When we think of an idyllic hideaway near a stream, we may think of sparkling clear water gently flowing over smooth stones. What is around the stream? Maybe a big shady tree to sit under, and a neatly-mowed big bright green weed-free lawn. There may be a butterfly or two, but no annoying swarms of gnats or mosquitoes. In this example, nature is controlled by humans. How do we control it? Usually through physical effort to remove what we don’t want there, coupled with chemical treatments which add back a few essential nutrients to the soil and kill off weeds and insects. (Take a look at our neighbor’s yard as an example. They have done a magnificent job at making their stream a focal point, with bridges and manicured lawns leading up to the stream edge. It is beautiful by conventional standards, but ecologically, the chemicals in the lawn and the clean-cut approach to the steam edge create ecological issues for downstream neighbors.)

What does a healthy stream really look like? A healthy stream is part of a bigger ecosystem which supports a variety of wildlife. The stream’s buffer zone is full of native plant life. Native shrubs and grasses may look gangly and unkempt to those who are not used to them. Their flowers may not be big and showy, but their scents attract butterflies, bees, and other insects which pollinate the flowers so they yield seeds and fruits which are eaten by birds and animals. Native trees provide dappled shade, protecting shorter plants from the hot, drying summer sun. In the ecosystem there is also evidence of death and decay; dead plants and fallen trees are slowly decomposing and returning their nutrients to the soil. There is new, unplanted vegetation growing, seeds sown at random by the wind or through bird or animal droppings. Station 12 describes healthy stream buffer areas in more detail.

We may judge healthy stream areas to be too “wild” for our orderly suburban landscapes. Even those who enjoy hiking and camping may feel that nature is something to be visited once in awhile rather than lived with on a daily basis. Yet humans are a part of the ecosystem we seek to control. When we fail to live in harmony with nature, we will eventually experience negative effects. How can we shift our thinking about the attractiveness of unkempt and untamed natural areas?