#agricultural land clearing
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Professional Land Clearing Near Wilson: Preparing Your Land for Development
When clearing land for construction, farming, or other purposes, it’s essential to work with the right land clearing service provider. Whether you need to remove unwanted plant growth, stumps, or prepare the land for new construction, professional land clearing services ensure that the groundwork is done properly and efficiently. Welcome to King Land Clearing, your number one source for professional land clearing near Wilson, with affordable land clearing services for the preparation of your land to fit your planned use.
The Importance of Professional Land Clearing
It is not just chopping of trees and stumps, removal of rocks and other materials from the land. It is all about the proper soil preparation to address your requirements and at the same time address the concerns of the natural environment. The right land clearing service provider can turn your piece of land into a functional and accessible area.
1. Ensuring A Clean, Safe Environment
The first advantage of land clearing is safety, which is the most important factor that needs to be considered in any project. The growth of plants, bushes, hollow trees, and other similar items may become dangerous because they may catch fire, or their branches may fall on people or animals. If you have been wondering where to find land clearing services near me then you might want to know that your piece of land may require some work.
2. Improving Drainage and Soil Quality
The issues that arise from poor drainage on your land include water logging and soil erosion. Other services that may be provided in the land clearing includes grading of the land and soil preparation for water to flow in the right manner so as to avoid soil erosion which makes construction a nightmare. King Land Clearing has expertise in improving the drainage systems on your land to improve the future development of the land.
3. Optimizing Land for Future Use
Whether it’s a new residential area, business complex, or agricultural land, proper land clearing in Wilson ensures the site is fully prepared for construction. This process removes not only trees but also roots, rocks, and all forms of debris, leaving a level foundation ready for any future development.
Why You Need a Professional Land Clearing Company
Land clearing services are not always simple and when you require them it is wise to hire a team that comprehends the extent of the job. In King Land Clearing, we offer quality services that are most suitable for your project. Here are a few reasons why hiring professionals is your best option:
1. Safety and Efficiency
Clearing land is a technical process that involves some machinery as well as some technique. Trying to level the land on your own can be risky, let alone a very time-consuming exercise.
2. Expertise in Zoning and Regulations
Another important benefit of contracting with a professional land clearing service is that they understand the legal requirements of the area. If the land is cleared for example by farmers without going through the legal procedures then they are likely to be charged or have to pay huge amounts of money.
3. Cost-Effectiveness
While it may be tempting to try to clear the land on your own or with the help of friends and family, it’s actually cheaper to hire a professional service for land clearing. Proper land clearing is important because the improper clearing of land may lead to extra charges or services needed like fixing of drainage issues or eradicating erosion.
Our Process: What to Expect from King Land Clearing
You can be sure of a team with experience and expertise when you hire King Land Clearing for your land clearing in Wilson. Here’s what you can expect when working with us:
1. Consultation and Planning
Our engagement begins with a comprehensive client interview process that seeks to clearly identify each client’s requirements and the requirements of the given project. It does not matter if it is a residential area to build a house, or a commercial area to develop a business, we adapt to the needs.
2. Site Inspection
Subsequently, we carry out an assessment of the site with the purpose of assessing the general characteristics of the plot in terms of terrain features, vegetation cover, and obstacles. It assists us in developing a clear strategy for the development of the land by clearing it.
3. Clearing and Grading
Till and contouring is an important part of site preparation no matter if it is for construction or farming. One works by compacting, grading, and sloping the ground to reduce problems of flooding or soil erosion in future. After clearing the land, cutting down trees, and eliminating stumps and debris and land grading, our team prepares your property for construction or planting.
Trust King Land Clearing for All Your Land Clearing Needs
This is because at King Land Clearing, we boast of providing excellent services that are unique to your needs. Are you in Maysville, NC and looking for a Land Clearing service provider? You’ve come to the right place. No matter if you are planning for construction, agriculture or general land development, our team will be ready for the task.
#land clearing#Wilson NC#land management#site preparation#soil grading#drainage improvement#King Land Clearing#NC land clearing#construction preparation#agricultural land clearing
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Indigenous Hawaiians really had a good system going: wake up reaaally early and do most of the days work while it's cool and by the time the sun was up and it got hot the work was done and you're free to surf and socialize. I wish the white people realized they themselves could work smarter and not harder and get time to relax. Instead of calling Hawaiians lazy (and being genocidal about it)
#Ik this happened in most if not all tropical regions that got colonized#they were so pissed that these 'lazy' people got all sorts of fruit and natural bounty 'handed to them'#when those indigenous people were just working before the colonizers woke up and felt no need to kill themselves in midday heat#Which is what's natural for an apex predator: lazing around#Like u see lions in big cuddle puddles during the hottest part of the day. And they have the privilege of laziness by being the top predato#Idk if lions have a specific time they hunt but ik they will hunt at night when people can't observe them#Also Europeans failed to recognize indigenous agriculture and the /purposeful / cultivation of helpful plants (done w/out clearing the land#And even if they were only foraging. Like. If you love the earth and care for it (and not clear it) the earth will love you back idk#Gah! It's just like we coulda eradicated capitalism in its cradle if Euroamericans werent so arrogant and sure their way of life was correc#Like what if they were explorers and not conquistadors and colonizers. And there was a true cultural exchange#Would it have been better if the Europeans never crossed the ocean (even if they weren't there to colonize)? yeah probably#Like while the disease thing wasn't on purpose (initially) Europeans did inadvertently kill a lot of people bc they had no immunity#But I also acknowledge the human desire to explore and see what's out there#But I wish it was like#Europeans: here's some horses and metal tools#Indigenous people: thanks. Here's a way of life more in harmony with nature and an understanding that we're part of the ecosystem#Europeans: oh cool let me bring these ideas back to Europe. Maybe we won't deforest all of England#(I say Europeans but eventually when Canada and America became independent entities they also were responsible for these things)#Capitalism#capitalism is hell#anti capitalism#Colonization#colonialism#colonial violence#Imperialism#conquistador#age of exploration#anti colonialism#anti colonization#hawaiʻi
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West Papua’s Indigenous people have called for a boycott of KitKat, Smarties and Aero chocolate, Oreo biscuits and Ritz crackers, and the cosmetics brands Pantene and Herbal Essences, over alleged ecocide in their territory.
All are products that contain palm oil and are made, say the campaigners, by companies that source the ingredient directly from West Papua, which has been under Indonesian control since 1963 and where thousands of acres of rainforest are being cleared for agriculture.
