We need sustainable landscaping and gardening to protect our health, environment and property values. Ignorant landscaping does more harm than no landscaping at all.
Untidy front yards may not look nice, but they serve as a refuge for insects and birds. While conventional gardening may appear more aesthetically pleasing, it contributes to health problems and the decline of insect and bird populations.
Pumping our lawns with pesticides makes residents, birds, insects, and pets sick, and increases the cost of keeping our tap water safe to drink. Frequent lawn mowing leaves towns without flowers.
Gas blowers are not only annoying and pollute the air, but they also destroy insects and larvae hiding in low grass and upper soil. Although each tiny yard may seem to have little impact on the environment, millions of yards together have a devastating effect on Long Island.
Fortunately, Long Island towns and villages, run by educated trustees, recognize the environmental damage and the need to address it. Many local codes have been adopted in response to the latest research. The next step is to implement these changes, with gardeners and landscapers playing an important role.
However, gardeners are often unaware of the code changes and the reasons behind them. For instance, my neighbor’s gardener insisted I call the Village of Great Neck when I approached him, proudly showing me his gardening license, only to find out that he was not allowed to use gas blowers in July. He is not a bad person and likely works hard to provide for his family and make his clients happy, but he is ignorant of the environmental impact of his work and even of the village code he is licensed under. Holding an official license increases his self-confidence and unwillingness to listen and learn.
The Village of Great Neck Code (§ 357-2) defines among the purposes of licensing gardeners and landscapers the protection of the public health and prevention of the environmental pollution. Hence the Village has the responsibility to ensure that license applicants possess the professional knowledge needed to do their job without damaging public health and the environment. A course in sustainable landscaping should be a requirement to obtain a gardening license. At least, they must be familiar with the local code.
The quality of life and property values depend on an intact environment. I strongly encourage all Great Neck villages to find ways to educate local gardeners about protecting local pollinators, insects, and birds; minimizing the use of blowers, pesticides, and insecticides; promoting native flowers and grasses; minimizing lawns; and encouraging environmentally friendly gardening.
I also believe that our Water Pollution Control District needs to contribute to these efforts, as they bear the costs of water pollution caused by irresponsible landscaping.
A look at the Port Washington peninsula offers a good example. The town is bustling with people engaged in sustainable native gardening, Save Monarch Butterfly projects, water pollution monitoring, and even oyster gardening to clean the bay waters. Environmental grants are supporting these efforts. Gardeners and local volunteers follow the latest research on designing a sustainable town. Many roadsides and intersections are used for native plants. Educational signs are visible throughout the Peninsula.
Great Neck can do this, too. ReWild Long Island is active across Long Island, helping communities achieve this goal. The know-how is there. Let’s educate ourselves and make Great Neck a nicer, healthier place to live. Villages have to take the responsibility and spearhead these efforts with environmentally conscious code and license requirements, including environmental education.
Kate Goldberg
Great Neck