Category: Health

Penny writes about home remodelling

With our dogs very much in mind.

Penny Martin’s latest post is about keeping dogs happy, and safe.

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Stylish Home Remodels That Keep Dogs Safe Happy and Your Space Beautiful

For dog owners planning dog-friendly home remodeling, the hardest part is admitting one simple truth: the home has to work for real dogs every day.

Pet-safe interior design can feel like a compromise when muddy paws, zoomies, shedding, and anxious moments meet the finishes and furniture people hope to love for years.

The core tension is balancing aesthetics and durability so home upgrades for dogs protect everyone’s comfort without making the space feel like a kennel. With the right mindset, a remodel can support calmer behavior, easier routines, and a home that still looks like home.

Choose 7 Upgrades That Take Paw-Print Life in Stride

If you’re aiming for that sweet spot, beautiful, calm, and built for real dog life, start with upgrades that quietly prevent damage and stress. Think “easy to wipe,” “hard to scratch,” and “nothing for a bored dog to pick at.”

  1. Start with scratch-resistant flooring where your dog actually lives: In high-traffic zones (entry, hallway, kitchen, living room), choose tough surfaces like luxury vinyl plank, tile, or sealed concrete, and add washable runners for comfort. Ask for samples and do a quick “nail test” with your dog’s normal walk and a dragged chair. This protects your style investment while making muddy paws and shedding a two-minute cleanup.
  2. Add a “landing zone” at the door to stop mess before it spreads: Create a small drop spot with a wipeable mat, a towel hook, and a closed bin for paw wipes and poop bags. A slim built-in bench or wall hooks keep leashes off the floor so nobody trips during excited greetings. Bonus: it teaches your dog a predictable routine, which can reduce zoomy chaos.
  3. Build a feeding station that looks like it belongs: Tuck bowls into a pull-out drawer, a base cabinet, or the side of a kitchen island so water stays off the floor and your dog’s setup doesn’t feel like clutter. One homeowner described how a station can create a seamless polished look when it’s integrated into cabinetry. Place it away from main walkways so nobody steps in the splash zone.
  4. Choose durable pet-friendly materials for the “mouth and paw” zone: Prioritize washable, tightly woven fabrics, easy-clean paint finishes, and scratch-tolerant trim in spots your dog rubs, leans, or patrols. If your dog guards windows, consider tougher screen options and hardware, secure window screens help prevent an excited launch after a squirrel. These changes are subtle, but they keep your home feeling polished.
  5. Install a secure fenced outdoor area with a simple, safe layout: A good fence isn’t just about height, it’s about no gaps, sturdy latches, and corners that don’t become “dig pits.” Walk the perimeter weekly for loose boards and soil shifts, especially after heavy rain. If you’re planning for resale, clean boundaries also make the yard feel intentionally designed, not “dog-proofed.”
  6. Use dog-friendly landscaping that survives play and stays non-toxic: Pick hardy ground covers or tough grass mixes for the run path your dog naturally creates, and use mulch or gravel in muddy choke points. Create shade and a water spot so your dog self-regulates on hot days, then keep delicate plants behind low edging. A defined dog path can actually protect the rest of your yard from becoming a patchy free-for-all.
  7. Protect home value by preventing the “pet home” signals buyers notice: Plan for odor control (washable slipcovers, a vented litter/gear closet, and easy-clean floors) and repair wear as you go, not all at once later. Some sellers worry about stigma, and one estimate notes the value of a home drops when buyers learn it was shared with pets. The goal isn’t to hide your dog, it’s to keep your home feeling cared for.

Map a Realistic Budget for Bigger, Longer-Lasting Remodel Choices

Once you’ve picked the upgrades that can handle real paw-print life, the next step is figuring out how to pay for the durable versions that won’t need replacing.

A home equity loan is one way to fund a dog-friendly remodel because it lets you borrow a lump sum of cash using your home’s equity as collateral, helpful when you’re tackling bigger, longer-lasting improvements all at once.

Lenders typically look for enough equity in your home, good credit, steady income, and a debt-to-income ratio they consider manageable.

If you’re comparing routes, reviewing the best home equity lines can give you a starting point for what to ask about.

Once your budget is set, simple upkeep routines will help those upgrades stay comfortable, safe, and good-looking over time.

Daily and Seasonal Habits for a Dog-Safe, Stylish Home

Dog-friendly remodels stay beautiful when you pair them with small, repeatable habits that support your dog’s comfort and your home’s finish. Think of these as the relationship-building basics that reduce stress, prevent wear, and keep your space feeling calm.

Five-Minute Floor Sweep

  • What it is: Sweep high-traffic lanes to remove grit, fur, and tiny pebbles.
  • How often: Daily
  • Why it helps: Less grit means fewer scratches and fewer slip-prone tumble moments.

Bowl Zone Reset

  • What it is: Wipe the feeding station and refresh the mat under bowls.
  • How often: Daily
  • Why it helps: It limits odors, stains, and sneaky mold around baseboards.

Nail and Paw Check

  • What it is: Inspect nails and paw pads after walks and play.
  • How often: Weekly
  • Why it helps: It reduces floor scuffs and catches small injuries early.

Toy Rotation and Tidy Basket

  • What it is: Rotate chew toys and store extras in one easy-to-reach bin.
  • How often: Weekly
  • Why it helps: It protects trim and furniture by giving chewing a clear “yes.”

Seasonal Safety Walkthrough

  • What it is: Use review routines to check gates, rugs, and outdoor surfaces.
  • How often: Start of each season
  • Why it helps: Small fixes prevent big repair bills and keep paths predictable.

Dog-Friendly Remodel FAQs Homeowners Ask

Q: What flooring actually holds up to nails and muddy paws?
A: Look for scratch-resistant, easy-clean surfaces like luxury vinyl plank, porcelain tile, or sealed concrete. Choose a low-sheen finish to hide scuffs and add washable runners in high-traffic paths. If you love wood, consider an engineered product with a tough topcoat and commit to quick wipe-ups.