More than 90 West Papuan tribes, political organisations and religious groups have endorsed the call for a boycott, which they say should continue until the people of West Papua are given the right to self-determination.
Raki Ap, a spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, which is overseeing the call, said: “These products are linked to human rights violations, in the first place, because West Papuans are being forced, with violence, to get off the land where they’ve lived for thousands of years, which has now resulted in ecocide.
“This is a signal to the countries who are dealing with Indonesia, especially those in the Pacific region, to take notice of who they’re dealing with and how they are basically allowing Indonesia to continue the colonial project in West Papua, the human rights violations, and also ecocide.”
West Papuans say more than 500,000 of their people have been killed by the occupation in the past six decades, while millions of acres of their ancestral lands have been destroyed for corporate profit. Indonesia, already the world’s largest palm oil exporter, is now breaking ground in West Papua on the world’s biggest single palm oil plantation, as well as a sugar cane and biofuel plantation that will be the largest deforestation project ever launched.
“West Papuans’, especially the ULMWP, position is very clear: we are a modern-day colony,” said Ap, speaking from the Netherlands.
“Indonesia hijacked the right to self-determination in 1962 when the Netherlands and Indonesia signed an agreement without any consultation in West Papua … After that, in 1969, there was a so-called referendum, which wasn’t fair, which wasn’t under international law, one man, one vote: just 1,025 men were handpicked at gunpoint to vote for integration to Indonesia.
“So this is the foundation of the Indonesia’s colonial project. When we became part of Indonesia against our will, basically the genocide unfolded.”
#palm oil#nestle#mondelez#proctor and gamble#west papua#indonesia#ecocide#colonialism#indigenous rights#deforestation
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they're not showing the spurs game on tv my brothers in lilywhite the pyjamas away kit actually STUNT ON THESE HOES
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"A century of gradual reforestation across the American East and Southeast has kept the region cooler than it otherwise would have become, a new study shows.
The pioneering study of progress shows how the last 25 years of accelerated reforestation around the world might significantly pay off in the second half of the 21st century.
Using a variety of calculative methods and estimations based on satellite and temperature data from weather stations, the authors determined that forests in the eastern United States cool the land surface by 1.8 – 3.6°F annually compared to nearby grasslands and croplands, with the strongest effect seen in summer, when cooling amounts to 3.6 – 9°F.
The younger the forest, the more this cooling effect was detected, with forest trees between 20 and 40 years old offering the coolest temperatures underneath.
“The reforestation has been remarkable and we have shown this has translated into the surrounding air temperature,” Mallory Barnes, an environmental scientist at Indiana University who led the research, told The Guardian.
“Moving forward, we need to think about tree planting not just as a way to absorb carbon dioxide but also the cooling effects in adapting for climate change, to help cities be resilient against these very hot temperatures.”
The cooling of the land surface affected the air near ground level as well, with a stepwise reduction in heat linked to reductions in near-surface air temps.
“Analyses of historical land cover and air temperature trends showed that the cooling benefits of reforestation extend across the landscape,” the authors write. “Locations surrounded by reforestation were up to 1.8°F cooler than neighboring locations that did not undergo land cover change, and areas dominated by regrowing forests were associated with cooling temperature trends in much of the Eastern United States.”
By the 1930s, forest cover loss in the eastern states like the Carolinas and Mississippi had stopped, as the descendants of European settlers moved in greater and greater numbers into cities and marginal agricultural land was abandoned.
The Civilian Conservation Corps undertook large replanting efforts of forests that had been cleared, and this is believed to be what is causing the lower average temperatures observed in the study data.
However, the authors note that other causes, like more sophisticated crop irrigation and increases in airborne pollutants that block incoming sunlight, may have also contributed to the lowering of temperatures over time. They also note that tree planting might not always produce this effect, such as in the boreal zone where increases in trees are linked with increases in humidity that way raise average temperatures."
-via Good News Network, February 20, 2024
#trees#forests#reforestation#tree planting#global warming#climate change#climate crisis#american south#the south#eastern us#southern usa#conservation#meteorology#global temperature#conservation news#climate news#environment#hope#good news#hope posting#climate action#climate science#climate catastrophe#climate hope
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📰 TAEVision Engineering 's Posts - Sun, May 21, 2023 TAEVision 3D Mechanical Design • Machinery Construction Mining OpenPitMining bulldozer dozer Land Clearing Operation • Machinery Agriculture Tractor 🚜 Scene • Automotive MercedesBenz SLK SLK300 Roadster Renault Twizy • Fashion NY NYC FAMOUS Virtual Holograms on CentralPark 01 - Data 043 Machinery Construction Mining OpenPitMining Land Clearing Operation in open-pit mining bulldozer dozer ▸ TAEVision Engineering's Post on Tumblr 02 - Data 274 Machinery Agriculture Farm Farms Farming Tractor 🚜 Scene ▸ TAEVision Engineering's Post on Tumblr 03 - Data 470 3D Design Applications Automotive MercedesBenz SLK Class SLK300 Roadster Convertible 2011 ▸ TAEVision Engineering's Post on Tumblr 04 - Data 026 Automotive A NEW STYLE OF CITY DRIVING Renault Twizy ▸ TAEVision Engineering's Post on Tumblr 05 - Data 361 3D Design Applications Fashion NY NYC 'FAMOUS Virtual Holograms on CentralPark' Manhattan CentralPark_NYC (1) ▸ TAEVision Engineering's Post on Tumblr
📰 I just updated my Pressfolio: TAEVision Mechanics's Online Portfolio - Global Data - May 21, 2023 ▸ TAEVision Mechanics's Online Portfolio (last update)
Global Data - May 21, 2023
#TAEVision#engineering#3d#mechanicaldesign#machinery#construction#mining#open pit mining#OpenPitMining#Bulldozer Dozer Land Clearing Operation in open-pit mining#bulldozer dozer#agriculture#tractor scene#automotive#MercedesBenz#SLKClass#SLK#SLK300#Roadster#convertible#A NEW STYLE OF CITY DRIVING#RENAULT#Twizy#RENAULT Twizy#fashion NY NYC#Famous Virtual Holograms#CentralPark#CentralPark_NYC#Manhattan
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what are the backstories for the fuel trucks like in the cartooniverse? (im especially curious about hydras)
Oh i looooove talking about everyone backstories-- sorry this took so long to reapond to, I wanted to find a post for context, but I can't find it, so!
Context 1 (pardon old art and designs);
Context 2;
While most of the main cast were extremely young, there was something akin to a recession, as well as a HUUUUGE shift in power and whatnot, and not every station recovered from it
So!! With that-- backstories!
