Cleaning up the shoreline in Kennedy Park
The Kennedy Park "mangrove" clean-up project is ready to begin. The final step was getting final approval from the Village Council.
At Thursday's Village Council meeting, Village Council member Lilliana Dones was concerned about the mangroves and cleaning out of the foliage along the shoreline behind Kennedy Park. She was assured that the workers would take her along for the preliminary walk through and decide what stays and what goes, allowing the native species to flourish, removing the invasive growth.
Most Australian pines will stay, as a "fair compromise," even though they are not native and usually removed from many areas in the county. The reason they will stay is because they are large trees and they are currently giving shade to the park and Grove residents tend to love them. The Village Council agreed to allow Lilliana Dones and Jim McMaster (from Treeman Trust) to decide which trees stay, and which trees go.
The Australian pines that are inside the mangrove thickets will be removed, which will open up the view to the bay.
At Thursday's Village Council meeting, Village Council member Lilliana Dones was concerned about the mangroves and cleaning out of the foliage along the shoreline behind Kennedy Park. She was assured that the workers would take her along for the preliminary walk through and decide what stays and what goes, allowing the native species to flourish, removing the invasive growth.
Most Australian pines will stay, as a "fair compromise," even though they are not native and usually removed from many areas in the county. The reason they will stay is because they are large trees and they are currently giving shade to the park and Grove residents tend to love them. The Village Council agreed to allow Lilliana Dones and Jim McMaster (from Treeman Trust) to decide which trees stay, and which trees go.
The Australian pines that are inside the mangrove thickets will be removed, which will open up the view to the bay.
posted by Tom Falco at 4:00 PM
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16 Comments:
This is a very good and well thought-out project for Kennedy park, led by the Public Works Department, coordinated with the people of the Historic& Environmental Planning, and after a careful study conducted by a Parks Naturalist hired by the City of Miami (Juan G. Fermnandez).
They will remove around 900 invasive/non-indigenous trees, shrubs etc. and will not touch the Mangroves, which are beneficial to the ecosystem.
Yeah, they'll probably pardon some prohibited Australian Pines, there are about 68 "specimens" but hey, in some areas they don't look so bad.
The main victim will be the freakin' "Seaside Mahoe" a veritable invasive PEST in Florida. Then the nasty Brazilian Pepper plants, , snake plants and Exotic scaevola.
Just getting rid of those Mahoes will open up certain areas of Kennedy Park to Water Views, which is great.
If anyone needs the official study, plans, sky view or reports I'll gladly send them out.
Carlos.
"...freakin' "Seaside Mahoe" a veritable invasive PEST in Florida. Then the nasty Brazilian Pepper plants..."
These plants sound downright threatening and scary! Quick! Annihilate them before they figure out their demise and potentially retaliate.
Brazilian pepper, seaside, and australian pine ALL have to be removed from kennedy. I have been going to kennedy since I was a kid, and would frequently pick up a ton of garbage but after taking several workshop/classes in south florida related ecology and invasive species I have a true understanding of australian pine.
We will have to continue removing them for years when they encroach in the mangroves....shade? Who cares, plant an oak.
Actually you are right, spanon 9:19. I agree:
They should go by the book and get rid of ALL Prohibited/Invasive/Non-Indigenous species, PERIOD.
There are Scientific Reasons to do so. And, anyway, the Australian Pines in Kennedy Park are actually bent, twisted and awkwardly chopped up.
They should REPLACE them as you mention with indigenous Pines or other tress, like the nice Oaks they recently planted in Front of the Park, by the Lemonade truck.
It's a shady double standard indeed. What "Compromise"? Do things right the first time around.
Hopefully Mrs. Liliana Dones understands why the Australian Pine is in the undesirable "wanted list" and acts accordingly on behalf of the Village Council and the Cocoanut Grove interests.
http://www.friendsoftheenvironment.org/invasiveaustrail.html
I'll be writing to The Public Works and Historic&Environmental people about this.
