The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools
The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools
Cory Child Urban Water Saving Public Parks Walking up the jogging path, Barry turned back too watch the houses and the far-off skyscrapers disappear behind the horizon. Each time he begins his jog through Cherokee Park, Barry smiles with the sense of natural enjoyment for escaping the urban again. Barry set off at his regular pace, passing by fellow joggers, smelling the local wildflowers and trees, and hearing the periodic car, reminding the nature-goers that concrete and steel waits beyond the 409 acres of forest. As Barry makes it to the top of scenic hill, he notices a large group of men and women gathered together, holding a wide range of tools, from plastic bags to chainsaws. The crowd looked agitated and tense, wary of some unknown fear. Approaching, Barry overhears a few broken, hushed, conversations. “ – infiltrating the valley.” “ – horrible! The heart of a vicious creature, hidden behind such pleasant looks -” “ – eradication, as much as possible – .” The head of the group, which by now seemed more like an army brigade, was getting nearer. Barry could see the leaders, clothed in heavy stitched uniforms. One held a fearsome, shrub chainsaw. Another of the leaders caught sight of Barry approaching and motioned for some guardsmen to direct him to the front of the throng. “Name and rank, boy!” The mustachioed man demanded. “Uh, Barry, sir…and I’m a high school jogger…” Barry replied, perplexed “We are in sort of a pickle, Barry. An introduced, non-native species of plants, an invasive brush probably know to you as Japanese honeysuckle is choking out and eradicating all our local plant life. Every year we wage battle against it, only to find fresh set of reinforcements lying in wait beneath the canopy of oaks and ash. We can’t keep playing give and take. We must take the battle to it and eliminate the threat to our natural ecosystem.” “And how do I come in?” 27
Cory Child Urban Water “As you can see, we are striking a fast, hard and decisive attack to clear out as much as the Japanese honeysuckle as possible. We need all the hands we can must. Will you volunteer and swell our ranks?” “Of course! I visit Cherokee Park, often, and I will help keep it natural, sir!” A troop leader fell in beside Barry, leading him to an open stop in the lines of volunteers. They equipped him with the proper tools, a trash bag, gloves, and a can of greenish liquid, from which emanated an acrid, chemical smell. After a few moments, the leaders called out orders and divided the honeysuckle elimination forces into different teams. “Can I have a chainsaw? What is this stuff? And how did all this Japanese honeysuckle get to overrun everything else?” Barry asked rapidly to the woman marching beside him. “Nope, the cutters are reserved for the trained forces. The green stuff in your hand is a dyed glyphosate and water mixture. It’s an herbicide.” The woman lowered her voice. “Once the elites mow down the enemy near their bases, we come up and lather some of that herbicide, keeping it from regrouping. As for where it came from, the Japanese name gives that former location, but it was brought over here in the early 1800’s, providing green leaves all year long, sweet aromas, and tasty nectar. Japanese honeysuckle does not have any natural predators here – no herbivore eats it quickly enough - and it thrives, killing the native brush and girdling trees. There are hundreds of different invasive plants and animals threatening not only our ecosystems but our economic society as well. Fortunately though,” said the woman, smiling with a determined expression, “the Metro Park Service here and in other cities organize to protect natural parks and woodlands.” Both Barry and the woman shared a silence, broken only by the buzz of chainsaws and the crash of the invasive plants. Barry knew as he spread some herbicide over the remains of a fallen trunk that today was going to be a very long, very green day. 28
- Page 1 and 2: The EE Sampler Selections from the
- Page 3 and 4: Introduction This environmental sam
- Page 5 and 6: The EE Sampler Selections from the
- Page 7 and 8: Cleaning Beargrass Creek Kristen Ba
- Page 9 and 10: the many shopping carts. We piled a
- Page 11 and 12: A Beargrass Creek Experience By: Du
- Page 13 and 14: Patti Reitz 13 Nov 2007 Second Hand
- Page 15 and 16: Do you hear the noise? By Vanessa H
- Page 17 and 18: Liz Gramiak to as “fussy” and o
- Page 19 and 20: Brian Durham Similarly, riding the
- Page 21 and 22: Rain Gardens: What, Why, and How? K
- Page 23: Disposal of Animal Waste Sarah Payn
- Page 27 and 28: David Soleimani-Meigooni Mining Pro
- Page 29 and 30: Farming v. Fishing? Is One Industry
- Page 31: Literary Writing: Short Stories, Mo
- Page 35 and 36: The Lights come up with Evan and Ja
- Page 37 and 38: Literary Writing: Poetry Poetry is
- Page 39 and 40: Diana Neamtu The Oak Tree A tall oa
- Page 41: Recycle - Amy Kuhn Empty, Sort, Sta
Cory Child<br />
Urban Water<br />
“As you can see, we are striking a fast, hard and decisive attack to clear out as much as the Japanese<br />
honeysuckle as possible. We need all the hands we can must. Will you volunteer and swell our ranks?”<br />
“Of course! I visit Cherokee Park, often, and I will help keep it natural, sir!”<br />
A troop leader fell in beside Barry, leading him to an open stop in the lines of volunteers. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
equipped him with the proper tools, a trash bag, gloves, and a can of greenish liquid, from which<br />
emanated an acrid, chemical smell. After a few moments, the leaders called out orders and divided the<br />
honeysuckle elimination forces into different teams.<br />
“Can I have a chainsaw? What is this stuff? And how did all this Japanese honeysuckle get to<br />
overrun everything else?” Barry asked rapidly to the woman marching beside him.<br />
“Nope, the cutters are reserved for the trained forces. <strong>The</strong> green stuff in your hand is a dyed<br />
glyphosate and water mixture. It’s an herbicide.” <strong>The</strong> woman lowered her voice. “Once the elites mow<br />
down the enemy near their bases, we come up and lather some of that herbicide, keeping it from<br />
regrouping. As for where it came from, the Japanese name gives that former location, but it was brought<br />
over here in the early 1800’s, providing green leaves all year long, sweet aromas, and tasty nectar.<br />
Japanese honeysuckle does not have any natural predators here – no herbivore eats it quickly enough -<br />
and it thrives, killing the native brush and girdling trees. <strong>The</strong>re are hundreds of different invasive plants<br />
and animals threatening not only our ecosystems but our economic society as well. Fortunately though,”<br />
said the woman, smiling with a determined expression, “the Metro Park Service here and in other cities<br />
organize to protect natural parks and woodlands.”<br />
Both Barry and the woman shared a silence, broken only by the buzz of chainsaws and the crash<br />
of the invasive plants. Barry knew as he spread some herbicide over the remains of a fallen trunk that<br />
today was going to be a very long, very green day.<br />
28
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