The Off Topic Topic

[Josquius]

Yes, I'd say it sounds like rewilding is the best option there.

That won't happen. Oil and gas companies are operating on it.

So farmers can work around oil companies but.... Whatever wildlife looks like there can't?
(serious question.)

[Tamas]

Regarding all the Chinese name jokes you guys were making the other day, be glad you are not Finnish beauty queens. 

https://yle.fi/a/74-20199196

[Jacob]

IMO there is a significant difference between making puns based in Chinese dynasties and making slanteye gestures like that.

But if society has moved to such a degree that they are seen as equivalent in the general consensus, then I will resign from all my beauty pageant titles

[DGuller]

Regarding all the Chinese name jokes you guys were making the other day, be glad you are not Finnish beauty queens. 

https://yle.fi/a/74-20199196

I'd still prefer to be a beauty queen, even a Finnish one.

[Valmy]

Yes, I'd say it sounds like rewilding is the best option there.

That won't happen. Oil and gas companies are operating on it.

So farmers can work around oil companies but.... Whatever wildlife looks like there can't?
(serious question.)

If people are walking around and using the land what would rewilding even mean? Besides how would I even do that? It would probably involve careful stewardship and expertise. Why do you think that is a sensible option?

[HVC]

Yes, I'd say it sounds like rewilding is the best option there.

That won't happen. Oil and gas companies are operating on it.

So farmers can work around oil companies but.... Whatever wildlife looks like there can't?
(serious question.)

If people are walking around and using the land what would rewilding even mean? Besides how would I even do that? It would probably involve careful stewardship and expertise. Why do you think that is a sensible option?

true, rewilding a farm field is actually a lot of maintenance. We've modified the  surrounding land so much that a little island of wild doesn't work on its own, unlike many imagine. You have to mow/hay the field or else weeds and grasses take over and smoother out the flowering plants. And you have to remove the cuttings (low quality hay in effect, that no one wants) or else you over fertilize the feild and promote the growth of those fast growing grasses. You can't just leave the feild fallow.

[Josquius]

Turning lawns into meadows takes some work.
Though planting young trees isn't a huge amount of work and they need zero maintenance if you want them to actually be trees.
I've no idea of the landscape of this land though so won't pretend to know of the practicalities there.

[HVC]

Also not true, planting trees requires quite a few years of stewardship until they're large enough. Be it weeding until they've grown enough not to be shaded, and perhaps more difficult keeping deer away from saplings. Deer are opportunist dicks. Besides that have you seen planted forests? Diversity is not their strong suit. Not even talking about the mono culture of the trees themselves, but the undergrowth is often poor and not actually that great for wildlife. That's why reforesting is often heavily managed. At least in this area fast grown trees (often pine) are planted to create shade canopies then decades later thinned out and deciduous trees planted and managed. Again, over decades. Not exactly hands off. You're better off letting margin land on existing forest become colonized, but that takes a very long time. In the meanwhile you have a weed field that fucks over neighbour farmers. Anyway, I might be mistaken, but when I think Texas I don't think verdant forests

[viper37]

Exclusive: A father and his three kids work for ICE. Why they do it.

Found Syt's family!  

[Josquius]

Also not true, planting trees requires quite a few years of stewardship until they're large enough. Be it weeding until they've grown enough not to be shaded, and perhaps more difficult keeping deer away from saplings. Deer are opportunist dicks. Besides that have you seen planted forests? Diversity is not their strong suit. Not even talking about the mono culture of the trees themselves, but the undergrowth is often poor and not actually that great for wildlife. That's why reforesting is often heavily managed. At least in this area fast grown trees (often pine) are planted to create shade canopies then decades later thinned out and deciduous trees planted and managed. Again, over decades. Not exactly hands off. You're better off letting margin land on existing forest become colonized, but that takes a very long time. In the meanwhile you have a weed field that fucks over neighbour farmers. Anyway, I might be mistaken, but when I think Texas I don't think verdant forests

As I say can't comment for how it is there.

Here though I've planted a few trees and it largely is plant and forget. The main thing that needs fighting off is humans.
Deer are a bother too of course in more rural areas. But we don't have wolves here.

The hard part with tree planting is getting the seeds to germinate in the first place. I've not got the hang of that yet (though hoping for the best with my current fridge batch). But if you've got a 30cm sapling it goes easy.

I've been at it 5 years and I've got a fair few trees taller than me.

[HVC]

A tree or two in your yard does not a forest make your words were rewilding. Haphazardly planting some trees in a field is not making a forest, nor is it rewilding. The diversification won't be there for good habitat. Sure the deer will be happy for a while when the trees are saplings for the free food, and maybe mice will be there, but not much more.


Also, this is bring back flashbacks to grade 9 when my school board started enforcing "volunteering" to be able the graduate. I volunteered for a tree planting program that came to visit my school. They bused us up north for 2 weeks in the summer to plant the first stage of the forest (the pines I mentioned). We learned about the whole process. The area has to be managed for decades. This began my dislike of forced volunteering (and my disdain for sheilbh's youth "volunteering" position ). Not the trip itself, that was fun, the fact we had to volunteer to graduate. Hadn't thought about it in forever. It's been over 25 years, and they're probably just starting to thin out some spots now for second planting.

[Valmy]

Turning lawns into meadows takes some work.
Though planting young trees isn't a huge amount of work and they need zero maintenance if you want them to actually be trees.
I've no idea of the landscape of this land though so won't pretend to know of the practicalities there.

This is northwest Oklahoma in the middle of the great plains. Tornado alley. No trees.

[crazy canuck]

A tree or two in your yard does not a forest make your words were rewilding. Haphazardly planting some trees in a field is not making a forest, nor is it rewilding. The diversification won't be there for good habitat. Sure the deer will be happy for a while when the trees are saplings for the free food, and maybe mice will be there, but not much more.


Also, this is bring back flashbacks to grade 9 when my school board started enforcing "volunteering" to be able the graduate. I volunteered for a tree planting program that came to visit my school. They bused us up north for 2 weeks in the summer to plant the first stage of the forest (the pines I mentioned). We learned about the whole process. The area has to be managed for decades. This began my dislike of forced volunteering (and my disdain for sheilbh's youth "volunteering" position ). Not the trip itself, that was fun, the fact we had to volunteer to graduate. Hadn't thought about it in forever. It's been over 25 years, and they're probably just starting to thin out some spots now for second planting.

I think what you have in mind is environmental remediation. And that is a lot of work indeed. Rewilding is a bit different.

[crazy canuck]

Turning lawns into meadows takes some work.
Though planting young trees isn't a huge amount of work and they need zero maintenance if you want them to actually be trees.
I've no idea of the landscape of this land though so won't pretend to know of the practicalities there.

This is northwest Oklahoma in the middle of the great plains. Tornado alley. No trees.

Trees are not necessary for rewilding.  But I wonder whether your particular issue is different, I have a vague recollection the land law is more of a use it or lose it kind of model, where something akin to squatters rights could be asserted?