Q: How can I keep my home stylish without adding dog hazards?
A: Pick closed storage, rounded furniture edges, and sturdy textiles that are still beautiful. Use non-slip rugs, cordless window coverings, and cabinet latches for anything toxic or tempting. The best designs feel calm because everything has a place, including leashes and treats.

Q: What materials should I avoid if my dog chews or licks surfaces?
A: Skip finishes with strong lingering odors and prioritize low-VOC paints and sealants. Avoid crumbly foam, exposed particleboard edges, and delicate trim in chew zones. Give chewing a safer “yes” with durable chew stations and wall guards near corners.

Q: When does it make sense to finance pet-friendly upgrades?
A: Financing can help if it lets you do the safety-critical work up front, like floors that prevent slipping or secure fencing. Keep the payment comfortable, and separate “must-haves” from “nice-to-haves” before you sign anything.

Remember the home remodeling market valued at $1,142.6 billion reflects how many homeowners are investing, so planning carefully is part of protecting value.

Q: Can dog-friendly upgrades still support resale value?
A: Yes, when you choose broadly appealing, durable finishes and keep the layout flexible. Focus on upgrades that help any buyer, like easy-maintenance floors and cleanable paint in entry areas. Some projects can be especially value-forward, and garage door replacement cost recouped 267.7% shows how a practical exterior update can pay off.

Small Remodel Choices That Keep Dogs Safe and Homes Beautiful

It’s hard to balance a space that looks pulled-together with a life that includes muddy paws, nervous chewers, and everyday wear.

The good news is that dog-friendly remodeling isn’t about perfection, it’s a steady mindset of making thoughtful, durable choices that support harmonious living with dogs while keeping style intact.

When homes are designed for real canine behavior, creating pet-friendly spaces gets easier, messes feel more manageable, and the benefits of dog-friendly remodeling show up in calmer routines and fewer “oops” moments.

A dog-friendly home is simply a human home that finally fits your dog, too.

Pick one improvement to do this month, one change that makes your dog safer, happier, or more relaxed.

Those small wins stack into a steadier home and an enhancing human-animal connection that lasts.

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This is a very useful article from Penny Martin. I find it fabulous. Well done, Penny!

Consciousness, and the Human Brain

An astounding video by David Eagleman.

Amazingly, Jean and I were being run recently in to somewhere local and Trevor, our driver, was listening to a talk by David Eagleman. I was captivated.

In that talk David Eagleman spoke about Roger Penrose and his research into consciousness. Here’s an AI summary:

Roger Penrose proposes that human consciousness is non-computational and originates from quantum processes within brain neurons, rather than just neural connections. Together with anesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff, he developed the “Orchestrated Objective Reduction” (Orch OR) theory, which suggests consciousness arises from quantum computations in microtubules. 

Roger Penrose is the author of The Emperers New Mind.

Thus, beyond the eighty-six billion neurons that make up the brain, there are also the microtubals. These are very small and the diameter of several thousand of them are less than the diameter of the human hair. See WikiPedia.

The brain has deep purpose” was one of the sayings Eagleman spoke of. “Why do we have experience” was another.

There was much more that I did not really understand. But it was still fascinating.

Then we discovered that what Trevor was listening to was also a video. The video is Inner Cosmos. It runs for 75 wonderful minutes.

Here is that video.

To say that this has absolutely updated my mind to a newer level is an understatement; big time!

Please watch the video.

This Winter

The low snowpack this last Winter is concerning.

Although here in Southern Oregon at present we have a few wet days, in general the amount of rain coming down is well below normal levels.

That is why this recent article presented by The Conversation is being published.

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Winter’s alarmingly low snowpack offers a glimpse of the changing rhythm of water in the western US

In a good year, the West’s mountain snowpack feeds streams and rivers well into summer. George Rose/Contributor/Getty Images News

Imtiaz Rangwala, University of Colorado Boulder

Winter is more than just a season in the western U.S. – it is a savings account to get farms and homes through the long, dry summer ahead. As the snowpack that accumulates in the mountains through winter slowly melts in late spring and summer, it feeds into rivers and reservoirs that keep communities and ecosystems functioning.

The April 1 snowpack measurement has long been the single most important number in western water management, considered a strong proxy for how much water the mountains are holding in reserve.

But in 2026, that savings account has been woefully deficient.

Across the western United States, temperatures from November through February were among the warmest on record, with many areas 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (2.8 to 5.5 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-century average. March continued to break heat records. At lower elevations, the higher temperatures meant a significant part of the winter’s precipitation fell as rain rather than snow. In some places, snowfall accumulated but melted quickly during warm periods.

A chart shows an unusually low amount of area in the West with snow cover during winter 2026.
The total area of the western U.S. with snow cover was exceptionally low compared with the rest of the 21st century. National Snow and Ice Data Center

As a result, even regions that received near- or above-normal precipitation for the season failed to build substantial snowpack. In the northern Rockies and the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, any above-average snow accumulation was largely confined to the highest elevations, while middle and lower elevations had relatively little snowpack.

This situation is a hallmark of warming winters. As global temperatures rise, the freezing line where precipitation changes from rain to snow moves up the mountains, shrinking the area capable of sustaining a seasonal snowpack.

A map shows most of the stations across the western mountains were below 50% of average. The best conditions were in the northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest, and most of those were still below average.
At the vast majority of the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service’s snow measurement stations across the West, the snowpack’s snow-water equivalent on March 30, 2026, was less than 50% of the 1991-2020 median. Natural Resources Conservation Service
A map shows wide temperature anomalies in the western U.S. compared with the 20th-century average.
Temperatures were well above the 20th-century average across the western U.S. in winter 2025-26. National Centers for Environmental Information

The exceptionally warm winter of 2025–26 across much of the western U.S. delivered a powerful preview of what the regional water cycle in a warmer climate may increasingly look like: less snow and a fundamental reshaping of the hydrograph – the chart of how much water flows through streams across the year.

A flattening hydrologic pulse

The consequences of this shift for water supplies are already visible in streamflows.

In multiple river basins in the West, streamflows were above average in winter and early spring, and some locations were approaching record-high levels. Historically, that water would have remained frozen in the snowpack until late spring. Instead, precipitation arriving as rain – along with intermittent midwinter melting events – increased the runoff.

