Friends of Forest Hill Park Update
There was an excellent turnout of 30-40 people at the Stone House for the meeting of the Friends of Forest Hill Park held March 31st. All were there to hear updates on subjects ranging from events at the park, the lake restoration project, the Reedy Creek Coalition and Patrick Henry School of Science and Art. Click the “more” to read all about it.
Sunday in the Park
What a great neighborhood event. Music, food, fun for the kids. This year the event will be held July 19. They could still use volunteers for short shifts, please contact RobleyJ@aol.com or d_mcclane@hotmail.com if interested. You only have to volunteer for an hour doing such things as serving hotdogs or handing out balloons. Get out and meet some neighbors!
Lake Restoration
There was update by J.R. Pope on this highly anticipated project. The excavation is scheduled, barring bears, bad weather, and bureaucrats, to start Mid-April and last for about 6 months. Silt removed from lake will be allowed to drain in specially built bins up near the rest rooms by the picnic shelter. It’s not expected to get in the way of the market beyond taking up 15 parking spaces near the restrooms.
Reedy Creek Coalition
A great presentation outlining the condition of the creek and the negative contributions each of us makes to its condition. They are offering audits for homeowners interested in seeing what they could improve on their properties. What we do in our yards, runs off into the storm water system, into reedy creek and ends up impacts the health of the Chesapeake Bay. If you’re interested in finding out more contact them at reedycreekcoalition@gmail.com. Learn how rain barrels and less lawn-mowing can help the creek and, by extension, the bay.
Trail Redevelopment
Nathan Burrell, with Richmond Parks and Recreation, is looking for volunteers willing to come help dig new paths. The work is scheduled to start Mid-April. Many of the existing paths have become extremely eroded. Parks and Rec has developed a new plan that will reduce the effect of erosion and be more easily sustained. Work will begin around Patrick Henry School and work counter clockwise around the park. Help will be needed again in the fall when small trees and shrubs will be planted along the site of the old trails to help stem the erosion there. If interested in helping please contact Nathan at nathan.burrell@richmondgov.com
Patrick Henry School of Science and Art
Kelly Bulbulkaya presented on behalf of the school which plans to use the park as an integral part of their curriculum. They are in serious fund-raising mode and getting ready to start the search for the principal. They have open meetings the first Thursday of the month if anyone would like to come in, get acquainted with the school and ask questions. It’s a great opportunity to see how you can help the school do all the vast number of tasks that have to be completed before opening!
Earth Day Cleanup
April 18, 10:30 a.m. Stop by, pick up some trash, go on your merry way having helped make our park a cleaner place! The city is providing trash bags and a truck, the Friends of Forest Hill Park will provide refreshments and you just provide a little manpower. Stay a little stay a while, any and all help is greatly appreciated!
[...] http://hillsandheights.org/2009/04/03/friends-of-forest-hill-park-update/ [...]
Regarding the lake. A month ago, I was all hot to see it drained and re-filled like it was in my youth.
But it just occurred to me that I visit that “lake” often and have become aware from tracks and sounds and actual sightings that there is a large variety of animal life there.
I know nothing about the habits of our feathered and furry friends, but it occurs to me that dredging this “lake” at this time of year can be pretty disruptive to some animals and birds who might be nesting amoug the cattails and whatnot.
In fact, I’m starting to wonder if that “lake” might better serve the public from an educational perspective if it was left in a more “natural” state.
As much as I’d like to see this lake regain it’s former glory, I’d hate to see multitudes of turtles, bull-frogs, crawdads and nesting birds destroyed in the process.
Perhaps a wildlife survey might be in order before we bring in the dozers.
The issue of animals was brought up during the meeting. It seems to be the feeling that the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term disruption of the habitat. Some folks asked about some of the older turtles that might be living there, and the plan for dealing humanely with them. A good answer wasn’t forthcoming. My personal and less-than-educated hope is that they relocate up or down stream and come back when the disruption is over.
It’s taken so long to get this project going, that a wildlife survey (if it hasn’t already been done) is unlikely. Parks and Recreation and the Friends group are anxious to make the improvement.
I understand completely how people areanxious to get started. I felt that way myself a week or so ago, before the park started to come alive with the signs of wildlife and I became aware that there could be a substantial price to pay.
