83 replies to this topic

[Agent_007]

it's kind of an eyesore, even if the intention is good.

maybe there's a more natural, visually pleasing solution with more style than a piece of plywood with containers holding it up?

i am all for girl scouts doing nice things but i am unsure if this one makes sense.

[mylo]

it's kind of an eyesore, even if the intention is good.

maybe there's a more natural, visually pleasing solution with more style than a piece of plywood with containers holding it up?

i am all for girl scouts doing nice things but i am unsure if this one makes sense.

Perhaps logs? I hear turles like logs.



You could weigh them down with containers, if you really so desire.

Floating logs aren't that unappealing, or are they?

[Agent_007]

there are limbs that jut out of the lake already.

i am of the bent of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

i don't really see why we need to add anything to the natural setting that's already there.

it's a nice pond/lake. i just don't think it needs floaters to make the turtles feel welcomed.

hey we have owls too in the nature preserve on the other side of the lake. they're cool to watch at sunset. oh, and we have mice too. just caught two in my garage yesterday.

[cw68]

there are limbs that jut out of the lake already.

i am of the bent of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

i don't really see why we need to add anything to the natural setting that's already there.

it's a nice pond/lake. i just don't think it needs floaters to make the turtles feel welcomed.

hey we have owls too in the nature preserve on the other side of the lake. they're cool to watch at sunset. oh, and we have mice too. just caught two in my garage yesterday.

It's a girl scout's program that's trying to provide a safe sunning spot for turtles. First off, it's teaching our suburban children a little about natural life around us. Secondly, would a sunken plank -- or even a partially sunken plank that has a purpose in educating and enlightening our community -- really do any harm as is? I just don't see the concern once people know that it's not just Joe Blow trying to hide beers from his Mom in the guise of a geese skiing-ramp.

[October15]

It's a girl scout's program that's trying to provide a safe sunning spot for turtles. First off, it's teaching our suburban children a little about natural life around us. Secondly, would a sunken plank -- or even a partially sunken plank that has a purpose in educating and enlightening our community -- really do any harm as is? I just don't see the concern once people know that it's not just Joe Blow trying to hide beers from his Mom in the guise of a geese skiing-ramp.

I'm okay if Joe Blow hides his beers if he goes to Walmart first and buys a couple of cans of camo paint and is creative so we perceive that it's actually a turtle on a log out there. Hey...maybe JB is a conservationist...providing cool beer storage as well as turtle aid? Wonder if Mylo got started this way?

p.s. I'm with you Cdub.

[Andrea V]

This is rediculous, it's already been clarified that it's for a girl scouts project. Leave it the hell alone. I'm sure some very proud kids made that and you are basically telling them it is crap and you want to remove it. I bet you would tell the neighborhood kids to take down their tree house because it is an eyesore.

The superdad comes out!! RAWWWWRRRR

[Dave Burrell]

This is rediculous, it's already been clarified that it's for a girl scouts project. Leave it the hell alone. I'm sure some very proud kids made that and you are basically telling them it is crap and you want to remove it. I bet you would tell the neighborhood kids to take down their tree house because it is an eyesore.

I completely agree! It sounds like its a very good project for the kids with good intentions - leave it be.

[MSgt]

it's kind of an eyesore, even if the intention is good.

maybe there's a more natural, visually pleasing solution with more style than a piece of plywood with containers holding it up?

i am all for girl scouts doing nice things but i am unsure if this one makes sense.

It doesn't have to make sense to you. It only has to make sense to the kids involved. Thanks marshhawkfam for coming on the forum and explaining.

[Dr. Folsom]

We should teach our Girl Scouts to leave nature alone. Our frogs don't need "sun bathing platforms”, our toads don't need toad tunnels, and our wayward whales don't need "experts" banging pots, squirting them with hoses, giving them antibiotics and taking skin samples. We should teach our kids that trying to outsmart Mother Nature, no matter how good intentioned always does more harm than good.

[Devdave]

I've seen Turtles crossing the foot path (with the bridge) to get to the pond quite a few times. Sometimes I'll lift them up and set them down off the path so no dogs will hurt them. Usually try to place them in the same direction they were going.

Can you imagine? Oh man, it took me all day to climb that hill to the flat road, and now he put me back down it!


There used to be Beavers and a Beaver Damn as well, but those were apparently removed, used to be fun to watch the Beavers swim around and slap the pond surface with their tails. Sadly they have been gone for a few years...