Scientists who study natural water flows, as I do, pay attention to the hydrographs of streamflows in river basins to see when the water flow in mountain streams is strongest and how long that flow is likely to continue into summer.

A chart shows a typical arc of increasing water flows as snow melt in 2025, compared with several peaks of snowmelt and rainfall during 2026.
This hydrograph showing two years of water flows in the St. Mary River near Babb, Mont., reflects the difference between a typical late-spring peak, as 2025 saw, and several midwinter peaks from warm temperatures and rain, as 2026 is seeing. U.S. Geological Survey

In recent years, rising temperatures have led to a redistribution of streamflows throughout the winter and early spring in ways that are fundamentally reshaping the hydrographs of snowmelt-dominated rivers. Rather than a single dominant peak during late spring or early summer, smaller peaks emerge in winter and early spring. At the same time, the traditional snowmelt pulse, relied on to fill reservoirs in late spring, weakens.

In effect, the hydrograph is flattening. The winter of 2025–26 illustrates this phenomenon: Higher early-season streamflows suggest the West will see less runoff later in the year when communities, farms and wildlife need it.

The Colorado River: A system on the edge

Nowhere does the convergence of record warmth, depleted snowpack and altered hydrology carry higher stakes than in the Colorado River Basin. More than 40 million people in seven states plus Mexico and 5.5 million acres of farmland depend on the river’s water, but the river’s flow is no longer meeting demand.

The April-through-July 2026 runoff into Lake Powell – the reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam and the primary index of the Upper Colorado River Basin’s annual water budget – is currently forecast to rank among the lowest in recent decades. It has been tracking close to the grim years of 2002 and 2021, considered benchmarks of western drought.

Unless spring brings substantial late-season snowfall to the high mountains, 2026 could join those years as a marker of how thin the margin between water supply and demand has become in a river system already under sustained stress from two decades of drought and water overuse.

The low reservoir levels in the basin in 2026 and the low snowpack are adding fears of water shortages just as the seven states that rely on the Colorado River are struggling to reach a new water use agreement.

The changing rhythm of water in the West

The winter of 2025–26 highlights two emerging realities.

First, temperature is increasingly dominating precipitation in determining western water supplies. Even above-normal precipitation cannot compensate for persistent warmth when it falls as rain rather than snow and accelerates snowmelt in the mountains.

Second, the nature of the West’s streamflows is shifting in ways that complicate water management.

Rain-on-snow events can produce flooding in winter, as the Seattle area saw in late December 2025. A low snowpack also means less runoff in summer, which can exacerbate water shortages and raise the wildfire risk as landscapes dry out. Even if a year has normal precipitation, if it falls as rain or there is earlier snowmelt, then evaporation through summer, in a warmer climate, will leave less water in the system.

Snowpack declines, earlier runoff, elevated winter flows and flattened hydrographs are all consistent with long-standing projections for the western United States as global temperatures rise.

What makes the winter of 2025-26 notable is how clearly these signals appeared, even in a year without widespread precipitation deficits.

This shift highlights the need for adaptive reservoir operations – the ability to adjust water storage and release decisions in real time to capture earlier runoff and preserve water for longer dry seasons, while still maintaining space in reservoirs for flood control during wetter winters. For communities across the West, it also reinforces the growing reality that the familiar seasonal rhythm of mountain water is changing.

Imtiaz Rangwala, Senior Research Scientist in Climate, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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There is nothing we citizens in the West can do about this, apart from being careful about the water we use.

As Imtiaz Randwala wrote in the last paragraph in the above article: “This shift highlights the need to adaptive reservoir operations.

What a find!

Eight Australian pups found!

I saw this article a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share it with you. It was published by The Dodo.

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Rescuers Open ‘Family Dollar’ Bin And Find 8 Australian Shepherd Babies Inside

They were only a few weeks old 🥺

By Maeve Dunigan

Published on March 12, 2026.

This past January, a man was walking through Onancock, Virginia, when he noticed a suspicious object outside Historic Onancock School, a local community center.

The man approached the object — a large black bin labeled “Family Dollar” — and carefully lifted the lid to see what was inside. There, wriggling against each other in the tight space, were eight 10-week-old puppies.

The puppies were weak, defenseless and clearly needed help. The man drilled air holes in the lid of the box and eventually contacted Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility for help.

Tragically, one puppy passed away before rescuers could assist. The others quickly relaxed into the capable hands of animal control staff.

According to Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility shelter manager Jeri Winn, it’s common to find puppies dumped along the Eastern Shore, but significantly less common in Onancock, a bustling seaside town.

Though she’d seen plenty of cases like this, Winn still felt a familiar sadness as she admitted the puppies into care. Despite everything, she was grateful that the pups were finally in a safe place.

“All we can be thankful for [is that] whoever left them realized they were in a good location to be seen,” Winn told The Dodo.

Team members transferred the puppies to Critters 4 U Rescue, an animal shelter and foster organization. Rescuers determined the puppies were Australian shepherd mixes, and they named them after the seven dwarfs — Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey.

One pup has already been adopted, and the others are still safe at Critters 4 U Rescue, waiting to meet their forever families.

Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility is grateful for Critters 4 U Rescue, along with all the other rescues who offered to help these needy pups find the homes they deserve.

“We are so grateful for every rescue that reached out,” Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility wrote in a Facebook post. “In moments like this, our small shelter is reminded just how much we rely on the compassion and partnership of rescue organizations who step up without hesitation.”

You can keep up with Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility by following them on Facebook. To help other animals like these puppies, you can donate to Critters 4 U Rescue

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What a beautiful account. Congratulations to all involved!

California learns more about its homeless shelters

A pet‑friendly homeless shelter pilot reduced the rate of homelessness among the people it helped in California.

This was an article published on the 16th March by The Conversation. It shows how the homeless shelters benefit from being pet-friendly. It’s sort of obvious but then again not common-sense.

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A pet‑friendly homeless shelter pilot reduced the rate of homelessness among the people it helped in California

A homeless woman in Los Angeles holds her dog after a free veterinary visit in 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Benjamin F. Henwood, University of Southern California

When homeless shelters allow people to stay with their dogs and other pets, more unhoused people become more willing to stay in a shelter.

