A little nature

When we fell in love with the lot where our house now stands, it was 100% because of the pond that lies behind it. Otherwise we never would've entered into the home-building saga, which we had not intended to even consider. But after seeing that pond out the back of every window, every other house we toured just couldn't compete. I've always loved water and find it very peaceful to have as part of my daily scenery. 

But water isn't just water; it's an ecosystem unto itself. Part of what we loved about visiting the neighborhood throughout the months that our home was in process of being built was walking around the pond together. We'd chase toads until they jumped into the water, and watch for fish bubbles along the shoreline. When winter arrived and the toads and fish went down deep to hibernate, the Canadian geese showed up, and Gavin's little soft-soled baby shoes would get covered in goose poop as he toddled alongside the stroller on our strolls around the pond. We even tried to feed the geese bread, which it turned out they didn't like. I couldn't wait until our house would be finished, so that we could move in and have this wildlife right outside our backyard every day.

Then I attended my first homeowner's association meeting in the neighborhood, a month or so before we moved in. It seemed like a nice way to meet future neighbors and find out what was happening in the neighborhood. I was saddened that so much of the conversation revolved around getting rid of the geese, and what measures they could take to deter them from visiting the pond. I understand the frustration with loosing grass to geese that wander into yards and peck away. And yet, I don't understand the homeowner who moves into a lot adjacent to nature and then wages a battle against the wildlife within that natural space. You want to live by a pond? Accept the waterfowl that frequent it, and be willing to deal with a little goose poop on your jogging path. You want to be able to fish in that pond? Maybe consider not using lawn chemicals that will drain directly into it. And most importantly, get out there and enjoy the space. Walk near the water and observe the wildlife that depends on this small but real ecosystem. 

The talk at the most recent homeowner's association meeting was on getting quotes from companies willing to install a fountain in their pond, to deter geese and better filter the water. I don't think I'll enjoy the aesthetic effect of a foundation pond as much as I like the natural body of water, but I am but one. And meanwhile Dallas County has permanently cancelled our application for REAP funding to put in native turf, which will greatly help decrease the watershed into the lake from our property, because funding one urban lot does not "provide enough bang for their buck." And yet without starting with one homeowner, who then would set an example and educate those around her about ecologically responsible private lawn practices, how will change begin?