(Bit of a long one, sorry akdbsj)
Porter
Porter was factory built (the only one of our main freight gang who was) and sent to work at Station 24 (where our story is set) immediately, under the impression he would be the only fuel truck there. Upon arrival, he was surprised to find Lumber there, just not working on account of being too young and small, along with Rusty and Dinah. (Not like, super young though, Dinah was applying for clearance to race at the time & all 3 of them were cleared to start working within 2 years) All of whom IMMEDIATELY decided that this is their big brother now, he didnt have a choice in the matter. But, Momma saw the way he responded to and interacted with the kids, and thought he was really immature, so she made him wait a few months to start working. In that time, he ended up maturing quite a bit just trying to keep the others out of trouble, allowing him to finally begin working
Hydra
Hydra was built and raised by an electric engine who, like Hydra, is extremely concerned about the environment. But with hydrogen being such a new fuel source and being so unstable, he spent a lot of his childhood in and out of the repair shed-- more time in when he was younger. When he was about 15 or so, his dad & him went for a long term visit to station 24 on account of having better repair trucks with better information on hydrogen as a fuel source, where they then proceeded to find a new main repair truck for Hysda. Eventually, it just seemed more reasonable for Hydra to stay at Station 24 closer to hus doctor rather than having to travel back and forth. He was only cleared to start consistently working about 2 years before the start of the story. Even though he's in much more stable condition now, it still seems most reasonable to keep him near his doctor. Bonus Babydra & hydrogen father doodles I've made in the past;


Lumber
All things considered, Lumber had a relatively normal childhood. He was fortunate enough that he didn't really know there were problems with his station in the aftermath of the pretty much recession until shortly before he started hearing whispers that his starion was being shut down, which happened when he was roughly 12-13. When it happened, Lumber's family were all sent to different stations, landing Lumber at Station 24, where Momma took him in and where he's been since. (He keeps in contact with his family though, dw)
Slick
Slick was built into a family of livestock trucks who didn't work on the rails, but helped provide more agricultural goods to train society. Initially, Slick was not built to carry oil, she was built with the intention to be a milk tanker and work more directly with her family and continue in the business. But to make a long story short, there had been several incidents involving factories mass producing oil tankers made with extremely poor quality parts, causing a lot of breakdowns and scrappings, causing oil tankers to eaen a bad rep, and making more reputable factories not want the association. As a result, there was a bit of a (good quality) oil tanker shortage, leading to something almost akin to a draft going out to draft tankers who hadn't started working yet to become oil tankers-- and this included Slick, who at the time her family received it, technically wasn't even finished being built. Due to the shortage, Slick began working on the rails extremely early-- 2 years earlier than usual youngest rolling stock can start working early. When more and more stations started feeling the delayed affects of the recession and shutting down, the little business Slick's family ran did too, as many of the stations they received business from shut down. So similarly to Lumber, Slick ended up getting transferred to station 24 at 14-15, while the rest of her family got split up to find work at other stations. (She has no idea where they ended up and has no kept in contact.) Shes been here since. Bonus again, but this time the doodles of Slick's family, who are absolutely meant to feel reminiscent of the other freight + Rusty;

HOO
Sorry if that all got a little disjointed, the adhd was acting up BAD trying to write this all
#stex#stex revival#starlight express#porter the coal truck#porter stex#stex porter#lumber the wood truck#lumber stex#stex lumber#hydra the hydrogen tanker#hydra stex#stex hydra#slick the oil tanker#slick stex#stex slick
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𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙝𝙖 & 𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙖 𝙋𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙪𝙣𝙞
Finally, Ketu x Venus serving through Hades and Persephone.
Fanart by momithastobeclever.
Persephone or Underworld feminine archetypes seem to be commonly played by Venus nakshatra natives.
Bharani Sun Rosario Dawson as Persephone.
Ketu's void is with Hades being the Lord of the Underworld — Ketu = poverty, detachment, hidden realms and darkness. So his appearance is dark and not abundant, he resides away from the land of the living, and his wealth is associated with hidden resources of the earth.

Technically, this is how the Ketu nakshatra-Venus nakshatra pairing conceptually looks like in this tale, with both nakshatra lords being combined with fire rashis. DeviantArt.
While Persephone is the Goddess of Spring — Venus = beauty, harmony, pleasure, and values. Hades' obsession with her is definitely due to their polarity. Magha and Purva Phalguni are yoni consorts, after all.
Magha Moon Cheyenne Jackson as Hades.
Hades is related to Wealth. This makes a solid connection to Magha nakshatra, as Magha's wealth is associated with the dead.
Purva Phalguni Sun & ASC Salma Hayek as an Underworld exotic dancer.
Purva Phalguni nakshatra is associated with pleasure, art, and romance. It is related to Bhaga, the god of marital bliss and prosperity, symbolizing the fulfillment of desires and the celebration of love, fruition, creativity etc. Blending so well with Persephone's purpose of being a goddess of flowers, vegetation and agriculture. In my Venus Dominant Themes post, I talked about Venusians finding themselves between crossroads, conceptually blending their beautifully harmonious nature with a violent or gothic side.
Persephone makes so much sense for Purva Phalguni as well, as this nakshatra is the final stage of creation. Magha nakshatra is related to the power of manifestation through detachment & other ascetic means.


Magha Moon Neville Goddard, the mystic writer who taught various self-help methods for testing his own claim that the human imagination is omnificent, therefore God. Coining the Law of Assumption and claiming himself a witness to his own manifesting powers.
Magha's relation with leaving the body associates to manifestation powers simply through the principle of detachment and accessing higher realms of consciousness. This idea of leaving the body is tied Ketu’s influence, which governs moksha (liberation), past life experiences, the ability to transcend the physical and to therefore master it (rather than getting caught up with it, as seen with Rahu's tendency to be immersed with Maya).


Mystic author & teacher, Magha Moon Lester Levenson. His Release Technique focuses on letting go of attachments to emotions and desires to clear the mind for effortless manifestation and mastery over the physical. He taught that by releasing egoistic attachments, one can access a state of pure being, allowing desires to manifest naturally.
Hades symbolically represents the power of manifestation, from themes of hidden wealth, transformation through detachment, and the unseen forces which shape reality.
Mula Sun Ralph Fiennes as Hades.