That’s what my team at the University of Southern California’s Homelessness Policy Research Institute learned when we evaluated California’s Pet Assistance and Support Program.

California’s Department of Housing and Community Development established this pilot program in 2019. Its goals were straightforward: to make homeless shelters more accommodating to people with pets – mostly dogs – so that people living on the streets don’t have to choose between staying in shelters or abandoning their pets.

The program disbursed US$15.75 million between 2020 and 2024 to 37 organizations across the state. The funding allowed shelters to build kennels or other pet-friendly spaces, provide pet food and supplies, and offer basic veterinary care. It also covered the costs of staffing and maintaining insurance required to operate pet-friendly shelters.

Evaluating the program

We did this evaluation in collaboration with My Dog Is My Home, a nonprofit that supports pet-inclusive housing and services for the homeless, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

By all accounts, the program was a success.

We found that the program helped 4,407 people experiencing homelessness keep their pets while getting support. Many were able to enter shelters, and their animals received needed veterinary care. A total of 886 people ultimately moved into permanent housing with their pets – a higher success rate than the statewide average for homeless people in California.

Theoretically, this funding should have reduced the number of pet owners living on the streets. Yet since 2019, the year the program began, the number of homeless people in Los Angeles with dogs and other pets has increased.

A homeless man walks a dog toward a group of tents lining a sidewalk.
A homeless man walks a dog toward a group of tents lining a Los Angeles sidewalk in 2026. Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images

I’ve seen this change firsthand.

Since 2017, I’ve led the USC research team that produces the annual homeless count estimates for Los Angeles. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires this exercise for any city seeking federal funding for homelessness services.

One of the questions my team asks when interviewing thousands of homeless people each year is whether they have any pets.

Before the pandemic, we generally found that roughly 1 in 8 people did. We also found that nearly half of homeless pet owners had been turned away from a homeless shelter because it couldn’t accommodate their animal.

Despite programs like California’s Pet Assistance and Support program, my research team has found that the share of people living on the streets of Los Angeles who say they have a pet increased to roughly 1 in 5 by 2025.

Share of homeless people in LA with pets is rising

The percentage of homeless people in Los Angeles with pets rose from 12% in 2017 to 20% in 2024 and 2025, according to an annual census.

Bar chart showing that the percentage of homeless people in Los Angeles with pets has grown since 2017.

5101520%201720182019202020212022202320242025

Need for more pet-friendly programs

We still don’t know why the share of homeless people with pets has gotten so much larger.

It could be that rising housing costs, which is the main driver of homelessness, is pushing more pet owners into homelessness. Or, perhaps more homeless are adopting pets to deal with their social isolation and loneliness, two common conditions for people with nowhere to go.

An apartment building with a rectangular green space is shown.
The Weingart Tower, where some of Los Angeles’ formerly homeless people reside and receive social services, has a small dog park. Grace Hie Yoon/Anadolu via Getty Images

Either way, proposed cuts by the federal government to affordable housing and homeless services will only make matters worse.

The number of homeless people in Los Angeles has fallen by more than 4% since 2023 to just over 72,000 people in 2025. But based on my research findings, I would expect the number of people living on the city’s streets – with and without pets – to rise over time unless more affordable housing becomes available.

And growth in the homeless population may be hard to avoid without more efforts like California’s Pet Assistance and Support Program – on a larger scale than the pilot we studied.

Benjamin F. Henwood, Professor of Social Policy and Health, University of Southern California

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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I hope when this is published the bar chart presented towards the end of the article appears.

If not, and if you are interested in that chart, you will have to clink on this link to view it.

Professor Henwood is wise to present this article.

Picture Parade Five Hundred and Fourteen

My deer friends!

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These are the deer in our garden. I feed them every morning and they have become good friends. However, taking the photos was tricky as I had to use a zoom lens and I did not have a tripod with me.

Hedgerows

That’s right – planting hedgerows!

For many years I lived in South Devon, England. I never thought twice about hedgerows because they were so common.

Then today I read an article in The Economist about Brexit and the one thing that was favourable was this “Brexit delivers a win for British wildlife.

Here’s a small extract from the magazine:

No other country matches the rich heritage of hedgerows that weave across the damp (ideal for hedges) British Isles. Since the Bronze Age, Britons have reared sheep and cattle and have used hedges to mark the boundaries of fields and keep livestock in place. Some of these ancient bushes still stand. In West Penwith, one such prehistoric hedge, a gurgoe, might be over 4,000 years old. Most, though, were planted in the 18th century, when landowners enclosed the commons, an event that turned the country into a chequerboard of small, irregular fields. America, by contrast, passed a law prohibiting private landowners from enclosing public land in 1885, protecting its open ranges.

Here in Oregon hedges are not so common. But I did some research as to the cause and came upon this article by Oregon State University.

I trust it may be shared with you.

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A Guide to Hedgerows: Plantings That Enhance Biodiversity, Sustainability and Functionality

Pami Monnette and Jude Hobbs

EM 8721 | Revised June 2020, Reviewed 2023

An aerial photo taken above Forest Grove shows hedgerows bordering the urban growth boundary and used as buffers between fields. 
Photo: Justin Smith, © Oregon State University
This young hedgerow bordering a field features native plants that provide habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators.
Photo: Janet Donnelly, © Oregon State University

We see them at the edges of farm fields or along roads: long rows of trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses known as hedgerows. They are living fences with the ability to grow food, shelter wildlife, save water, manage weeds and look beautiful all year round.

Hedgerows are sometimes called shelter belts, windbreaks or conservation buffers. These layers of plant life enhance the beauty, productivity and biodiversity of a landscape. 

Hedgerows originated in medieval Europe and are enjoying a modern resurgence. People in England planted hawthorn cuttings and allowed them to grow about 6 feet. They were bent and trained to fill gaps in the trees, yielding a living fence. They called these fences “hagas” or hedges, form the word “hawthorn.” As the birds settled in the hawthorns and dropped seeds. more plants sprung up. Today, many farms in England are surrounded by ancient hedgerows that shelter beneficial organisms and conserve soil and water. 

