Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Need Help Building a Butterfly Education & Exploration Site, 2 by SingingWolf

SingingWolf wrote:
Thanks again for your observations.

Yes, that's it exactly! "Sand"/Seed boxes. I may even have a couple of those turtle sand boxes around here that I can use. :-) Beans and corn are good big seeds, and maybe smaller tubs with the other kinds of seeds. Sounds like you worked in early childhood development.

You are absolutely right about the slope. It is hard to see in the photos. I was thinking about using the slope next to that small elderberry in the first photo of the slope. Sadly, I would have to disturb the root zones of the plants, so I decided not to put it there.

You've brought up some good points. I was thinking about how much I enjoyed seeing the small waterfalls they built in the Bfly Gardens in Malaysia. I think I want it all. They had them interconnected to ponds. While I don't think I want to do that here, I have been thinking about building something like a wall built into the slope, for the water to cascade down, and at the bottom have a small brook that will feed into the koi pond which will be built closer to the creek. If I make it go along the side of the slope, I'll have space to put a courtyard/patio type gathering space for the field trips. I intend to use solar pumps to move the water, with a battery back up. The water would ideally move from the waterfall to the brook(?) to the koi pond. No water would be going into the creek.
I appreciate that creek. It makes so many things possible. It's the perfect place to put the pre-cut fir trees that we bring in at Christmas time. They really keep well there. We put them under the oak trees on the other side of the creek closer to the road. It's the first place to green up, and the last for the green to go. It is home to lots of birds and other beasties. It is considered a riparian habitat.

We had to get a Environmental survey, and while some parts of the farm have been degraded over the years (before I got here), there is an amazing amount of biodiversity present. It is our family's intention to keep it as pristine as possible, to bring back as much as we can that was lost over time, and to honor the land. We do have some historic Indian sites here on the farm that we protect and preserve. I am part Cherokee, and Kickapoo, so it is very important to me to live in harmony with the land. After all my family is dependent on the land for our livelihood. We're still alivin' off the land. :-)

I think I'm going to have to wait until we get some rain to find the best part of that slope to use for the waterfall. I was planning on doing it this spring but then it went and quit raining in March. I already have little flags to mark out the course. Patience, patience.

I'm not sure what the California water laws are, but why would we change the water course? I know that people up the creek from us have put in dams, but I don't know how to tell them to knock it off. The last time it really rained we had problems on both sides of the farm where th those big pipes run under the road. We had flooding and road damage. I thought I was going to have to hike across the fields to fetch my YS home from school. Instead I took back roads and my Jeep. :-)

The local government doesn't care about the creek, and I think that Sweetwater Creek is a blue line on the maps of the area. I think some federal agency is supposed to take care of it, but you know how that goes. I just know that we do have water rights, and when they dam the water before it gets to our place, it really messes things up. Also one of the people across the road has been throwing his tree trimmings into the creek, which also causes flooding when too much builds up. Oh well, I can only be a good custodian of the part that runs through our farm. DH and I are hoping if we ever get enough rain for the creek to run, that the migrating ducks will return to raise their babies. We really enjoy their visits.

We have something unique here. The people in our community appreciate what we do. I am thinking that someday, the most precious thing out here will be open spaces. It's really important to me to only do what will enhance what we already have. :-)

Because most of the area we intend to use has already been developed to some degree, and it is a sunny sheltered location, that isn't very far for people to walk to, or even to get to in a wheel chair, I think it is the best part of the farm for the Bfly Site.

About the Grandfather Oak tree, it is adjacent to but not really part of the site. I do name the Oak trees here on the farm. They mean a great deal to me. I'll have to find a photo of Grandmother Oak to share with you. She is the heart of the farm in my mind. You'll see.

While scrolling through the photos, I found this 1st photo. To the left of the path is the proposed B.fly Site. The path curves around and goes over the Troll bridge. Directly in front of you is Grandmother Oak. The photo is deceiving. She is much bigger than she appears in this photo. Photo taken on May 7, 2014.

This 2nd photo was taken April 27th, and shows some of DH's bee hives in front of Granmother, and yes that big green mass is one tree. I was up on the slope when I took this photo.

I have been scrolling through my photos to find a better photo of Grandmother, but I guess I haven't been taking photos of her lately. Okay for the last year. I'll get one in the morning.

That's it for now. While I do have scads more photos, I just don't have time right now. :-(

WIB~
SW