snakes....community....neighborhoods

a plan has been made...the layout has been measured...the land has been stirred...the grass has arrived...the community gathers...grass is laid...a knock on the door...a neighbor stops by...there are snakes coming out of your grass...the snakes are entering my yard...

Snakes...should we be alarmed? Little black ones (garden snakes) are crossing into the neighbors yard. We appreciate the neighbors concern for the children of the school as well as the neighborhood but what do you do? After a wonderful discussion with the creator of the Outdoor Living Lab project I see with new eyes how this project could impact the community.

It brings people to the school. It is action and new movement. Stirring up the dirt to lay sod probably stirred up the snakes habitat. Maybe we're stirring up the neighborhood too. The snakes could have been there all along but seeing change and new things can be scary, seeing snakes even though they've probably been there all along might have come with the new grass. Are they harmful? Where does the fear come from? from change? from culture?

It is wonderful to see the good neighbors concern for the neighborhood and the school. While at the same time how do we learn about and teach about good snakes? How do we bring a sense of security and comfort with the change? it will take time, education and dialogue.... Snakes can be helpful in the environment. If snakes are good we should leave them be and if they're harmful we should leave them alone because we could be severely injured....

May conversations continue as we learn from each other and grow in community through a changing environment. A change for the better...for sustainability...for the future of mother earth and our livelihood!

Productive Compost Again

It's happened again. A perfectly good plant has risen from the compost. I don't compost like folks do 'up north.' I simply go out and dig a hole for the kitchen scraps. It never fails. A few days will pass and it has all been turned back into lovely unrecognizable, organic matter.
I now have three beautiful baby Mango trees. They are just striving to be the biggest best sweetest mangoes ever. I've gotten the "go" to replant these tree-wannabes elsewhere. Another 5-6 years and we'll see some blooms hopefully.