Hedgerow plantings were uncommon in the early United States. In the 1930s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Shelterbelt Program briefly supported planting trees for windbreaks to prevent soil erosion in the Midwest. Today, as interest surges in sustainable farming methods, more people are turning to this age-old practice.

Hedgerows can serve several ecological functions. Among their many benefits, hedgerows:

  • Enhance ecological biodiversity.
  • Offer food for livestock, humans and wildlife.
  • Provide habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators.
  • Facilitate water conservation.
  • Provide windbreaks.
  • Help manage invasive weeds.
  • Provide erosion control and improve soil health.
  • Support the health of aquatic habitats.
  • Enhance carbon sequestration.
  • Create borders and privacy screens.
  • Reduce noise, dust, chemical drift and other types of pollution.
  • Diversify farm income.
  • Generate year-round beauty.

Let’s look at these benefits in detail.

Benefits of hedgerows

Enhance ecological biodiversity

Biodiversity describes the variety of life forms within a specific ecosystem and the relationship of these organisms to one another and the broader environment. Hedgerows can be designed to attract a wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and plants, many of which offer beneficial relationships to each other. They also create more edges, or “ecotones,” between different habitats, which increases species diversity. Trees and shrubs provide shelter for larger mammals, and nesting sites and perches for raptors, which are important predators of rodents. Dense or thorny shrub thickets can offer songbirds a refuge to escape predators as well as a place to nest. The diverse composition and structure of a hedgerow creates a functional habitat where species experience vital interconnections with one another and the environment.

Offer food for livestock, humans and wildlife

Hedgerows provide undisturbed refuge for species of all kinds, creating wildlife corridors, travel lanes or habitat islands. Hedgerows help protect wildlife from predators and provide sheltered access to riparian zones or other water sources. These corridors are especially important in fragmented landscapes, such as fields where only a single crop is grown. Hedgerows provide shade to reduce heat stress and help to block wind currents. These measures support a healthier wildlife population. Berry-producing plants encourage insectivores, such as birds, that also prey upon common crop pests. The hedgerow habitat creates cover for wildlife so they can feed, nest and care for their young.

Provide habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators

Planting a variety of flowering trees, shrubs, forbs and perennial plants provides insect habitat, and nectar and pollen sources throughout the year for beneficial insects and pollinators. Plants in the family Umbelliferae attract parasitic wasps; predator flies such as hover flies, lacewings and ladybeetles; and true bugs, like ambush or minute pirate bugs. Flowering plants in this family include coriander, dill, fennel, parsnip, parsley and carrots. These plants are useful in the kitchen and are also very attractive to pollinators. Over 75% of successful production of food requires pollination. Increasing plant habitat for pollinator species improves fruit set, size and quality, as well as general biodiversity. Pollinator habitat also attracts beneficial insects, which prey on many crop pests. Increasing the numbers of beneficial insects can help farmers manage crop pests and cut down on insecticide use.

Facilitate water conservation

Hedgerows retain water and reduce evaporation by reducing wind speed and providing cover over the ground surface. Plants also catch and store water in their root systems, leaves and branches, slowing the rate of excess rainwater entering waterways and reducing the risk of flooding. Decaying matter from the roots, stems and branches of hedgerow plants increase the organic matter in the soil over time. This increases the soil’s ability to absorb and retain water. Planting hedgerows on hillsides helps conserve water and soil by reducing erosion. If planting near adjacent cropland, periodic root pruning can reduce competition for nutrients and water.

Provide windbreaks

Properly designed hedgerows can reduce wind speed by as much as 75% and improve crop performance. This is especially effective when plantings reach a density of 40%–50% and are planted perpendicular to the prevailing wind. Wind-resistant trees usually have flexible, wide-spreading, strong branches and low centers of gravity. Wind-tolerant shrubs often have small, thick or waxy leaves or very narrow leaves or needles, to help control moisture loss. Wind can disturb pollination and damage fruit and flowers when plant parts thrash against each other. During times when soil is exposed, a windbreak can protect topsoil from erosion. Crops under wind stress also put energy into growing stronger roots and stems, resulting in smaller yields and delayed maturity. Strong winds also cause lodging of grain and grass crops, bending the stems and making harvest more difficult. Winds dry out crops on the field edges, increasing pests such as two-spotted spider mites.

Help manage invasive weeds

Hedgerows planted along roads or between crop fields may prevent weed seeds from blowing into the field. The weed seed pods collect on hedgerow plants, where a farmer could remove and burn them. Hedges can prevent millions of weed seeds from entering the crop field. As hedgerows mature, these plantings displace invasive weeds. If well maintained, this weed management lasts the lifetime of the hedgerow.

Provide erosion control and improve soil health

Rain, irrigation, clean cultivation and vacant field borders can all increase erosion potential in an agricultural system.

Hedgerow plantings can significantly reduce the amount of soil erosion on a landscape. They can also provide a barrier to filter out pollutants, such as pesticides, and slow down sediments and organic material that can flow from farm fields into waterways. This is accomplished by increasing the surface water infiltration rate and improving soil structure around the root zone. This, in turn, decreases fertilizer runoff from farm fields. The biomass that plants shed acts as a soil conditioner and can enhance plant growth. In urban or suburban environments, hedges similarly reduce pollutants from neighboring sites.

Support aquatic habitat

Hedgerows can provide shade to riparian areas. Shade reduces water temperatures, prevents water evaporation and improves watershed quality. Though many factors influence watershed temperatures, studies have proven that lowland streams bordered by trees and tall shrubs exhibit cooler temperatures. The hedgerow’s latitude, stream aspect, leaf density and the height of its vegetation from the water surface all affect water temperature.

Enhance carbon sequestration

During photosynthesis, trees, shrubs and grasses absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, allowing the carbon to become part of the plant’s tissue. As plants die or shed tissue — either through natural processes or pruning — the carbon that was stored in the plant breaks down and enters the soil. Plants store relatively large amounts of carbon in their biomass, helping to offset some of the effects of climate change. A tree can absorb as much as
48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester, or store, 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.

