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Quality Parks

News

When Lawns Transition to Natural Landscapes Call It A Garden to Avoid Legal Fines

8/25/2021

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by Mindy Block
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Updated: Dec 7, 2021

​Many native pollinator gardens have been added to Harborfront Park to increase habitat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Recently these gardens were being replaced by more and more lawn spaces. Conversations and actions are underway at Village of Port Jefferson  to balance biodiversity and aesthetics.  

Quality Parks wanted to show support and volunteer for the constructive garden "edits," suggested by the Village of Port Jefferson Trustee. But we withdrew when the Village Gardener, who designed, created, and maintained these gardens, couldn't be fully consulted. She was out on workman's compensation. We decided to wait for her hopeful return.  
Pollinator Garden reduced from full display to 15-20% cover.
Peak season edit and transplant of New England Aster.
Also at this time, Quality Parks began making inquiries on restarting the Port Jefferson Civic Association for improved local residential feedback on pollinator gardens and other concerns. But by October,  I personally received a summons for  not cutting my lawn.  (Ray warned me of such conflict, being the reason why we never lived in the Central Pine Barrens. He had been its Executive Director.)
Street view of gardens with mowed areas prior to violation.
Gardens with mowed path prior to violation.
I grow native plants for the Port Jefferson Farmers Market, and also maintain demonstration gardens. The photos above, as a street view, reveal the theme of a successional meadow. Thanks to the help of the Village of Port Jefferson staff,  it became clear that I was maintaining gardens and not lawns, and would not have to mow everything down. By November, the violation was resolved, and my inclination toward restarting the Port Jefferson Civic Association dissolved.   
I am now "editing" my demonstration gardens: revealing a red cedar, pulling out some aggressive native late season flowers and grasses, widening and mowing additional paths, weeding out invasives,  and preparing for the spring plantings of ferns. From pollinator gardens to natural landscapes, it's  an ongoing  balancing act between biodiversity, equality, and aesthetics. 

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Board Members

Mindy Block, President & Founder
Annelies Kamran
Caran Markson
Fred Edel, Co-Chair
​Jenn Lucas
Phil Benvin
Quality Parks is a professional organization sponsoring projects to improve both business and environmental conditions by balancing social, economic and environmental concerns. We disseminate information, develop and provide experiential learning opportunities, and support efforts designed to stimulate, encourage, educate, and involve the general public in natural resource stewardship practice​s. ​We are a  federally registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, since 2000, based in Port Jefferson, on  Long Island, New York
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