#ThrowbackThursday: January 15, 2009

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews Record (also called Matthews News and Record and The Matthews News) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. This story was originally published January 15, 2007 and was written by Janet Denk.

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Wayward bird finds its way to Matthews

When he’s not poring over engineering reports and planning petitions, Matthews Planning Board member Jim Giles, above, enjoys feeding the birds in his Brightmoor subdivision backyard. The birder hit the jackpot when he spotted a Rufous Hummingbird at his feeder last week. Fellow birders/conservationists Carol Buie Jackson of HAWK and Bill Hilton, Jr. of the Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History helped document the extraordinary event, as Rufous Hummingbirds breed in the western US and Canada, and winter in Mexico.

Hilton monitors vagrant hummingbirds in the eastern and central US and says hummers are being seen with increasing regularity during winter in the East, perhaps because more folks are leaving hummingbird feeders up after the traditional take-down date of Labor Day (September 1). The Matthews Record will have a full report in the next edition.

In the meantime, check out Jackson’s website at www.smelllikedirt.wordpress.com. See what Hilton’s up to at www.hiltonpond.org.

#ThrowbackThursday: March 22, 2007

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews Record (also called Matthews News and Record and The Matthews News) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. This story was originally published March 22, 2007 and was written by Janet Denk.

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Community that honors its trees, is a healthy one

The Benefits of Trees in the Community

Environmental Benefits

Reduction of pollution. Trees absorb carbon dioxide produced by automobiles, creating cleaner air. They reduce noise pollution on busy streets and create a barrier for private areas. Trees also reduce water runoff, stabilize soil and filter pollutants, reducing costs associated with storm water control and water treatment facilities.

Economic Benefits

When strategically placed, trees can decrease utility bills by up to 50 percent. Property values of homes with tress or homes located near city parks are reportedly 20 percent higher. In addition, studies show that businesses on tree-lined streets experience a 12 percent increase in sales versus those without trees.

Social Benefits

Trees and green spaces do more than provide shade or a place to play. Neighborhood parks and gardens encourage tighter-knit communities, which lowers local crime rates. Research shows that productivity at businesses with outdoor areas is higher while stress and aggression levels are lower. Children also benefit from being exposed to green. Students who have a view of trees and greenery are proven to perform better at school.

Arbor Day celebrations across the nation will have impacted the earth in many ways. Hundreds of volunteers will have planted more than 1,000 large trees and even more seedlings across the country.

Check out www.arborday.org to learn more.

Matthews celebrated Arbor Day last Friday at the Matthews Community Center. Rainy weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance. “The event was the largest Arbor Day gathering ever in Matthews, with well over one hundred adults and children present,” Town Landscaper Pat Meehan said. Several awards were given to members of the community for their efforts in tree planting and promoting tree awareness in the community. A group of enthusiastic fourth graders from Christ Covenant School received special recognition for finding and nominating a state championship tree right here in Matthews - a sourwood tree located on their school grounds.

The South Windsor Homeowners Association were recognized for their group effort in creating a special place for trees in the community. Their teamwork and commitment have been lauded as the kind of volunteerism that mayor Lee Myers is seeking to make this community great. Almost a hundred kids, ages 2 through 12, listened to the speakers and participated in a number of educational activities that were arranged by the Parks and Recreation staff. Erin Reed of the Matthews Areas Secular Cooperative gave an important and heartfelt speech on her love affair with trees.

“It was a great event,” Meehan reiterated. “The celebration was all about the importance of trees in our community.”

He applauded the work of the town’s landscape division, who planted and maintained over 100 trees this season. “They did a great job,” he said of the staff, “and down the road, this town will be a much better - and greener community because of what they have accomplished.”

“We are grateful to all the volunteers dedicated to revitalizing urban forests. Their continued support helps us create inspiring and educational Arbor Day Celebrations. In addition, it amplifies our year round efforts to communicate the importance which trees have in controlling global warming, reducing pollution and noise levels, and contributing to improved lifestyles in many other ways.””

— John Rosenow, President of the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Morning Minute: Friday, February 1, 2019

News About Town: The Environmental Advisory Board presented at Monday's Board of Commissioners meeting. EAB Board Chair Gordon Miller provided several updates to Commissioners, including the introduction of an EAB created a pamphlet for builders and landowners with suggestions for more environmentally friendly development. Some examples include strategically planted trees, re-use of rainwater, and on-site composting.

News Around Town:  One of my favorite events of the year is coming up tomorrow - Mecklenburg County Soil and Water Conservation District's annual Tree and Seedling sale.  The 48th annual event will be held  on Saturday, February 2nd from 9-12 at 1418 Armory Drive in Charlotte. These are all native (bare-rooted) plants, and the costs range from $2 to $5 each.   It's past the deadline to pre-order plants, but at this time they have quantities of each.  Since the event benefits the entire county, show up early to get first dibs on your favorites!  
Need a rain barrel?   It's your lucky day since they'll have 60 and 80 gallon rain barrels for sale.
For more information and species list, please visit www.MecklenburgConservation.com.   (Submitted by Debbie LeBlanc Foster)

One Good Thing: On January 22 we posted how to have road signs replaced or potholes fixed. As someone who lives on a state-owned road and had noticed a missing speed limit sign, I took the opportunity to use the NCDOT website to report the need for a replacement. I reported the issue online (January 21). I found the form was straightforward and easy to use. After submitting, I received an email with a tracking number. Occasionally I wondered when the sign would be replaced but gave the system time to work. As of yesterday the new sign was up. The process worked smoothly and efficiently.

Creating a Wildlife Habitat: Part I

Every wildlife habitat requires the same things: food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices.

A lot of ground has been lost, literally and figuratively, on the environmental front recently. Rather than throwing your hands up in despair how about asking what we as individuals can do. Small acts can make a difference.

We’re going to explore how to create wildlife habitats in several columns. Today we’ll look at the requirements for wildlife habitats and places to create habitats. 

Every wildlife habitat requires the same things: food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices. These requirements can be naturally occurring, such as a pond or berry-bearing plant, or you can provide them in the form of a bird bath or feeder. Over the next few columns, we’ll look at how easy it is to provide each of the required elements.

The best, and easiest, place to start is your own home. Size isn’t an obstacle. You can create a habitat at an apartment with a balcony or patio, a farm with acreage, or anything in between.

You can also create a wildlife habitat at a daycare, nursery school, as well as elementary, middle and high schools, and on college campuses. Obtaining permission from the school and/or county authorities is a starting point. Creating a budget is next, along with establishing a committee to create and care for the habitat long-term. Matthews has many examples of wildlife habitats at schools. Ask if your school is a habitat and if they need your help!

Businesses can also be habitats and can get good PR for taking this step. We have veterinarians to investment companies certified! Places of worship are logical places to care for flora and fauna. This is an excellent project for children of all ages. We have several places of worship that are wildlife habitats, and there’s always room for more.

Finally, public areas such as parks make fabulous habitats and provide education for all who use them with the addition of signage. Squirrel Lake Park is a great example, with large educational signs and small signs with QR codes for plant identification. Check out the bird feeder system that was created and is maintained by Habitat and Wildlife Keepers (HAWK), a local chapter of North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Matthews is the 64th Community Wildlife Habitat certified by National Wildlife Federation. HAWK (Habitat and Wildlife Keepers, a local chapter of NC Wildlife Federation) created Matthews Naturally, a community-wide program which certified the Town as a wildlife habitat, and is responsible for recertifying every year. You can be part of Matthews Naturally by certifying your home, a school, place of worship or business.

Building habitats for wildlife is one small thing that makes a big difference, especially if we work together.