Twenty years of Trout

Last Sunday, Trout Lake Nature Center celebrated 20 years of service to the community with a festive reunion for years of volunteers.  Sometimes it’s easy to forget that right at the edge of Eustis sits the only nature center of this kind in the county, educating all ages on the rich flora and fauna native to our part of the state.

With 230 acres of wildlife preserve and 1,000 feet of “get close to nature” boardwalk, the volunteers and supporters who staff and maintain the Center have gradually and consistently expanded the value they bring to this community.  During 2006, some 2,500 school kids had the opportunity to take their science education into the wild.  And during that same year another 2,500 folks took advantage of opportunities to reconnect with the biological cornucopia that is Central Florida.

The mission of Trout Lake Nature Center is “To instill a knowledge and appreciation of the natural world and to teach stewardship to the environment.” 

What a fantastic reason for being. 

To accomplish this mission, the Center opens its doors to the public at no charge and promotes educational opportunities for all ages.  Like so many worthwhile endeavors, it’s the steadfast commitment of people willing to give of themselves that makes it work.

Happy anniversary and many thanks to the givers and doers at Trout Lake Nature Center.

The local ‘litter’ati

Came across a grass roots media campaign on Abrams road.

The other side lets you know…

How much effort does it require not to throw something on the ground or out a car window?  Must be a huge self-control issue for a lot of folks because there never seems to be a shortage of litter.  

I am so completely baffled by the propensity of my fellow travelers to do this.  Do they grow up as the children of abstract artists, and a slurpee cup splashed across the parking lot is just their creative way of contributing to the global mosaic?  More likely they’re self-absorbed pinheads with an inability to appreciate anything they can’t eat or watch on tv.

Mostly, however, it’s just frustrating.  Consider all the time, effort and money so many people in this community are contributing towards keeping Eustis a desirable place to live, and how easy it would be to make an immediate improvement if people would just stop throwing crap on the ground.  The Florida Dept. of Transportation spends about $10M annually to clean up roadside trash, with local govts spending thousands more on local roads.  What a waste.

Eminent people with psychology degrees have concluded that people litter because: 

1. They feel no sense of ownership to public property

 (translation: ”there’s nothing in it for me” ).

1. They believe someone else will pick up after them

(“I don’t want to deprive some poor guy of a job” ).

1. Litter has already accumulated

(“like one more beer can’s gonna make a difference” ).

1. It’s convenient

(“hey, I’m a busy guy with places to be” ).

 So I guess we will continue to pick up after our countrymen, and not let ourselves get discouraged.  A road crew in Tampa last November found two trash bags stuffed with 60 pounds of pot.  $54,000 according to the Tribune.  Just think of it as a lottery.

My green, green grass at home

Here’s an idea that deserves some attention; a soil moisture sensor that determines if your lawn needs another round of watering or not, and controls your irrigation system accordingly.

On average, studies have shown that U.S. homeowners use about 50% more water outdoors than indoors, and lawn irrigation accounts for nearly half the potable water used in South Florida.  Michael Dukes, a researcher at the University of Florida, has found the use of rain sensors resulted in water savings ranging from 69% to 92% compared to grass watered without the help of sensors.

And as the technology has advanced and interest grown, prices are coming down accordingly.  Rain sensors, the simplest devices, generally cost between $20 and $50, while the more complex soil moisture sensors run anywhere between $150 and $250.  They hook right into existing home irrigation systems (some calibration required) and work happily with little additional attention from you.

Unfortunately, calls to our local Home Depot and Lowe’s elicited replies of “Huh?” and “Never heard of ‘em.”  So access may be limited to the internet for the time being, unless we can talk Roy into carrying them at his Ace Hardware stores.

In the meantime, try www.sprinklerwarehouse.com for a breakdown on sensor options from Hunter, Weathermatic, Rain Bird, Toro and Nelson.