NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
March 20,
2022 (Sunday)
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Edited by:
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**Susan Richards shares some photos
from Saturday’s Nature Moncton outing to the off-grid house in Taylor
Village. Fourteen people were given a tour by the owners of an
Earthship-inspired 'green' house. The tour started outside where the 100-foot-long
house was all windows on the south facing side with the 9 solar panels
generating all the electricity to the house. The original and eco-built
home is a treat to see with glass walls inside, a garden along the south wall
growing vegetables all year round and inside walls decorated with bottoms of
glass bottles reflecting the outside light. Many questions were asked and
answered and a slide show presentation and picture books of their building,
helped to understand the depth of love-tasked work that is this house.
Susan also
sends more pictures of the house from when it was being built.
The first picture shows Fred Richards in his tractor bringing dirt over to the tires. The tires are all in a row waiting for dirt (3 wheelbarrows full) to be pounded into each
tire. The next picture shows the "eggs" Jacques called the water
containers -- 3 huge barrels. The 4th picture is the inside wall with one
tire painted pink (they were planning to have a small door that opened to show the tires inside when it was all done) plus the row of cans laid and cement
covering them. The floor in the picture is what the flagstone floor is on.
After 3 and
a half years of working whenever they could and with some help, the house was
done.
Over 1000 vehicle tires plus the same number of bottles and tin cans were
recycled in the construction of this amazing piece of architecture. This type
of structure is being built in other areas and I would not be surprised to think
this is something we may get more used to seeing in the future.
A big thank you to Monique and Jacques for their warm hospitality and
sharing of their experiences.
**Leigh Eaton had 2 cock Ringed-necked Pheasants sparring for most of Saturday who are
oblivious to people and traffic.
One of them
must have been losing the fight as several of his neck feathers became damaged or
at least ruffled as the day passed. No impressed females seemed to pay particular attention other than mild disgust! Leigh videotaped some of the action at the
link below:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cg097sl2hehl14n/IMG_4444.MOV?dl=0
**Louise
Richard was pleased to be visited by 3 Evening Grosbeaks to their Acadieville
cabin on Saturday to get a documentary cell phone photo.
**Lois Budd
had a surprise visitor for her
Salisbury area property on Saturday, a Grey Squirrel. Lois comments it looks
like it has a Red Squirrel's head and a Grey Squirrel's body; however, this is
not uncommon pelage for the species. Lois has only seen one other Grey
Squirrel around her home in the 40+ years they have lived there so it was a
pleasant surprise.
Some
folks do not have positive feelings about Grey Squirrels when they commandeer
feeder yards, yet others are able to accommodate them in different ways.
**In a follow-up to the duck box erection piece in yesterday’s blog, Yolande LeBlanc
reports 3 of the 6 duck boxes they have
erected at the lagoons in the Memramcook area have been occupied by American Kestrels, but no ducks yet.
This
was a surprise for me to hear and possibly others. I have one kestrel box that
has been occupied every year by an American kestrel pair for the past 6 years.
The plan of the kestrel box I have erected is similar to a duck nest box but
the thought of a duck using it never entered my mind. Now it will!
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