I’m disappointed, however, that at this late date that “A good answer wasn’t forthcoming” when this question arose… leads me to beleive that the impact was never even considered.
I hate to see those turtles plowed under with no thought given to their relocation.
As the turtle afficionado who provided the less than adequate answer on relocation of turtles, let me say this: relocating the turtles would be extremely tricky.
I do quite a bit of work with box turtles and so a some experience with this sort of thing.
If anyone out there wants to set up a large pond and habitat that has a very secure fence and underground barrier around it to prevent escapes, as well as a sunny bank where any females may be able to nest (to avoid egg binding and death), please step forward. Handling and housing snapping turtles presents it’s own challenges: it would not be advisable to house them with other species, and housing groups of turtles without adequate room can also be hazardous to the turtles themselves, as lack of adequate territory meaning fighting. Feeding them, setting up adequate filtration and cleaning up would be time consuming and possibly expensive. Turtles can also get sick, in which case you would not be doing any of them any favors if you were to release a sick one (see below).
Please also bear in mind that the turtle species that inhabit the lake produce relatively large clutches of eggs each year, and many produce two or even three clutches of eggs. None of the species are endangered and in fact red-eared sliders are a non-native invasive. They will return.
And then there are legal issues: DGIF any turtles collected would technically have to be released within thirty days, unless a permit were obtained. You might be required to have them tested by veterinarian for Ranavirus and Mycoplasma: if any tested positive they would not be releasable. These two diseases are decimating turtle populations in some ares.
Last year I salvaged eggs from a road killed River Cooter: several hatched successfully and I would have released them into the lake but for the upcoming dredging. I have two incubators which I would be willing to put to use again for such an endeavor.
I would be happy to speak to anyone off list who might be interested in giving such an undertaking a try. I do have contacts that I can put you in touch with if you want to give it a try.
Apologies for multiple typos.
I really don’t know if a formal survey of the wildlife was ever done. Contact Mr. Pope to find out.
Thanks for chiming in Stephanie! It’s great to get knowledgeable responses!
You’re welcome.
I should probably also add a little something about wildlife surveys: it is my understanding that unless a survey turns up a Federal or State listed endangered species that calls the lake home, the project would proceed in spite of the fact that animals would be killed.
Situations like this are frustrating in that there isn’t really a framework for dealing with a salvage attempt: in fact, current regulations almost discourage such efforts. DGIF is more in the business of managing game species, and not in the wildlife conservation business as we imagine it. There are limits on the number of turtles an individual may possess, so if someone did decide to evacuate turtles, they could legally only remove 5 of each species.
I would like to also note that I did speak to a conservation biologist about two years ago, one who does wildlife surveys (of reptiles and amphibians in particular) for a living, who shared the very points that I’m passing along to you.
Here is a link to the VA DGIF listed species:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/virginiatescspecies.pdf
Please note that bog turtles, wood turtles and chicken turtles do not occur in this part of the state and won’t be found in or around the lake in FHP.
Please feel free to contact me off ist if you have questions, and, if I can’t answer them myself I can probably point you in the right direction.
It’s a moot point anyway. I spent several hours on the lake bottom this past Saturday and Sunday shooting video for a little opus on one of my YouTube channels.
I discoverd that someone has already been in there with weed wackers and did a pretty good job on the cat tails.
A helpful young lady out bird watching told me it was probably the city crews trying to find the old lake boundaries.
Hopefully the activity will scare off any wildlife that might be affected. I saw none of the tracks and other sign that I documented several weeks ago
The turtles will still be there, so it’s not necessarily too late to begin an evacuation. Chest waders will come in very handy, as will seine-type nets, plastic tubs, etc., and of course the holding set-up for the longer term.
TV- on the BOTTOM of the lake? you’ve piqued my interest!
Page,
You did a great job of the meeting summary. I was at the meeting, and I recognized it from the write-up.
Thanks
Wild hair idea, but this would be a GREAT time for some group or blog to start a little contest encourging the many fine local artists in South Richmond to present their take on what the renovated lake will look like, results to be displayed at the farmers market or park events when they come up.
And wikipedia (sp) has an interesting comment on the unique wildlife around the “lake”.
Thanks for volunteering TV! ;)
We will display them at the SOTJ market or at Sundayn in the Park July 19th.