Why are we allowing one neighborhood busybody to make so many decisions about tree preservation on our behalf? Was Ms. Dones elected?
She's like a rogue Politburo.
I was wondering the same thing, swlip.
Let's see what the people at Public Works, Historic/Environment say, I sent them a very polite yet juicy message. They usually repond to e-mails.. will keep you posted.
Carlos
swlip,
My guess is that Ms. Dones' involvement is because she has shown tremendous interest in Grove trees and their preservation and has been continuously at the forefront of saving trees blown down in hurricanes and those about to be illegally removed by developers.
Oh, and she has been elected to both the Village Council and to head up the Chamber of Commerce.
Your vocation, it would seem, is griping.
And she is very involved with the Treeman Trust with Mr. McMasters. Plus I didn't see you voluteering to do it at the last Village Council meeting.
Dude, u really need to get a life and stop being so sour about everything.
Get a grip,
If that's the case about Ms. Dones, then it's cool, she understands why these WEEDS need to be weeded out(including Australian Pines, they are not true "Pine Trees" and they ARE a Pest) They should be replaced by good, indigenous, non-invasive TRUE Pines or other native trees.
Hope she reads this blog too.
I'm not sour at all. I just believe that people making policy decisions about our environment should be elected. The Chamber of Commerce and Village Council have neither regulatory nor legislative powers.
The reasoning that has been elicited here is that the biggest neighborhood busybodies get to make decisions for us. I have a job that keeps me at work from morning to evening and many weekends, so I don't have time to compete for the position of neighborhood busybody.
But I'm perfectly willing to vote for one, after hearing him or her voice his/her views and opinions.
I agree again, swlip.
Goes to show how feeble and inconsistent the Grove's representation in City Hall is.
The City of Miami has no CLUE as to how to represent the Village of Cocoanut Grove. This is just another clear example out of a dozen I can think of right now.
The Village Council is some sort of organization that has done some good and not so great things in the past for the Grove, since that's all we've got, besides a guy named "Cement manny", another known as "Absent Sarnoff" and several un-coordinated neighborhood associations.
Bottom line: These kind of issues are left blowing in the wind. No official voting, no reasonable consideration, much like the infamou Water Front Office Building that, under the Village Council "Watch" and Sarnoff's "watch" will probably be approved soon.
It's a mess, let's face it, until the Grove becomes its own City with duly elected local officals to take care of its interests and those of our numerous visitors.
Actually apparently it'll be be between Ms.Liliana Dones, me and my e-mails to Public Works,Environment/Historic people, etc and whoever likes to join in, what will decide the fate of the future folliage to be on Kennedy Park.
Gives you an idea about how poorly organized things are now. On the other hand, it's still a great societey, where people and neighbors of good will still listen to eachother. But the system itself? A big mess.
Carlos
Dear Ominous Anonymous(es):
Of course I read the blog. I mean, doesn't every informed busybody?
Re: invasive tree removal at Kennedy Park:
Jim McMaster and I, representing Treeman Trust and TreeWatch, respectively, were invited to walk the park and review the invasive trees that DERM plans to remove from Kennedy Park after we took an interest in the proposed plan and invited representatives from City of Miami Parks & Rec. to come to the Village Council and explain what the plans call for and what they hope to achieve.
By walking the park and looking at the proposed tree removal beforehand, it allowed us to be better informed for the Village Council presentation that was made last week.
It also allows us to more accurately inform others who may suddenly email and/or call us when the removals begin to take place, protesting that there are "tree removals" going on at Kennedy Park.
Regarding our input to save as many Australian Pines as possible:
All the Australian Pines in the thick of the mangroves will be removed, as well as an additional 60 or so thin "bent" ones close to the shoreline that were badly topped in the past.