Create borders and privacy screens along roads and between properties

Hedgerows are attractive borders and can block undesirable views. Evergreens offer year-round screening. When selecting plants, consider the height at maturity for optimum screening. Evergreens can be pruned to control height and density. Plant a diverse mix of species to help protect against damage from a single pest or disease.

Reduce noise, dust, chemical drift and other types of pollution

As hedgerows mature and become dense, they can create barriers to reduce noise, dust, chemical drift and other pollutants. Open canopy trees are effective barriers to dust and pesticides; air and particles slowly filter through them instead of depositing clouds of pollutants on the other side of the hedge.

Plant hedges as close as possible to any areas where pollutants are a concern. This can help alleviate neighborhood conflicts where agriculture intersects with urban areas.

Hedgerows can act to contain contaminants from urban or suburban environments and keep them from entering agricultural areas.

Diversify farm income

Trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in a hedgerow can also serve as sources of income. Potential products include nuts, fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, seeds, bark and medicinal herbs. You can grow plants to be propagated as seeds, rootstock, cuttings and transplants. Other potential crops are nursery stock and floral materials, including ferns, broadleaf evergreens, flowers and willows grown for craft material and furniture. You can grow fruits, berries and nuts for food. Hedgerows can shelter bees and encourage a higher pollination rate. Consider planting trees for secondary wood products such as lumber, veneer, firewood, chips for bedding and mulch. Game birds such as quail, pheasant and sage grouse are attracted to hedgerows. Managed hunting can provide a potential source of food and off-season revenue for landowners.

Generate year-round beauty

Hedgerows in the landscape add continuous beauty. You can design a hedge for year-round interest, considering the color and texture of leaves and bark, bloom color and timing, and the general growth habit or form of plants.

Hedgerow design
Graphic: Kerry Wixted with graphics from Tracey Saxby, IAN Image Library, courtesy of the Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Native red-flowering currant adds beauty to a hedgerow.
Photo: Janet Donnelly, © Oregon State University

Establishing and maintaining hedgerows

Whether in rural or urban settings, the principles of planning a hedgerow are the same: Evaluate the site, determine what you would like to accomplish with the plantings, match the right plant with the right place, and properly prepare the site.

Design

There are many essential components to consider when designing a multifunctional hedgerow. The first step is to observe the site where the hedge is to be planted and take into consideration the ecological and environmental conditions listed below. These elements influence the design, plant selection, location and the size of the area to be planted. Although a single line of trees will provide some benefits, four or more rows of plants are optimal for windbreaks, water and soil conservation, wildlife habitat and general biodiversity. When it works for the situation, place plants tallest at maturity in the center row, with shorter ones inter-planted between and along the edges. A diverse selection of plant sizes and characteristics is most beneficial. When possible, orient rows perpendicular to prevailing winds.

Hedgerows following land contours create meandering lines on the landscape, producing a natural appearance and larger buffer for wildlife habitat. If the goal is to attract pollinator species, reserve approximately one half-acre for every 40 acres planted in crops.

Plant selection

Plant a wide variety of multi-tiered plants for maximum habitat. Avoid varieties that are susceptible to common pests and diseases and choose plants that are non-invasive. Some perennial species such as blackberry can provide excellent wildlife habitat and food crops but are highly invasive and require frequent maintenance. See the plant lists on page 7 for plantings suited to the Pacific Northwest.

When selecting plants, consider the conditions plants need to survive in specific habitats:

  • Range: place of origin (indigenous, native/non-native).
  • Hardiness zones: frost dates.
  • Light requirements: sun or shade.
  • Size of plants at maturity, growth.
  • Soil type (pH, fertility, erosion concerns).
  • Drainage.
  • Water movement and moisture needs.
  • Planting time.
  • Bloom time: seasonal interest.
  • Day length.
  • Productivity.
  • Tolerance to heat, cold, salt, drought, pollution, wind and wild or domestic animals.
  • Evergreen or deciduous.
  • Plant structure: form or shape, texture, leaf and bark type.
  • Edible or poisonous: what parts.
  • Insect and disease resistance.
  • Plant size, costs and availability.
  • Maintenance needed.
  • Allellopathy: a chemical inhibitor of one plant to another which can impact germination or plant growth.

Ultimately, place plants together that have similar soil, water, sun and drainage needs.

General planting recommendations:

  • Plant trees and shrubs about 6 to 8 feet apart in rows 8 to 10 feet apart.
  • Plant one or two rows of tall trees flanked by a row or two of shrubs. A 20-foot wide hedgerow can have two rows of shrubs flanking a row of trees.
  • Hedgerows work best for wildlife when they are wider than 20 feet.
  • Depending on the site’s prevailing winds, a winter windbreak could have at least two rows of evergreen trees and a row of deciduous trees or shrubs. A summer windbreak could have at least one row of tall deciduous trees and a row of deciduous shrubs.
  • Make sure the planting holes are deep and wide enough to accept and cover the roots of each plant. Be sure to water in each new planting.
  • In a small area, place a 3-inch layer of straw mulch or cardboard around each tree and shrub after planting to discourage weeds and encourage plant survival.

Soil preparation

Soil preparation is one of the keys to plant survival. On a smaller site, an easy way to establish planting areas in existing grass or pasture is to apply a thin layer of compost or manure, followed by several layers of cardboard, and mulch such as straw or leaves. Worms are attracted to the manure and will work over the winter to decompose grasses and fertilize the soil. However, this method may not be practical on a large scale. In this instance, prepare the area for planting by tilling the ground in spring and planting an early cover crop such as crimson clover, followed by buckwheat. In late summer, till or disc in the cover crop and replant an overwintering cover crop such as crimson clover, field peas or vetch. Cover crops improve soil fertility, reduce weeds, stabilize the soil and attract beneficial insects. Till again the following spring and install the first set of plantings for the hedgerow.

Another option for sites with high weed pressure is solarization. Closely mow the ground and put down UV-stabilized anti-condensation greenhouse plastic in midsummer for several weeks to kill the weeds. After solarization, remove the plastic and follow with a fall planting.