There are turtles in the lake? That's one thing I've never seen here.

[cw68]

We should teach our Girl Scouts to leave nature alone. Our frogs don't need "sun bathing platforms”, our toads don't need toad tunnels, and our wayward whales don't need "experts" banging pots, squirting them with hoses, giving them antibiotics and taking skin samples. We should teach our kids that trying to outsmart Mother Nature, no matter how good intentioned always does more harm than good.

Then WE should leave nature alone. No paving over wetlands, no streets and houses in their habits, etc. No cutting down trees in which birds nest.

[supermom]

This thread is reminding me of something I did when I was kid.

For those of you who love nature-you should not read any further.

I have a terrible confession to make.

When I was really little--around 3 or 4--my mom dropped my two older brothers and me off at a pond. My brothers were supposed to be watching me.

Anyway they didn't and I was left to my own devices. I was playing in the rushes, chasing crickets and such. I saw a huge toad. He frightened me ( I had rarely ever seen anything other than blacktop up till this time in my life). So I stomped on him. Then I heard more of those loud croaks and whisps and all the noises that come from nature. I started tearing up the rushes-I even picked up a turtle and threw him.

Wish I could take back that day. Wish I could have known-what I was doing. I won't tell you the rest of the story but- I did eventually learn nature wasn't scary-but actually people are. And the thing I learned is that you don't have to actively go out and hunt an animal-to kill it. Inaction is sometimes more devasting to a pocket sized community living between miles of blacktop--than anything a 4 year old kid can dish out.

Anyway, the point of me telling this story is about the depth of human ignorance toward nature.
It takes just a small wood shoebox in your back yard to bring a quail family a safeplace to raise their family. The same with the burrowing owl--and red tailed foxes and such. They all are endangered in CA. A little compassion goes a long way.

Here's another thought. I'm not sure how many of you have any experience with girl scout troops-but those of you who do--know how hard it is to to things. The movements of girls scout troops are carefully monitored and leaders it seems are constantly on alert for people questioning their motives and such. It's hard just to get a troop out to a park. The paperwork is ridiculously cumbersome. The fact that the troop did-and is trying to earn a conservation badge is admirable. Just building the turtle fort is not enough to earn that badge. They will have to interview park rangers and --blah blah the list goes on.

This I think is a worthwhile endeavor--to teach rather than allow another child to grown up ignorant of animals. If you really find the platform objectionalble- maybe we should discuss a way to help that troop make it less of an eyesore- as well as more helpful to the turtles. What do you say? Anyone willing to committ to this? Why not Pm that scout leader and see what that troop would say. I'm sure the kids would think it's great that their actions brought out a few civically minded community members interested in a girlscout troop!!!

[tgianco]

This I think is a worthwhile endeavor--to teach rather than allow another child to grown up ignorant of animals. If you really find the platform objectionalble- maybe we should discuss a way to help that troop make it less of an eyesore- as well as more helpful to the turtles. What do you say? Anyone willing to committ to this? Why not Pm that scout leader and see what that troop would say. I'm sure the kids would think it's great that their actions brought out a few civically minded community members interested in a girlscout troop!!!

Good post. Not knowing why it was there, it does not look attractive. I don't have any ideas, but it's nice to see the girl scouts doing something pro-active.

Now, this part will not be a nice post:
It's BS jumping down the neighbor's throat for bring this up. He didn't know that the Girl Scouts did this (how was he supposed to know?), and I'm sure he is happier knowing that somebody didn't just dump something in there (you might think that, as I did, when i first saw it). I don't live right there, so I don't have to look at it.

Don't be hypocrites! (edited to be nicer)

[Dr. Folsom]

Then WE should leave nature alone. No paving over wetlands, no streets and houses in their habits, etc. No cutting down trees in which birds nest.

I am talking about the idiots who think they are helping wildlife by leaving food out for wild animals, building "toad tunnels" etc... BTW, the needs of humans should come before animals. (Except for dogs)

[tessieca]

I just don't see the concern once people know that it's not just Joe Blow trying to hide beers from his Mom in the guise of a geese skiing-ramp.

Got my morning guffaw from this. Thanks for that LOL. Do geese ski?

Girl Scouts who care enough about the turtles to study their habitat and needs and try to create something useful for them should not be criticized. The turtles have a little man-made something extra, and the girls get a great benefit from their knowledge of nature.