Although the initial plans called for removing pretty much all the Australian pines from the Park (the logic being that since they were getting rid of the ones in the mangroves they might as well get rid of the ones upland, and kill two birds with one stone (or 2 trees with one chainsaw, so to speak), we simply asked that instead or removing them all at once, the death sentence on the upland Austalian Pines be at least delayed, because, frankly that would pretty much remove the majority of the current canopy at Kennedy Park, and it will be years before the newly planted trees (such as the ones by the lemonade truck) grow sufficient canopy to make a difference. We also asked that the Washingtonian Palms (also invasive) be saved.
The upland AP trees are not disturbing the mangroves Neither are the Washingtonians. They and character to the Park. Otherwise it would just be a big field with a bunch of spindly new trees waiting to grow.
It is hoped that by not removing all the APs at once, the new native trees that are planted to replace the ones that are slated for removal will grow sufficient canopy before the rest of the Australian Pines are completely removed, so that the impact to the canopy will not be as severe as if they were to be removed all at once.
Invasive or not, I do like the Australian pines, but that is just a personal opinion. I grew up with them, so they've been invasive for as log as I have lived here. They make a nice sound when the breeze blows through them. Sitting by the water's edge on either of those 2 benches where the 60 or so Australian pines that are "bent, twisted and awkwardly chopped up," will not be as soothing when they are gone. But alas, even us neighborhood busybodies cannot make policy, so those trees will be gone.
It makes me wonder, If the City of Miami Beach were to take such an initiative towards removal of all Australian Pines, would they have to rename Pine Tree Drive?
Somethings are invasive and not a threat.....for instance a royal palm....banyan tree...invasive species.
However Australian Palm KILLS everything else around it. And continues to breed itself until it consumes everything. It evolved in an area the exact opposite of its current habitat here.
Kill em all
Ms. Dones,
I agree with Anon :1:30pm. There are reasons why the Australian Pine is a targeted invasive species(not really a Pine or tree, it's more like destructive Bush or large Weed)
Just Google it up, if you're not too familiar with this PEST, I offered a link here on this blog thread. It's a Nasty Prohibited Species. That's all there is to it.
If you going to do a job, why not do it right the first time?
The Public Works department, and the Naturalist Firm hired by the City, (The real SPECIALISTS on these environmental matters) agree that such destructive species need to be eradicated. No IFS or Buts.
It's Science, it's been proven, they hurt our Grove ecosystem. period.
These Australian Pines need to be replaced with beneficial, indigenous and LEGAL trees. and BTW, you may have your own aesthetic opinion, but they are crooked, twisted, trimmed ugly pines, compared to Real Pines.
Plant Oaks like the ones by the Lemonade truck, or TRUE good Pines would do. And I don't buy the "Shade" or "Canopy" argument, with all due respect, Ms. Dones, or your characterization of our comments as "ominous" or threatening in any way. I wonder what you had in mind when misusing such word.
And yes, they should remove these nasty Pines from Miami Beach too. Feel free to talk to any Naturalist Specialist about that. They need to be replaced by good Real Pines, as they are doing in Virginia Key. I have, with the Sierra Club people. It's just Money and Politics, as Usual, otherwise they would be removed and replaced too.
Botton Line: "Kill'em all",as anon said. .
I am waiting for a response form the other people involved here, Public Works, Historic/Environmental, etc.
Let's do this RIGHT.
Carlos Iglesia.
I say Whack 'em, shred 'em and mulch 'em. Those friggin spike berries they drop drive me nuts. Casaurina make good firewood too.
Waterfront parks should belong to the natives.(trees, that is)
I wish a real ecologist or biologist would get involved - Australian Pines are horrible and are the first trees to go down in the coastal system during a hurricane (look at Andros).
Anyways, I think it's wonderful that our local citizens are involved, and their service is greatly appreciated, but I just wish those giving advice to theCGVC were actual biologist/ecologist - they are out there - and some even live in the Grove.
The Tree Man Trust does a good job at protecting trees.
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