Planting time

In more temperate environments, fall planting allows roots to become established before foliage emerges and gives plants the benefit of winter rains. In extreme cold climates, early spring may be the ideal time for planting. At the time of planting, apply amendments such as compost or manure as a top dressing.

Irrigation

To increase the success rate of your hedgerow planting, provide supplemental water for the first two or three years. Irrigate once a week during the heat of the summer during the first year. For the second year, water every two weeks. In the third year, irrigate once a month. Irrigation needs depend on the location and the plants selected. Be sure to water deeply to encourage deep root growth. Most hedgerow plantings may not survive if they do not get supplemental water in the first few years. Water can be supplied by swales, furrows, flood, drip irrigation or hand watering. If the hedgerow is next to cropland, overhead irrigation from the crop can be extended to water the hedge.

Keeping out weedy plants and destructive wildlife

One of the biggest challenges in establishing a hedgerow is keeping unwanted plants from taking over the new plantings. There are a variety of techniques to inhibit these weedy plants. The simplest method is to leave alleys between plant rows for mowing, cultivation or mulching until plants are well established. Ideally, an area 6 to 8 feet wide around the hedgerow should be mowed, flailed or tilled for weed management, fire protection and rodent control. It is also important to mulch heavily with a minimum of 3 inches of leaves, straw, sawdust or cardboard around each plant. As plants mature, they will eventually shade out most annual weeds. This is the ideal time to infill with low-growing, shade-tolerant plants.

If needed, protect plants from beaver and nutria with hardware cloth, and use partially buried plastic-coated cardboard or tubing around tree trunks to protect from voles and mice. If applying pesticides, follow the label in order to protect riparian zones along rivers, creeks and ponds from contamination.

Managing a hedgerow in the first few years is similar to managing a crop. Good weed management during establishment results in less labor to control weeds in seasons to come.

Cost of establishment

Planting hedgerows does not have to be expensive. Seedling plants are available at low cost, and you can propagate new plants from existing plantings. The larger the plant, the sooner it will reach maturity, which is especially important in creating a fast-growing privacy screen. This can be achieved by purchasing dormant bareroot plants and 1-gallon potted plants or larger. Remember, these larger plants will most likely require summer irrigation. Government programs are available to assist landowners with hedgerow development. Many counties have tax exemption programs for riparian lands, along with wildlife habitat conservation and management programs. See “Incentive programs to help with hedgerow establishment” and Estimated Costs To Establish Pollinator Hedgerows, in “Resources,” pages 9–10.

Conclusion

A hedgerow is a long-term commitment. With proper planning and care, it will take approximately four to eight years to establish a hedgerow and 30 or more years for it to reach maturity. To encourage success, draft a plan with planting installments for each year, depending on your goals and budget.

Hedgerows in rural agricultural or urban settings provide many benefits that increase over time, including the opportunity for supplemental income. With benefits for wildlife, humans and the planet, hedgerows are a practice that has stood the test of time.

Hedgerow plants

Hedgerows can contain native and non-native plants, although plants should not be invasive. The following trees, shrubs, groundcovers and perennial plants are appropriate for hedgerows in the Pacific Northwest. Remember to consider proper site selection and plant requirements. Plants that tolerate wet soil are indicated by an asterisk (*).

Sun-tolerant plants under 25 feet

  • Arbutus unedo Strawberry tree
  • Aronia Chokeberry Schubert
  • Baccharis pilularis consanguinea Coyote brush
  • Ceanothus velutinus Tobacco brush
  • Cornus stolonifera Red twig dogwood
  • Diospyros kaki Japanese persimmon
  • Diospyros virginiana American persimmon
  • Elaeagnus multiflora Goumi
  • Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn olive
  • Ficus carica Fig
  • Fuchsia magellanica Hardy fuschia
  • Lonicera caerulea Blue honeyberry
  • Lonicera involucrata Twinberry
  • Malus fusca West Coast crabapple
  • Malus sp. Apple
  • Morus Mulberry
  • Myrica pensylvanica Bayberry
  • Oemleria cerasiformis Osoberry
  • Philadelphus lewisii Mock orange
  • Prunus avium Cherry
  • Prunus domestica Plum
  • Pyrus pyrifolia Asian pear
  • Ribes sanguineum Red-flowering currant
  • Ribes divaricatum Black gooseberry*
  • Ribes nigrum Black currant*
  • Rosa nutkana Nootka rose
  • Salix fluviatilis Columbia River willow*
  • Salix hookeriana Hooker’s willow*
  • Sambucus cerulea Blue elderberry*
  • Spiraea douglasii Western spiraea*
  • Vaccinium corymbosum Blueberry*
  • Vaccinium ovatum Evergreen huckleberry
  • Viburnum opulus Highbush cranberry

Sun-tolerant plants 25+ feet tall

  • Abies grandis Grand fir
  • Acer macrophyllum Bigleaf maple
  • Alnus rubra Red alder*
  • Arbutus menziesii Madrone
  • Asimina Pawpaw
  • Calocedrus decurrens Incense-cedar
  • Castanea Chestnut
  • Chrysolepis chrysophylla Golden chinkapin
  • Diospyros virginiana Persimmon
  • Fraxinus latifolia Oregon ash*
  • Juglans regia English walnut
  • Picea species Spruce
  • Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa pine
  • Populus trichocarpa Black cottonwood
  • Prunus subcordata Klamath plum*
  • Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas-fir
  • Quercus garryana Oregon white oak
  • Robinia pseudoacacia Black locust
  • Thuja plicata Western redcedar

Groundcovers

  • Fragaria chiloensis Strawberry
  • Gaultheria shallon Salal
  • Mahonia nervosa Oregon grape
  • Polystichum munitum Sword fern
  • Vaccinium vitis idaea Lingonberry

Vines

  • Lonicera Honeysuckle
  • Akebia Five-fingered akebia*

Plants for pond edges

  • Typha latifolia Cattail*
  • Ledum glandulosum Labrador tea

Plants that tolerate shade

  • Chrysolepis chrysophylla Golden chinkapin
  • Cornus nuttallii Western flowering dogwood*
  • Corylus cornuta Hazel*
  • Physocarpus capitatus Ninebark
  • Polystichum munitum Sword fern
  • Sambucus racemosa Red elderberry*
  • Prunus virginiana Chokecherry