Mula nakshatra, through its natives, are often powerful agents of change. This is seen through Hades being a catalyst for Persephone's profound transformation from being the Goddess of Spring to the Queen of the Underworld. Mula nakshatra is ruled by Nirriti or Kali Ma, the goddess of dissolution and destruction. Persephone's identity essentially dissolves after he abducts her.
Marvel's Hela, portrayed by Ashwini Moons Cate Blanchett & Nika Futterman, is Ruler of the Underworld, just like Hades is in Greek Mythology.
Persephone symbolically represents the power of transformation between crossroads, the balance between light & dark, and cycles of renewal — serving as a bridge between the seen and unseen realms, as beautifully tied in Bharani nakshatra. Her myth embodies the themes of death & rebirth, and the integration of opposites, making her a symbol of absolute creation which complements Hades, who is impoverished in ways that she is abundant.
Bharani ASC Anya Taylor Joy as Sandie, a beautiful aspiring singer, who gets trafficked into an Underworld of sorts, very akin to the kidnapping of Persephone.
So the union of Magha and Purva Phalguni ultimately serves as a complete royal experience, as Magha is the throne & of hidden wealth and Purva Phalguni is the bed of pleasures & creation. Persephone becomes Queen of the Underworld beside her dark King.

Pinterest.
(more fictional Venus-Ketu pairs calling to these themes.)
#Leo#Purva Phalguni#Magha#Ketu#Venus#vedic astrology#astrology#sidereal astrology#Bharani#Aries#Ashwini#Mula#Sagittarius#Purva Ashada
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Ha, I assumed it was about grackles! We’ve got brown headed cowbirds in Indiana, I’ve never heard of a shiny cowbird. Brown headeds have less iridescence and they don’t hang out in parking lots really, so you threw me for a sec lol
Comments in that parking lot bird poll is how I just learned that shiny cowbirds are a fairly recent introduction from South America who are only common in Florida, and not a nationwide feature of Walmarts
#And it took me another half a sec bc I grew up hearing that brown headed cowbirds were a fairly recent addition to Indiana#I’d never heard them called non-native tho so I had a brief moment of#‘Wait ARE they not from North America?? And I’m only now hearing abt it???’#but no#they r different species.#dodged a bullet.#Looks like the brown headeds were mostly Great Plains but expanded their range.#Probs thanks to agriculture and general land development/clearing. Noted.
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What do you think is the best/most efficient/least environmentally damaging way to feed the entire population of the world if we had global communism or whatever
Heavy industry.
Currently, the issue is this -- there is a limited amount of land and water available at any given time. Our food production all, ultimately, depends on plants. Either we eat plants directly, or we grow plants to feed to animals we then eat.
With this in mind, it is clear that industrial animal agriculture has inherent inefficiencies. A cow that eats soybeans and cornfeed is using over 90% of its energy to heat its body, and of the remaining portion, much goes to locomotion, thinking, etc. It is genuinely, within our agricultural system, a massive waste that a battery chicken is born with legs and a brain. In the wild, these would pay for themselves -- a chicken uses its legs and brain to hunt for worms and seeds, the cow stays warm to forage for grass.
Clearly, here, plants are more efficient: you can either grow one acre of soybeans and process them into a dozen impossible whoppers; or you can grow a hundred acres of soybeans, feed them to a cow, and then process that cow into a dozen possible whoppers. This was not always possible -- historically, there were nutrients and structures that could not be found other than from animal tissue, because animals are very complex machines, and this was a good source -- but through modern technology, it is now feasible.
The next step after this, in a hypothetical global communism, is to jump over the inefficiencies of plants themselves, and begin producing food directly. We are already able to synthesise basic starch directly from CO2, in a process several-fold more efficient than that carried out by plants. Our technological level is not there yet, but if it arrives there, we would have achieved the smallest possible footprint for our food production, one that wouldn't even neccesarily have to pollute and occupy Earth itself.
Thanks for writing in!
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The Importance of Professional Land Clearing Near New Bern for Your Property
If you are planning on developing your land, for farming, or even just cutting the weeds away, you need to hire a service to do some land clearing. Whether for new construction, agricultural increase, or simply for the desire of a smaller lot to work with, land clearing is the first step. There is no reason as to why your pieces of land cannot be developed fully and made to become fully functional and safe spaces.
In this blog, let’s discuss why land clearing services are required, benefits of hiring land clearing companies and how King Land Clearing might be beneficial for your project.
What is Land Clearing?
Bush removal entails the act of eliminating vegetation cover, rocks and other features from a piece of land in preparation for another use. This could have included construction and agricultural development of the land to merely provide more space for a recreation area or developing better drainage. You might think that land clearing is as easy as just getting rid of the earth’s surface, but this is not the case at all.
Workers not only clear main conflicts but they also make sure the site is ready for such conflicts not to happen in the future for instance, soil erosion or water run off. Other companies on the market including King Land Clearing offer full-scale property clearing services, guaranteeing that the area will be ready for its planned utilization without harming the environment.
Why You Need Professional Land Clearing Services
There are several reasons why hiring a professional for land clearing near New Bern is a smart choice. Below are some of the most important benefits:
1. Efficiency and Expertise
Land clearing can not be said to involve picking a chainsaw and hacking down trees without interference. Eradicating vegetation and undergrowth from a particular piece of land or an assigned land area may be tedious and time consuming depending on one or both of the following factors; Local professional services for land clearing know well what equipment and instruments to use for the work to be completed fast and effectively. This means that you will require less time before you start your project and also before you can prepare the land to suit any that you may wish to undertake.
Veteran firms such as King Land Clearing understands various problems that may occur when undertaking land clearing such as stump grinding and extensive root removal issues, rock clearing and leveling of land among others. When you hire an experienced team, you avoid common pitfalls that would end up postponing your project or even damaging your property.
2. Environmental Responsibility
The failure to perform research on the negative effects of every land clearing exercise has negative consequences including affecting the ability of the land to grow plants, causing soil erosion, eliminating natural habitats for animals, and affecting the drainage system. Professionals in land clearing available near me understand the most effective techniques in environmental management.
More specifically regarding disposal, King Land Clearing compiles and properly disposes or recycles organic material, and stabilizes the land if erosion is a concern. This way the area may be utilized effectively to a maximum years of usage after a clearance has been made.
3. Safety First
It is dangerous to work with land because it involves felling of trees, excavation, earthmoving among others which poses a challenge when dealing with large trees, rocky and sloppy land and also there are problems that arise from underground trees such as rocks and roots. Hire for the work requires professional land clearing techniques, tools and equipment since the activity is dangerous to human life and infrastructures.
