by Peggy Robin
Here's our last set of nominations for the day. (Come back next Saturday for the rest of the nominations in the three remaining categories!)
Best Advice / Response to a Query
1. Protect our feathered friends! This important APSA (Avian Public Service Announcement) was posted by Samantha K., Message #212339 on April 8:
Hi neighbors -
I'm sure most of you know that Spring is the season when birds nest and begin to raise their young. Unfortunately - Spring is also a popular time for homeowners and apartment complexes to start landscaping services, which can negatively impact nesting birds. Just today, I noticed landscapers shaping multiple holly trees and other thick shrubbery in a yard. On the ground with branches and clippings from one of the shrubs was a destroyed and discarded cardinal's nest.
It is early enough in the season for the cardinals to nest and lay eggs again, but it takes a lot of work and energy to do so, which can be stressful and impact the birds ability to raise a successful clutch. Not only is it stressful for the birds, but it is illegal under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to move or remove native bird's nests and to kill native birds, whether it be an accident or not. I wish I could say this was a rare case, but as someone who works in bird conservation, it is alarmingly common.
It doesn't cost a single dollar to take protective measures. All that has to be done is...nothing! The trees and shrubs just need to be left alone for the season. This solution is much easier than trying to train landscapers to notice and avoid birds nests. If you insist on doing tree/shrub work anyway, which I highly dissuade you from doing...please reach out to me before you hire a crew so I can conduct a survey to make sure there aren't any nests in danger of being cut.
Your assistance in this hyper-local act of conservation is much appreciated - and needed.
Thanks!
Sam K.
P.S. - If you find a nest that has been removed but the babies are still alive, please contact City Wildlife. They accept and rehabilitate birds that have been kidnapped/injured/orphaned. If you see birds and/or their nests being tampered with - please report it to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
2. Where's an elevator in the RER station when you need one? Think that's too specific a question for the Listserv? Pas de tout! But poster Sharon C. thought it might be, writing (on April 6 in Message #212274, "This is probably a very long shot, but does anyone on this remarkable listserve happen to know if the St Michel RER B stop from the airport has an exit with an escalator (as opposed to steps)? My travel companion likes to bring a big suitcase . . . Told ya it was a long shot!"
I appended an editor's note to say I was certain that some knowledgeable list member would come through for her with the guidance she needed, and that proved true, in not one but two messages from experienced travelers (Messages #212278 and #212279 ) -- and it sounds like a few more were sent to Sharon off-list. But that's not the remarkable part. What makes this story stand out is the postback after the trip, when Sharon had had a chance to use the advice sur les lieux (June 30, Message #215293): Report from the trip: "Thanks to all who offered advice on how to find an exit with an elevator or escalator, my sister & I were able to successfully navigate the RER B St Michel exit in Paris. But naturally it was an adventure! On the day in question, there was a strike of all the RER lines except B, which was lucky for us but made for a very crowded train. And worse, that meant that the exit with the escalator was blocked because it also led to the closed RER C line. But all was well—we found the elevator exit. Still, I’m not sure my sister will ever let me forget making her steer her suitcase thru the winding back streets near the Seine!
Hats off to this great neighborhood resource!"
3. Planning to visit Amsterdam? You definitely want to look up the advice posted by "native Dutchie" Lisette, who not only gave you the up-to-date inside scoop on hotels in a long, detailed but lively message, but she also included some candid comments about getting around town by the popular options available (public transit, on foot, and by bike). Here's a nice sample of her down-to-earth advice (from (Message #217612 on Sept 12):
"I love to visit all our great museums, which is very easy to do by public transport. Make sure to buy all your transportation and museum tickets up front, to save time and money! It's usually a little less when you buy these tickets online. This is the NS (Nationale Spoorwegen, aka National Rail/TrainWays) website: https://www.ns.nl/en and this is for local public transport in Amsterdam https://gvb.nl/en
Apart from public transport, we obviously have a lot of rental bikes available! Make sure to read the rules of riding your bike in Amsterdam because those riders are brutal! Every Dutch kid can ride their bike sooner than they can walk, so they don't stop for anyone in traffic. You wouldn't be the first tourist to get smashed by a very fast reckless cyclist in Amsterdam, so make sure to look left, right, left, and right again before you cross a street. Those bicycle folks come from all angles!"
If that wasn't enough, Lisette followed up with a compilation of recommended hotels (Message #217613)
4. Get your stolen bike back with a little help from your neighbors! This next entry was kicked off on September 17 by Anthony, who was seeking any infromation on his stolen Yuba Electric Boda Boda Cargo Bike after it had disappeared outside Cleveland Park Metro Station (Message #217808). Wasn't this a quixotic, futile post? Not on this Listserv, it's not!
Good neighbor Bill P. to the rescue! He found "...a stolen Bora Bora cargo bike, dismantled bike rack still locked to it." (Message #217860 on Sept 19).
"Dear CP Listserv,
I want to thank the many of you that reached out over the last couple of days with notes and with information.I was able to recover the bike this morning from the fire station and the 2 helmets yesterday from a neighbor's property. I really appreciate this community, this listserve, and am so grateful for your vigilance, support, and thoughtfulness."
5. Get free, expert planting advice from your local extension service This last bit of advice was posted just yesterday! Good thing I didn't close out the nominations earlier; this one got in just under the wire. It's from Kate M., Message #220525 and it begins with a twist on some lines from "My Favorite Things":
When the bugs fly,
When the leaves dry,
When your plants are sad,
Just simply remember to Ask your Extension,
And then you won’t feel so bad!
But it goes on to give more practical advice than Sister Maria gave to the storm-frightened children:
Need help trouble-shooting? Do you know that Ask Extension is a collaborative online resource supported by land-grant institutions, including UDC, free for everyone? Reach out and a team of Master Gardeners, with no “elixirs” to sell, will help you with your puzzle.
Select, “Ask a New Question.” Then, for “Pick your Location,” keep scrolling, scrolling down, DC is below the dashes, right after American Samoa!
🌻Kate
It's nomination-worthy, not just for tipping you off about for the free gardening resources available at your local Ask Extension service, but equally because of the creative, even lyrical presentation.
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Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays. The series of nominations for the 2024 Cleveland Park Listies will continue next Saturday the 21st with the nominations in the following three categories: Best Long Discussion; Photo of the Year; and Post of the Year. On Saturday, December 28 we will award the Listies to the winners!
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