its lackluster appearance and wanted to know what should be
planted in the basin, which had been designed with concrete
channels that quickly discharge runoff into Mingo Creek. Everyone
joined in to plant native trees and shrubs as they had done
at Tara Drive. Participants who donated their time were rewarded
with a native plant of their own.
 veryone
who wanted one was given a native plant to take home for his
or her property. One lucky woman, Mattie Henderson of Royersford
won a rain barrel to attach to her down spout to water the butterfly
garden she plans to make next fall.
he
program, "Protecting Our Backyards, Streams & Drinking
Water" was funded by the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania
Citizen Education Fund with a grant from the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection.
 |
 |
| |
|
|
| Click on the photo
to enlarge it. |
|
|
 or
more information about the Friends of Mingo Creek, contact Alice
Lang at (610) 792-1017, or mingowatershed@aol.com.
 Friends
of Mingo Creek
Environmental
Advisory Councils
Learn
more about the Heron Rookery Alison Linder discussed (
Real Player
Video)
|
|
|
|