Types of Projects That Require Land Clearing Services
Here are some of the common reasons people need professional land clearing services:
Construction Site Preparation: Underneath, land clearing and grading are required in preparing the site for construction of a home, commercial building, or outbuilding. Local land clearing companies like King Land Clearing have many years of experience in clearing land for construction.
Agricultural Expansion: Irrespective of whether one is establishing more farmland or preparing for rearing of animals, cleared land is important in farming.. Part of the process involves making the land accessible, and removing vegetation can also help enhance the yield rate on the crops planted on the piece of property.
Recreational Areas: If you are going to design the recreation area like a park, trail or an open field, then natural boundaries including trees, shrubs and other hurdles should be brought down so as to make the area accessible.
Residential Landscaping: No matter whether you are planning to plant your lawn, garden, or an outside living area, land clearing may lend a hand by getting rid of huge trees or unnecessary wastes.
#land clearing services#benefits of land clearing#King Land Clearing#land preparation#environmental management#safety in land clearing#professional land services#land clearing#construction preparation#agricultural development#environmental responsibility#safety practices#New Bern
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✯Sturniolos as Half-bloods✯
Goddess version
God version
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Chris would be the son of Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the goddess, of love, beauty, and desire. I think it makes perfect sense for him to be her son. I could see him always wearing some shade of pink (preferably a baby pink), pearl earrings, and just being the most wholesome person ever. He already is wholesome (besides the times when he is being an absolute menace) but it would definitely be elevated. With his mother being the goddess of love and beauty, he would do his best to ensure everyone feels loved and beautiful. Being stationed in camp half-blood, he would give all the girls flowers, brightening up their day and complimenting them on their beauty. When it comes to males, he would hype them up and play cupid, encouraging them to talk to the girls/males they have a crush on.
His cabin is number ten, and I would imagine it to be right by the water, the sun always shining in. His room in the cabin would be white with pink and creme accents. Pink silk bedding, a white desk, and a gold-encrusted mirror. It's no secret that Aphrodite is a bit vain, so he would put a lot of effort into his looks. His hair would sit perfectly, being brushed and combed with a rose-quartz hair tool. His skin would be clear and almost reflective. His lips would never be chapped, tinted softly with a pink lip balm. He would often show off his body, going for swims with the son of Poseiden (Nate possibly) his shirt being off, his abs prominent. A smirk would adorn his face knowing both males and females were fawning over him.
Going on to the desire and sexuality aspect. He knows he's handsome asf and he would use it to his advantage. He would flirt with multiple girls, even managing to get a few in his bed, but it would stop when he meets who he believes is the love of his life. The daughter of Hades.
Aphrodite's animal representation is usually doves and swans. In Chris's case, I think his would be a baby doe.
In the Percy Jackson series, Aphrodite's children didn't have many powers but the one that stands out would be charm speaking, almost like a siren song. Chris would definitely possess this power, being a smooth talker to get who and what he wants. As for a weapon, I could see him having a rose quartz shield paired with a sword, the handle of the sword being gold and white. The shield would be disguised as a ring, and the sword would be in the form of a pearl necklace.
his songs:
" He want lipstick, lipgloss, hickeys too" kiss me more- Doja cat
"Drop of a hat she's as willing as ,playful as a pussy cat" killer queen- queen (i like the 5sos version)
"i was made for lovin you baby and you were made for loving me" I was made for loving you-kiss
can't lie, all I was thinking about while writing Chris's part was @gamermattsgf fic silk ribbons 😭

Matt would be the son of Demeter
Demeter is the goddess of agriculture/harvest. Considering Matt has been the designated driver, does the laundry, and is labeled the navigator, I feel like this suits him. Agriculture is very important and tbh, without it, nothing in the world would work. I could see him always wearing jeans or overalls (barking at the thought of him wearing overalls omfg), he would wear a wife beater or a simple black t-shirt (preferably cropped teehee). He always would have his horse chain on, never taking it off, even when he's getting his hands dirty. Matt's quiet so I feel like that would carry on into the halfblood universe. He would stay near his cabin unless he was training or cooking in the camp kitchen. He would talk to a few people but would mostly keep to himself.
His cabin is number four, I would imagine it to be located near the back of the camp, close to mountains, and having a lot of land to farm. I would think it would be more of a rustic vibe, very serene. A lot of browns, cremes, with hints of green. A statue of his mother would be perched right in the middle of his backyard. He would sit next to it, offering her grains and cups of water as the sound of nature buzzed around them. Due to his mother being the goddess of harvest, he was in control of the food for the camp. He's basically a farmer. With being a farmer, there are multiple animals, his favorite being the horse. He would have an array of horses, his favorite being a pearl white horse he named Lucky. He would always take hikes along the trails, and teach other half-bloods how to care for the horses and how to ride them as well.
I could see him having a crush on Poesiden's daughter. It would be a beautiful relationship, after all, you cant grow plants or food without water.
In the Percy Jackson series, Demeter's children did possess powers. The ones I feel Matt would possess would be enhanced growth, (manipulate plant growth which would come in handy during battle.. He would also possess the power to manipulate seasons. It wouldn't be anything crazy, but he could make the temperature rise or fall drastically. His weapon of choice would definitely be a lasso, made with a golden thread. He would definitely ride on a horse, Lucky being the horse in question. The lasso would be disguised as the chain to his horse necklace, and the horse pendant itself would be Lucky.
Demeter's animal representation is usually a snake, pig, turtle doves, and a screech owl. The horse was also mentioned due to Poseiden creating the horse as a form of affection for Demeter. For Matt, I know for a fact his animal would be a horse (like I said multiple times) and a dog. Since I do think his love choice would be the daughter of Poseidon, he would gift her a horse.
His songs:
"I climbed a mountain and I turned around, and saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills" Landslide-fleetwood mac
"The dog days are over, the dog days are over. Can you hear the horses? Cause here they come." dog days are over- florence + the machine
"I've been searching for a trail to follow again, take me back to the night we met." the night we met- lord heron.

Nick would be the son of Athena
Athena is the goddess of war, wisdom, and craft. It's no secret Nick loves the idea of wielding a sword in a horse-drawn chariot, so this is perfect for him! He would always wear reds, golds, and black. I can deff see him wearing black docs for training, as well as jeans and some type of long sleeve. His attitude is very fierce, and he has a slick mouth. With his slick mouth comes wisdom, he's just very harsh with it. He is definitely the best fighter in the camp, being labeled as the winner and leader. I wouldn't say he was always looking for a fight but, he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.
