Thoughts on improving Nosehill?

[Coach]

trees.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by JD

Trust me, there are places in the world that would love to have a park like that in their cities.

I think other places in the world are aware of the option to leave giant chunks of dead grass completely undeveloped; most just choose not to exercise that right.

Also, since when does manmade = bad. I've never been, but I've heard Central Park in New York is amazing.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I think other places in the world are aware of the option to leave giant chunks of dead grass completely undeveloped; most just choose not to exercise that right.

Also, since when does manmade = bad. I've never been, but I've heard Central Park in New York is amazing.

Yeah because it's surrounded by concrete jungle for miles and miles and miles.

Why can't it be natural land? I still don't get what your problem is with nature.

[Fire]

It would be nice if it could looked similar to Central Park. I know that is asking for a lot though.

[North East Goon]

What about a Butchard Gardens type set-up, but with more natural tree's and flowers to our location and climate? A tranquility type place?

[puckluck2]

The worst is when we'd take a field trip to Nose Hill. My first time there I thought it was some sort of twisted joke.

"you mean to tell me that this big field with dead grass is what we've all been waiting months for?"

[JD]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I think other places in the world are aware of the option to leave giant chunks of dead grass completely undeveloped; most just choose not to exercise that right.

Also, since when does manmade = bad. I've never been, but I've heard Central Park in New York is amazing.

That's the thing right there, you see it as a patch of dead grass. A lot of others don't. They see it as a natural refuge inside of a city. A place where wildlife can flourish. A park you can walk for km's without knowing there are a million other people in your proximity, beyond a few planes passing overhead.

Las Vegas is an example of a city that has tried the same thing... they have parks inside the city that are left alone as a sample of the local ecosystem. I'm sure a lot of people probably see that as just a boring ugly chunk of desert and sand that could be developed into something awesome (another casino?).

I don't know... I guess this is just one of those "to each their own" situations. Nose Hill might be just an inconvenient patch of grass that makes commuting longer to you, but to others it's exactly what they need/want.

The funny thing is, that's not me. I don't really care. I haven't been to Nose Hill in years and don't find myself in that part of town very often. But the last time I was there, I was pleasantly surprised at what an interesting and amazing place it seemed to be.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

What about a Butchard Gardens type set-up, but with more natural tree's and flowers to our location and climate? A tranquility type place?

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Nose Hill is already full of natural trees and vegetation local to our climate. It's a rare refuge for already endangered grassland environments. According to wikipedia only 5% of natural grassland remains undisturbed in North America. I also think it already is a tranquil type of place. . .

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by zamler

No thanks. For example, when they went up and chopped down that area of brush and trees, they left behind several poisonous fluids. I don't know if it's still there, but I saw signs of 2-cycle engine oil in standing water, and what looked like ethylene glycol.

That's an argument for taking greater care when cutting the grass, not an argument against cutting the grass at all.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

That's an argument for taking greater care when cutting the grass, not an argument against cutting the grass at all.

Bring in machinery, contamination will occur. It's inevitable. And cutting the grass is completely needless, plus it is not possible cut all of it anyway. It's just a dumb idea to put it mildly.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Nose Hill is already full of natural trees and vegetation local to our climate. It's a rare refuge for already endangered grassland environments. According to wikipedia only 5% of natural grassland remains undisturbed in North America. I also think it already is a tranquil type of place. . .

Five per cent makes it sound like a small amount, but any idea how much land that is? I mean, if it's thousands of square kilometers it probably isn't an issue. Also, I assume there are a lot of plants native to our area that aren't represented on Nosehill. Like maybe they could make a 3 km loop of a walk through pre-developed Calgary with a spruce grove, a birch grove, a garden with flowers of the area, etc.

The value of that land would run several million dollars (tens of millions?), and the bi-annual grass fire likely isn't cheap to extinguish. Calgarians live 45 minutes from some of the most amazing parks in the world (eg Kananskis and Banff) so it's not like there is a shortage of natural areas for us to enjoy. I'm surprised you guys are just accepting Nosehill is already perfect with no room for improvement. Let's leave some natural, but in a perfect world it would be nice to see some improvements made so more Calgarians of more ages could enjoy the park. That's all I'm saying.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

What about a Butchard Gardens type set-up, but with more natural tree's and flowers to our location and climate? A tranquility type place?

There is a reason why Butchart Gardens is the way it is. Notwithstanding that it has been cultivated for nearly 100 years, the climate supports a lot of the plants that are grown there. Not to mention the amount of effort of gardeners, etc to maintain the grounds. The best we could support is maybe a Japanese-style rock garden.

[flamesfever]

Don't forget, Sliver, most Calgarians are from the Prairies, and are therefore natural grasslanders. You won't win the support for change.

[mykalberta]

I would love to see something more there than just people and their dogs.

Not alot, but I wouldnt mind more trees, a bbq area etc. An open grassland area is just plain blah.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

What about a Butchard Gardens type set-up, but with more natural tree's and flowers to our location and climate? A tranquility type place?

Seriously? Victoria has a 11 month growing season for flowers compared to our 3 months. hahaha.

If you want to do the impossible ask the city to flood the NE and SE with sea water so we can have our own salt water lake....

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

Don't forget, Sliver, most Calgarians are from the Prairies, and are therefore natural grasslanders. You won't win the support for change.

Cowperson spends 90% of his time in the mountains with his dogs.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I would love to see something more there than just people and their dogs.

Not alot, but I wouldnt mind more trees, a bbq area etc. An open grassland area is just plain blah.

When I moved to the city 25 years ago, it really was just an expansive grassland, with some random cow trails., essentially in its natural state.

I loved it.

No pavement. No shaled trails. Pretty much nothing but you and grassland.

Wonderful mountain biking. Wonderful cross-country running. Wonderful for walking the dog.

I spent many, many hours up there, winter or summer, when I lived in the area.

I get it that the place is now surrounded on all sides by houses - it certainly wasn't back then - so there are a lot more people using it now, but, at the risk of favouring nostalgia, it was a much better place back then.

Paving it more and adding ferris wheels isn't an improvement.

Becky, a sheltie now long gone, Kay and Carol out for a walk at Nose Hill at sunset in the early 90's.



Cowperson

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Nose Hill is already full of natural trees and vegetation local to our climate. It's a rare refuge for already endangered grassland environments. According to wikipedia only 5% of natural grassland remains undisturbed in North America. I also think it already is a tranquil type of place. . .

Adding to this in a pleasing esthetic way.

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Seriously? Victoria has a 11 month growing season for flowers compared to our 3 months. hahaha.

If you want to do the impossible ask the city to flood the NE and SE with sea water so we can have our own salt water lake....

Then who would become the de-facto doormats of the city?

[zamler]

I wonder if the people complaining have actually been there. It is an amazing get-away, but you have to go off the beaten path to truly appreciate it.

Warning, dog haters stay away.

NSFW!