After learning about the pesticides used in Cal Anderson Park, neighbor Mathew asks:
Is this the sort of thing that park department would flex on if enough people in the neighborhood opposed it? I and many of my friends lie in the grass at Cal anderson regularly. I don’t eat pesticides, i sure as hell don’t want to lie in them and live by them.
It’s possible. Bigger things have happened. One way to proceed — write a good, short and to-the-point letter to the parks department and city council with a realistic proposal. Get people on the Hill to sign it — either a few ‘important’ people or a lot of regular janes. Spread the word. Here, for example. Or, another opportunity: The Capitol Hill Community Council meets every third Thursday. The next meeting is next week at Seattle Central. Raise your proposal in the open floor portion of the meeting and rally the cause.
Capitol Hill Community Council Public Meeting — July
Date: Thursday, July 17, 2008
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Room 3211 at Seattle Central Community College
Street: 1701 Broadway
http://chcc.wikidot.com
Pesticides used might well be weedkillers to prevent the growth of broad-leafed weeds such as dandelions.
If so, the affected park users could offer to volunteer to pull weeds by hand. It would have to be a dedicated organized long term commitment, but it might work.
Andrew
Seattle does maintain several Pesticide-Free parks. I think definitely getting the word out and garnering neighborhood support is the way to go. Then you can approach the city about adding Cal Anderson to the program.
Can’t we just all collectively say that we’d be happy with some weeds in the park if that means not lying around in toxic chemicals?
why aren’t they ALL pesticide-free parks? who wants their dogs, kids, and selves to play and relax in toxic chemicals? do people really care about a few weeds? i’d be happy to have some dandelions as a sign of a healthy environment. i’m always a little leery of a (chemically enhanced) too-perfect green lawn.
Before people make assumptions and get all tweaked out about “lying in pesticides” it might help to contact the people responsible for maintaining the grass at Cal Anderson Park and not rely on general statements about turf maintenance that the deparment puts out. What you may discover is that because of serious mistakes by Seattle Public Utilities in the soil choices when the reservoir was buried and covered over and the park was renovated, the grass has never established well. The Parks Department has been engaged in a heroic effort since then to build up the soil and maintain the grass in a healthy way. Because much of the turf is over the reservoir, there are (and have always been)severe restrictions on what kinds of nutrients and additives can be used, and there are always public postings when treatments are used.