| Open Letter to Mayor Naugle |
I didn't expect much of a response to this one, but apparently it has been forwarded to the City Manager.
I wrote:
Again Holiday Park (Tennis Center) has spent tax payer dollars destroying thick healthy vegatation with sparse landscaping. Obviously the thick vegetation, in addition to looking better, helps absorb carbon and promote water retention. I was told there were rats and snakes in the vegetation. If true, that is great! Every October Hawk Watch International counts tens of thousands of hawks who migrate through Florida in the fall. Every year there are fewer. Obviously hawks eat snakes and rats, and snakes eat rats. I encourage Fort Lauderdale to only hire people who have some understanding of ecological considerations for landscaping positions.
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I did get a reply. Does not address any of my concerns, as I expected. He admits to using chemicals, which I think is a environmental crime. Many lawn chemicals are associated with coral reef death, for example, and rat poisons are a big problem for raptors.
Mr. Friedel,
Thank you for contacting us about your concerns about the landscaping at Holiday Park. The landscaping work is being done as a part of an enhancement project to improve the park's appearance. I assure you that we consider it important to incorporate native, wildlife attracting plants into our landscaping designs. Please know that the replacement plant material has not all been installed yet, so you can expect some further installations.
I am a brand new to the Parks Division but have a strong environmental background. Rest assured that the hawks and raptors have a friend in me... I try to ensure that large open canopied trees (like Cypress & Slash Pine) are used where possible. Furthermore, whenever I have to use pesticide at home to control rats I use a type of poison that does not harm predators that might eat the dead or dying rat.
Hopefully when the landscaping is all complete at Holiday Park you will be pleased by the appearance and amount of the plants. Please continue to keep an eye out for Ft. Lauderdale's wildlife and encourage your friends and neighbors to visit our natural areas!
Best Regards,