With his cabin being number six, I would think it's located near the training center of the camp. Lots of dirt and mud trails, and weapons being thrown across the front of the cabin. His room would have wooden flooring, with a four-post bed. The bedding would be plain white sheets with red satin pillowcases and a big red blanket. A bust of his mother would sit on his nightstand, a blade perched next to it. With fighting being in his blood, I could see multiple shields and swords in the bedroom as well, maybe some mounted on the walls.
As far as relationships go, he would want someone who is equally as skilled in fighting and can handle his mouth. With that being said, he would deff have his eyes on the son of Apollo. His archery skills and knowledge would captivate Nick.
In the Percy Jackson series, Athena's kids didn't have powers, they just had really good intelligence and fighting skills, as well as craftsmanship. Nick would have very good craftsmanship, constantly fixing things for people in camp half-blood, building buildings, etc. I also think he would be the one to come up with battle strategies during dire situations. His choice of weapon would switch between a sword and a staff. The sword and staff would be much like the son of Poseidon's, disguised as a pen. His staff would be disguised as a ring as well, throwing it up into the air and catching it in a dramatic yet impressive fashion. A horse-drawn chariot wouldn't be possible, so he does take one of Matt's horses instead.
Athena's animal representation is an owl. Despite Nick's fear of birds in real life, I do think he would take after his mother with the owl. The owl would alert him when there is danger near , and guide him in battle.
His songs:
"If it makes me a king, a star in your eyes" all for us- labyrinth
"And if you complain once more, you'll meet an army of me" army of me- Bjork
"And I had a thought about wreaking havoc on an opposition, kinda shocking, they want static with precision." enemy- imagine dragons
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
im in love with this!!!! im deff going to do a version for the gods!!!
TAGLIST🍑
@bernardsgf @bernardsleftbootycheek @blahbel668 @mattfrfr @gdsvhtwa @sturniolo-aali @lily-loves-struniolos @kynda-avery @causeidontlikeagoldrush
@st7rnioioss @carolinalikesthings @mattslolita @suyqa @xxloveralways14 @pepsiimaxx @judespoision
@ivonchetooo1239 @imaslut4kehlani @that-general-simp @m4stermindd @itzdarling @gigisworldsstuff @adoreindie @braindead4l @pettydollie @chrissgirlsstuff @alexis007 @ratatioulle @yamamasjumpercables @luv4kozume @sturnioloslurps @kqyslyho3 @mattslolita
#sturniolo triplets#chris sturniolo#chris sturniolo smut#nick sturniolo#matt sturniolo#sturniolo fanfic#christopher sturniolo#sturniolo smut#smut#matthew sturniolo#matthew sturniolo smut#christopher sturniolo smut#sturniolo x reader#chris sturniolo x you#chris sturniolo x reader#chris girl#matt sturniolo x you#matt sturniolo smut#matt sturniolo x reader#matt girl#greek mythology#percy jackson#camp halfblood
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Is there a specific reason for Charlie to be so cagey about his kids? Or is it just him being a little shit just because?
A little of both!
(Charlie slightly being a little shit about the number of kids he has, or possibly just not believing that his own brother doesn’t know)
Charlie introduces his kids to Killie upon reconciliation - and Killie apparently immediately blanks on how many of them there are. In fairness, they move very quickly, and they do have three different parents, and they give the impression of being a small wolf pack, and frequently have friends or neighbour kids over. So I think it’s funny to have Charlie’s precise number of kids be a bit blurry and confusing, because that’s how it seems to Killie, who simply accepts (politely, resignedly, without question) that they’re all his nieces and nephews, probably including the neighbour kids.
Charlie is an oddly secretive, quite ruthless person. He is very pleased to allow the rest of the family to believe that he is dead. He hopes it chokes them.
The messy horse dynasty family tree is a distinctly inverted pyramid. Millennials are Killing The Dynasty Industry… but it’s pretty shocking. There are only two members of the D-generation, not in the direct line of inheritance at all. and of them, only one is a boy, who isn’t especially interested in horses. The expectation behind the accumulation of all this power and ambition and land and horses (but no wealth) was that there would always be some clear, obvious future descendant to hand it all to - the next central figure, Keeping The Family Together. At the moment there is the interesting figure of Killie, but it’s increasingly obvious that he isn’t a family man, and with such a meteoric career in progress you can’t reasonably expect him to stop now and run a fuckin’ farm. He’s achieving the most success they’ve ever seen. Nobody would stop a champion horse at this point and put him to stud (literally. In two ways. lmao.) And who after Killie?
Bill, the twins’ father, is desperate for grandkids anyway. But he, and his own ancient father, and quite a lot of the rest of the family, are getting anxious about the freaky lack of clear heirs. Everything - from how they plan to fiddle with agricultural inheritance laws, to the direction of the stud, to stable staff morale - is vaguely clouded by the lack of succession planning.
Charlie, through Killie, has learned and extrapolated all this. In addition to the malicious pleasure he gets from knowing they’re worried that he’s dead, he gets the EXTRA malicious enjoyment of knowing he’s keeping his kids from them. And the delicious sauce of knowing he has a biological son that they’ll never meet. Hahahaha. HAHAHAHA. Did the queer kid end up being the only one of you to have a family? Hahahahahahaha.
Killie’s a bit worried that this isn’t great for Charlie’s mental health, but can’t articulate why. Charlie’s quite worried about a lot of things. What if his kids grow up liking horses for some reason. What if they get mad at Charlie because he cut them off from a life they’d like and they disown CHARLIE and run off. Maybe a smart man should sign up his kid to inherit everything - and then sell up. What if they somehow find and recognise the child that’s essentially a clone of Bill, and contrive to Get him in some way.
What if the Tiernans manage to suck Charlie back in again, somehow.
Worst of all: what if they’re fixable. What if Charlie could fix them.
What if he wanted to.
Better to just hide everything! It’s okay to trust Uncle Killie… but the story Charlie sticks to is that he was raised by pirates.
You can enjoy thinking about the Drama of various Reveals!!!
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Halsin and Silvanus
In the course of my recent research on Bane for a lore request fill, I found myself coming across a lot of very interesting information, previously unknown to me, about the other gods of the Forgotten Realms — in particular Silvanus. There was enough there that it inspired me to direct some extra research hours into this writeup, exploring all the reasons why Halsin is a quintessential Silvanite.
If you would like any more information on anything included here, please feel free to drop a comment or an ask, as there is truly so much that I just don’t have the space to include. (I usually end up with about 12-13 pages of source quotes before I begin one of these meta posts.)
