Environmental harmony
SEPTEMBER 2004, — VOLUME 2 ISSUE 10
The exploration of mountains, delicate eco-systems and unspoiled wilderness are part of life in British Columbia. Leisure pursuits and great cuisine rank high, but so can the costs to the environment.
Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and contrived fertilizers, used to combat natural problems, can be to the environment, what chemical warfare is to the human race.
An alternative approach to the control of unwanted intruders has already been instigated by many who are aware of the negative impacts toxic solutions can impose. This is especially true of local companies, in this region, committed to creating healthy food and pleasurable playgrounds.
For recreational venues such as golf courses, chemical and design principles, both have to be cautiously considered, often inflicting a dearth of dilemmas.
“Our goal is to have as little impact on the environment and still have a golf course,” says Bob Reid, golf superintendent for the Sun Peaks Golf Course. “The key is that the man-made features compliment Mother Nature’s features and the natural features compliment the features we’ve built.”
This course is among the few highest elevated golf courses in Canada. One of the biggest problems faced by the Sun Peaks Golf Course, Reid explains, is the snow coverage over the greens and fairways during the long winter season.
The snow acts like a canopy over the grass. In turn, due to the lack of air movement grey snow mould begins to spread over the turf and damages the grass.
“We grow grass throughout the whole growing season simply to try and get it through the winter period,” Reid continues. “If we don’t do that we end up with no grass and no golf course. There are a number of non-pesticide related activities we go through. One of them is increasing wind movement to dry the surface out quickly. This is achieved by judicious tree removing. When we remove a tree it isn’t because we are ambitious loggers, it’s to get good movement of breeze over the surface of the turf.”
Applying an alternative, more organic approach for golf course maintenance can prove difficult, because having good grass is how they make their money, says Dave Hilton, parks manager for the City of Kamloops and chair of the Grow Green Group.
But surprisingly, commercial enterprises are, on the whole, less likely to use toxic substances to control their environment, than residential neighbourhoods, Hilton adds.
“We’ve determined that the city of Kamloops itself, probably only uses about two per cent of total pesticide chemical use in the whole community,” says Hilton. “Most of it is done by residents. And that’s one of the reasons for the Grow Green pamphlet, to try and educate people about the alternatives that can be used.”
The Grow Green pamphlet, explains Hilton, it’s a way of trying to get communities to use other methods besides chemicals and to understand the implications of environmentally harmful substances.
Creative measures to eliminate and control invasive weeds and intrusive pests are a consistent challenge for Dieter Dudy, manager of Thistle Farm, near Kamloops. He has been committed to growing commercial organic produce for the last seven years.
His decision to cultivate fruit and vegetables without the use of chemicals, he says, was primarily chosen to help protect the environment.
“The benefit to the environment is number one,” he says. “You’re not poisoning it with a variety of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Conventional methods ultimately kill the soil, making it arid. By not using conventional methods we ensure, not only the life of the soil, but also the life of the creatures that rely on healthy soil for their very existence. So as you can see one organic garden can have far reaching positive environmental effects.”
Not only does the environment benefit from the philosophy of organic agriculture, Dudy points out, but the consumption of organic food provides many advantages for human beings.
“Numerous pesticides are linked to many forms of cancer and other life threatening diseases,” Dudy explains. “Just the fact that we don’t use chemical pesticides or herbicides contributes to improved health, it’s been found that organic fruits and vegetables also have higher amounts of essential vitamins, which increases the nutritional value of the food and ultimately leads to better health.”
Human welfare and fulfillment is solely dependent on the well-being of the environment. And a little consideration can make all the difference to prevent the life being choked out of the fragile earth.
“We should try to live with Mother Nature,” Reid advises. “If we don’t look after what Mother Nature provides for us, I would hate to think of the ramifications.”
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