[APWG] invasive species in theme parks

[SteveYoung at aol.com]

I work in the biggest theme park in the world - the Washington, D.C.  federal 
complex. I think there are great opportunities to demonstrate greater  
leadership, as well as comply with the Executive Order on invasive species, by  
moving to use only native plants and very carefully selected, non-invasive  
exotics for the landscaping of DC's federal buildings. The regular theme parks  
present similar opportunities to educate more people.
 
My early impression is that it will take a critical mass of persistent  
people contacting a lot of leaders to make anything happen. I am trying to take  
the baby step of opening a dialog with my own agency's people and the  General 
Services Administration, the landlord of most non-military federal  buildings. 
So far it looks like it will be a long row to hoe. Cheers,
 
        Steve Young
 
 
In a message dated 6/14/05 11:53:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time,  
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov writes:




Here's a high profile way to focus on invasive problems -  getting theme
parks to think native!

I came across the following  article as I was doing research on the invasive
Australian tree fern,  Cyathea cooperi.  I was floored by the plethora of
invasive species or  relatives of invasives described in "Dino Island."  The
park is lauded  as a botanical garden ("the best one in San Diego"!).  More
correctly,  it appears to be a botanic garden to showcase invasives!  I'm
not  certain when this piece was published, but are there any efforts to
conduct  outreach with public fora such as  this?

http://www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/4631







Legoland: A  Theme Park for Landscape Architects              
By Leslie  McGuire, regional editor                 

The entrance to Dino Island is lush with giant lily turf  (Lirope [sic] 
gigantean), Australian   
tree fern (Cyathea  cooperi) and leopard plant (Ligularia tussilaginea) with 
an under planting  of  
Berkeley sedge (Carex tumicola) and Myers asparagus  (Asparagus densiflorus‘
Myers’). A difficult  
issue with  recycled water was that using traditional sprays meant that salts 
would build  up on   
the models. As it is, the models  have to be continuously replaced because of 
sun damage.       


Legoland, and its recently opened new attraction, Dino  Island, may be fun 
for kids, but it’s      
actually a theme  park for landscape architects. True it has games, rides, 
interactive  learning    
opportunities and everything children love, however  it’s really a botanical 
garden—a park within  
a park—and the best one  in San Diego.                     







Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of  Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant  Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite  750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX:  703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green  natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>

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