My usual note that, as ever, these writeups will align with current 5e lore, and draw from 3.5e for additional supporting information. On rarer occasions – and always noted – I will reference 1e and 2e, but with the caveats that there is much more in those editions that is tonally dissonant with the modern conception of the Forgotten Realms, and thus generally less applicable.
Silvanus is easily one of the most misunderstood gods of the Faerûnian pantheon. This is even pointed out directly within his section of the 3.5e Faiths & Pantheons (an incredible resource if you are looking for more detailed information on the gods of the Forgotten Realms!):
Nevertheless, most outsiders view the church of Chauntea, as patrons of agriculture, as being favorably inclined toward the expansion of civilization, while the church of Silvanus is the implacable foe of those who would settle new lands. Neither impression is correct, yet the church of the Oak Father is often perceived as little different from those faiths that venerate the Deities of Fury.¹ [emphasis added]
Silvanus is most often perceived as strictly and impassively neutral, and intrinsically opposed to civilization in all its forms. While the former is something close to true – he is a very neutral-aligned deity, albeit not necessarily in a way that matches the popular conception of the term – the latter is certainly not. Humanity (if you’ll forgive the use of the term to designate in broad strokes the non-animal denizens of the Material Plane) is another facet of nature, one given equal consideration to the rest – plant, animal, and other – by Silvanus.²
While as a whole followers of Silvanus have a preference for the wilds and the deep forests, this is by no means a concrete rule. In fact, Silvanite clergy – those known as druids – are not uncommonly found in enclaves in larger cities of the Sword Coast and beyond, including Waterdeep.² Typically these druids will “create gardenlike walled areas of wild forest within the city limits.”¹ Wherever they may find themselves, Silvanite druids work to maintain the Balance of nature around them, through education and direct action both.
Silvanus’s dogma has much to tell us about his philosophy, and that of his followers. I’ll be splitting notable excerpts and their relation to Halsin into sections below.
Hold your distance and take in the total situation, rather than latching on to the popular idea of what is best.¹
Halsin was, from the first moment I met him in-game, so notable for his calm self-possession, and the clear forethought he gave to his actions and those of others. He does not feel bound by the expectations or approval of others – as noted in the dialogue he shares with the player if they compliment his choice of successor – but instead makes his own path following the direction of Silvanus’s wisdom and will.
Resort to violence and open confrontation only when pressured by time or hostile action.¹
This is showcased numerous times throughout the game, but perhaps best evidenced by an in-game note, from an unlikely source: the Priestess Gut. The note that you can find from her, regarding Halsin’s capture, notes the following:
Said he thinks there's somethin' rotten inside us. Inside me. Reckons he can help get rid of the rot. I told him we don't need any help from nobody. Never did. And especially not now the Absolute's taken a shine to us.³
Despite the immediacy of his capture at their hands, and the preceding attack already lodged against himself and Nettie⁴, Halsin’s primary impulse is to attempt diplomacy, and render aid. This only changes when his length of captivity has made it clear that there will be no changing the minds of the cultists, and they must be dissuaded by stronger means.
Banish disease wherever you find it¹
The way Halsin is first introduced to the player is as a healer – and not just any healer, but a masterful one, known throughout the region, who has the best chance of being able to assist with any manner of strange ailment. It is clear in all ways, as well as in the scenario referenced in the preceding section, that this is an aspect of Silvanus that Halsin strives to embody at all times.
Seek out, serve, and befriend the dryads and learn their names.¹
Particularly if we understand the reference to dryads here to extend to all fey spirits of nature, this gives new depth to Halsin’s friendship and devotion to the nature spirit Thaniel. Halsin, as a druid generally, and as an Archdruid in particular, would have a solemn and divinely-ordained responsibility to redress the upheaval of the Balance within the Shadowcursed lands. For that reason alone, it is no surprise that it was his primary motivation and consideration for nigh on a century.
However, even above and beyond that, Halsin had an additional motivator. Even before he became a druid, potentially before he was exposed to the teachings of Silvanus in anything but the most vague and general of terms, he was living them out by befriending the local nature spirit, learning his name, and seeking to understand, serve, and protect him.
Make others see the balance and work against those that would disturb it. Watch, anticipate, and quietly manipulate.¹
The primary source text I am using to draw this connection was written neither by nor about Halsin, yet I believe it still clearly reflects on him, for reasons that will become clear. This text is from a logbook recording activities of the Emerald Grove during the year 1371, 121 years prior to the start of the game’s storyline, and some years before the defining events in the soon-to-be Shadowcursed Lands.
6 Uktar: Sent two druids, some of the newer recruits, up north. Village there has had two years of failed crops and are unlikely to survive the next winter. 9 Uktar: A group from Baldur's Gate arrived. They've set up camp on the edge of the forest. Two bears and a fox came by. Their territory has been burned out. Half the fox's cubs died. Paying this new group a visit tomorrow. 10 Uktar: Visit did not go well. After telling me where to shove it, they said they'd cut down half the forest and burn out any wildlife that dared to stick around. Claimed they were going to 'farm the land and make a new city of their own.' Time to get creative. 12 Uktar: Mudslide did the trick. Buried half their farming equipment and made the rest useless. They won't be back any time soon. Got reports of a Red Wizard in the village south of here. Sending three rangers to investigate. If they catch even a whiff of a red cloak, I'm contacting the House of Silvanus.⁵
Given the timeline, while this is unlikely to have been written by Halsin himself, it seems like a strong possibility that it was written by his master, the previous Archdruid of the Emerald Grove, who perished in the fight against Ketheric Thorm. This is supported by the clear evidence that the author was an individual in a position to give direction and command to those around them, and to make the call for how to deal with various situations. Given too what we know of the druidic leadership structure, Halsin would have been the previous Archdruid’s Second, as Kagha was his.⁶
This man, then, would have greatly influenced Halsin as a druid of Silvanus and as a leader both. We can presume that this watchful duty and deliberation was one that Halsin himself took over, charged with doing his part to maintain the Balance of the region around the grove. This last point especially becomes even more significant in light of the following information, which comes not from Silvanus’s dogma, but rather from a description of his followers and traditions of worship:
Members of the clergy work to redirect development and control populations through covert sponsorship of brigands, breeding and selective placing of predators, and other means. It is essential that such work be as secretive as possible, so that most folk view the servants of Silvanus as essentially benign lovers of trees. Wildlife breeding, nursing sick animals, and replanting trees and wild shrubs are all work that should be done as publicly as possible to support this perception – and as necessary work to redress the slipping Balance, of course.¹ [emphasis added]
It is clear from all preceding evidence, and this excerpt in particular, that the druids as a whole put far more thought and strategy into every aspect of their appearance and the perception of them than they would ever want outsiders to become aware of. Halsin himself corroborates this in-game, noting that, while druids might not like politicking, that certainly does not mean they haven’t the skill for it when called upon.
