tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post8249788736518023192..comments2024-03-23T19:52:53.611-07:00Comments on Strategies for Stewards: from woods to prairies : “What is going well? What isn’t?”Stephen Packardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01811489977185760340noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-82113842589077343962015-12-02T19:42:51.331-08:002015-12-02T19:42:51.331-08:00I forgot to mention all the plantings that have fa...I forgot to mention all the plantings that have failed over the years. I've been there and done that more than my fair share. Failing is not a lot of fun, but I guess that is the cost of learning how to succeed. James McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312887957290703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-56570494099900100212015-12-02T17:29:16.337-08:002015-12-02T17:29:16.337-08:00I have been in this game long enough to have felt ...I have been in this game long enough to have felt the sting of having my valuable time being misdirected while volunteering. The first time this happened was controlling grey dogwood in the middle of prairie restorations. All this effort was wasted because the grey dogwood was killed once prescribed burning was reinitiated. Next is the cutting of buckthorn and putting herbicide around the phloem/cambium on the cut surface. Without follow up applications these buckthorn just sprout into multi-stem resprouts that are even worse than they were originally. The waste of my valuable time was made even worse as the employee (non-FPCC site) jokingly called buckthorn job security. Recently I looked at areas where work was put toward controlling maples. I am finding that the maples that were left have now died a few years after the initiation of prescribed burns. I now think putting effort into controlling the maples at this location was wasted effort.<br /><br />I think the FPCC would be wise to have volunteers determine their own efforts within reason. If only for the fact that if the efforts turns out to be a waste of time then the volunteers only have themselves to blame.<br /><br />You once said a FPCC employee called the preserves their land. This is true, but as taxpayers it is just as much our land. I think developing a sense of ownership is important both for the employees, stewards, and the general public. The problem is how to get a lot of different owners to determine how to use limited resources. I have never met Eilene Figel, but God bless her and I wish her good luck.James McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312887957290703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-74636676856399372182015-12-02T15:27:39.328-08:002015-12-02T15:27:39.328-08:00The following statement bears repeating: "Som...The following statement bears repeating: "Some staff people would rather have large numbers of anonymous volunteers who do what they’re told. But leverage comes from respecting and empowering volunteer leaders. If staff reduce potentially energetic volunteers to passive cogs in a bureaucracy, you lose the energy and creativity that’s potentially there." --As a long-time volunteer and a staff person for a nonprofit conservation organization that depends on volunteers, I say, "Hear! Hear!" I am grateful to leaders like Stephen and Karen who share these important messages.Greg Rajskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07309425853025459004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-86935630246600812942015-12-02T12:06:58.304-08:002015-12-02T12:06:58.304-08:00The process may be focused on professionals, but i...The process may be focused on professionals, but it is good to see that two of them specifically highlighted the need to engage volunteers. I am especially pleased by Karen Tharp's urging to “invest in the intellectual capacity of the volunteers.” The volunteer base not only has innumerable hours of field experience, but many of these people are more widely read, have more expertise on local flora and fauna, and are more results oriented than the staff can bring themselves to credit.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04608850767431630602noreply@blogger.com