April 29, 2004 – St. John horticulturist Eleanor Gibney will speak on "Planting for Erosion Control" at the May 10 meeting of the Coral Bay Community Council.
The topics to be covered include how to discourage water runoff and how to keep plants alive in the local climate. Gibney will answer questions on what plants work best. "It's a matter of experimenting to see what works in individual areas," she said.
Area residents with plant cuttings to share and trade are encouraged to bring them to the meeting in the John's Folly Learning Institute. Since the Coral Bay area tends to be dry, the cuttings should be drought tolerant.
Sedimentation is a big problem in the Coral Bay area. After a heavy rain, Coral Harbor is brown from the runoff, which is harmful to marine life. Gibney noted that the sediment started out as somebody's property. "It's a loss of their soil," she said.
Goats are a major factor in Coral Bay area erosion, she said, and fencing is the best way to deal with that problem.
The meeting is set for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, call the Coral Bay Community Council office at 776-2099.
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