For the sake of… well. (I have been advised by my legal counsel not to use “brevity” here.) Regardless! For the sake of my sanity and your time, I will refrain from going into further detail on specific instances that show this to be true of Halsin. I will merely encourage you, the reader, to consider the value this brings to his character and druids as a whole, and hope to encourage new appreciation for their refreshing complexity.
In closing, I leave you with one final quote:
Superior patience, natural knowledge, and anticipation are the hallmarks of a worthy servant of Silvanus.¹
¹ Faiths and Pantheons. 2002. p. 63.
² Dragon Magazine #412. June 2012. pp. 22-3.
³ Rancid Note. In-Game Text.
⁴ Halsin’s Journal, Vol I. In-Game Text.
⁵ Logbook XII: 1371. In-Game Text.
⁶ Grove Annals. In-Game Text.
#voidling speaks#my meta#bg3 meta#meta#bg3#baldur's gate 3#halsin#bg3 halsin#silvanus#realmslore#forgotten realms
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"In short:
Victorian farmers and volunteers have planted 750,000 trees to restore habitat for a critically endangered bird.
The Regent Honeyeater Project has brought together volunteers from all walks of life since it was launched in the 1990s.
What's next?
An ornithologist says the project is working wonders for the species and other wildlife.
--
John Paul Murphy is not an ecologist, but he knows a thing or two about trees.
The young cattle farmer from Winton in north-east Victoria has helped plant more than 750,000 trees as part of the Regent Honeyeater Project.
"Our involvement as a family goes back to the early 1990s, when the project first kicked off," Mr Murphy said.
The regent honeyeater is a critically endangered bird known for its black-and-bright-yellow colouring.
"Back in the day, millions of these birds would darken the sky from Adelaide up to Queensland," ornithologist Maggie Watson said.
"They're quite large compared to other honeyeaters, are highly nectar-dependent, and are one of the main pollinators of eucalypt trees."
Dr Watson, based in Burrumbuttock, New South Wales, said habitat fragmentation was a major reason the bird was threatened.
"When people started clearing farmland as part of colonisation in the 1800s, they removed all the productive, nectar-producing trees," she said.
"So that essentially wiped out the regent honeyeater's main food-base."
'Great for all wildlife'
Benalla cattle farmer and Regent Honeyeater Project president Rob Richardson said agriculture had claimed its share of the environment.
"We've destroyed a lot of habitat to create grazing and cropping land to the point where there are less than 500 wild regent honeyeaters left in Australia," he said.
"So now we're trying to restore the balance.
"We propagate all the trees in our plant nursery, and then plant them across the landscape to establish vegetation corridors."
Dr Watson said the project would significantly benefit the regent honeyeater population.
"The birds need to have 'roads' to get to flowering trees like eucalypts, and those roads happen to be other trees — so the more you plant, the better," she said.
"Tackling habitat fragmentation is great for all wildlife."
Huge volunteer effort
Mr Richardson said local volunteers were at the heart of the project.
"Over the last 30 years we've had many farmers donate land to be revegetated and over 40,000 volunteers help plant all the trees," he said.
Mr Murphy said the volunteers came from all walks of life.
"At our planting days, I've met university students, doctors, lawyers, biologists … and many of them come back year after year," he said.
Mr Murphy said it was nice to have a chance to get to know with people he may not otherwise have met.
"Farming can be pretty isolating," he said.
"But when you're planting, learning, and just getting your hands dirty together, the conversations you have are really unique.""
-via ABC News Australia, December 2, 2024
#birds#ornithology#australia#honeyeater#bird photography#wild birds#birdblr#endangered species#ecosystem restoration#habitat#conservation#good news#hope
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By combining food-bearing trees and shrubs with poultry production, Haslett-Marroquin and his peers are practicing what is known as agroforestry — an ancient practice that intertwines annual and perennial agriculture. Other forms include alley cropping, in which annual crops including grains, legumes, and vegetables grow between rows of food-bearing trees, and silvopasture, which features cattle munching grass between the rows. Agroforestry was largely abandoned in the United States after the nation’s westward expansion in the 19th century. In the 2022 Agricultural Census, just 1.7 percent of U.S. farmers reported integrating trees into crop and livestock operations. But it’s widely practiced across the globe, particularly in Southeast Asia and Central and South America. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, 43 percent of all agricultural land globally includes agroforestry features. Bringing trees to the region now known as the Corn Belt, known for its industrial-scale agriculture and largely devoid of perennial crops, might seem like the height of folly. On closer inspection, however, agroforestry systems like Haslett-Marroquin’s might be a crucial strategy for both preserving and revitalizing one of the globe’s most important farming regions. And while the corn-soybean duopoly that holds sway in the U.S. heartland produces mainly feed for livestock and ethanol, agroforestry can deliver a broader variety of nutrient-dense foods, like nuts and fruit, even as it diversifies farmer income away from the volatile global livestock-feed market.
[...]
Trees actually have a much longer and more robust history in the Midwestern landscape than do annual crops. Think of the Midwestern countryside before U.S. settlers arrived, and you might picture lush grasses and flowers swaying in the wind. That vision is largely accurate, but it’s incomplete. Amid the tall-grass prairies and wetlands, oak trees once dotted landscapes from the shores of Lake Michigan through swathes of present-day Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri, clear down to the Mexican border. These trees didn’t clump together in dense forests with closed canopies but rather in what ecologists call savannas — patches of grassland interspersed with oaks. Within these oak savannas, which were interlaced with prairies, tree crowns covered between 10 percent and 30 percent of the ground. They were essentially a transition between the tight deciduous forests of the East and the fully open grasslands further west. And in the region where Haslett-Marroquin farms — part of the so-called Driftless Area, which was never glaciated — trees proliferated even more intensely. In pre-settlement times, according to a 2014 analysis coauthored by Iowa State University ecologist Lisa Schulte Moore, closed-canopy forests of oaks, sugar maples, and other species covered 15.3 percent of the area, and woodlands (low-density forests) took up another 8.6 percent. Prairies — the ecosystem we readily imagine — composed just 6.9 percent. Oak savannas made up the rest.
10 September 2024
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