Plants for partial shade to shade

  • Acer circinatum Vine maple *
  • Amelanchier alnifolia Serviceberry
  • Berberis aquifolium Oregon grape
  • Gaultheria shallon Salal
  • Cornus stolonifera Red-osier dogwood
  • Holodiscus discolor Oceanspray
  • Lonicera involucrata Twinberry
  • Oemleria cerasiformis Indian plum
  • Philadelphus lewisii Mock orange
  • Rhamnus purshiana Cascara sagrada
  • Taxus brevifolia Western yew*
  • Vaccinium ovatum Evergreen huckleberry

Edge plantings

  • Achillea millefolium Yarrow
  • Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Kinnikinnick
  • Berberis nervosa Cascade Oregon grape
  • Calendula officinalis Calendula
  • Cichorium intybus Chicory
  • Foeniculum vulgare Fennel
  • Fragaria chiloensis Wild strawberry
  • Gaultheria shallon Salal
  • Lavandula angustifolia English lavender
  • Medicago sativa Alfalfa

Nuts

  • Carya illinoinensis Northern pecans
  • Carya ovata Shagbark hickory
  • Castanea Chestnuts
  • Ginkgo biloba Gingko
  • Juglans ailantifolia Heartnut
  • Juglans regia English Walnut
  • Xanthoceras sorbifolium Yellowhorn

Plants for arid environments

Plantings around vineyards

Some flowering plants attract specific kinds of beneficials, for example, carnivorous flies (Oregon sunshine), predatory bugs (stinging nettle) and Anagrus wasps (sagebrush). Research shows trends of reduced pest abundance and increased beneficial insect diversity and abundance in vineyards with a diversity of native flowering plants compared to vineyards lacking native plants.

  • Artemisia spp. Sagebrush
  • Chrysothamnus, Ericameria Rabbitbrush
  • Eriogonum compositum Northern buckwheat
  • Eriogonum niveum Snow buckwheat
  • Eriogonum elatum Tall buckwheat
  • Clematis ligusticifolia Western clematis
  • Eriophyllum lanatum Oregon sunshine
  • Crepis atribarba Slender hawksbeard
  • Asclepias speciosa Showy milkweed
  • Achillea millefolium Yarrow

Arid trees

  • Juniperus occidentalis Western juniper
  • Larix occidentalis Western larch
  • Picea pungens Blue spruce
  • Pinus flexilis Limber pine
  • Pinus edulis Pinyon pine
  • Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa pine
  • Pinus nigra Austrian pine
  • Populus trichocarpa Black cottonwood

Shrubs

  • Artemisia tridentata Big sagebrush
  • Atriplex canescens Four-wing saltbush
  • Cercocarpus montanus Mountain mahogany
  • Chamaebatiaria Desert sweet millefolium
  • Ericameria nauseosa Rubber rabbitbrush
  • Cornus stolonifera Red-osier dogwood
  • Mahonia repens Creeping Oregon grape
  • Potentilla fruticosa Shrubby cinquefoil
  • Prunus emarginata Bitter cherry
  • Prunus virginiana Chokecherry ‘Schubert’
  • Purshia tridentata Antelope bitterbush
  • Rosa woodsii Woods’ rose
  • Shepherdia argentea Silver buffaloberry
  • Shepherdia canadensis Russet buffaloberry

Herbaceous perennials

  • Antennaria species Cat’s ears
  • Anaphalis margaritacea Pearly everlasting
  • Aster alpinus Dwarf alpine aster
  • Aurinia saxatilis Basket of gold
  • Delosperma species Ice plant
  • Echinacea purpurea Purple coneflower
  • Ericameria nauseosa Rubber rabbitbrush
  • Erigeron annuus Fleabane daisy
  • Eriogonum umbellatum Sulfur buckwheat
  • Eriophyllum lanatum Oregon sunshine
  • Kniphofia uvaria Torch lily
  • Lavandula angustifolia English lavender
  • Linum lewisii Flax
  • Penstemon pinifolius Pineleaf penstemon
  • Rudbeckia species Black-eyed Susan
  • Salvia dorii Purple sage
  • Sedum spurium and album Stonecrops
  • Sphaeralcea munroana Globemallow
  • Rosa woodsii Woods’ rose
  • Yucca glauca Narrow leaf yucca

Groundcovers

  • Juniperus Savin juniper
  • Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Kinnikinnick
  • Sedum Stonecrop
  • Sempervivum Hens and chicks
  • Thymus pseudolanuginosus Wooly thyme
Jason Lueker, a horticulture student, helps maintain the hedgerow at the Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
Photo: Hannah O’Leary, © Oregon State University
Mulching in a hedgerow’s early years controls weeds, which helps the plants become established.
Photo: Hannah O’Leary, © Oregon State University
A hedgerow at a Willamette Valley farm combines tall trees with shrubs and flowering plants.
Photo: Janet Donnelly, © Oregon State University

Incentive programs to help with hedgerow establishment

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

In exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from production and establishing permanent resource-conserving plant species, farmers and ranchers are paid an annual rental rate along with other federal and state incentives. This program is administered through the USDA Farm Service Agency and local Soil and Water Conservation districts.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program

This program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation or improved or created wildlife habitat. The program is administered through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service via local field offices.

Resources

Agencies

Books and publications

  • Earnshaw, S. Community Alliance with Family Farmers. Hedgerows and Farmscaping for California Agriculture: A Resource Guide For Farmers.
  • Guard, J.B. Wetland Plants of Oregon and Washington. 2010. Lone Pine Publishing.
  • Imhoff, D. and R. Carra. Farming With The Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches. 2011. Sierra Club Books.
  • Kruckenberg, A. Gardening With Natives of the Pacific Northwest. 1982. University of Washington Press.
  • Lee-Mäder, E., J. Hopwood, M. Vaughan, S. Hoffman Black and L. Morandin. Farming with Native Beneficial Insects: Ecological Pest Control Solutions. 2014. Storey Publishing.
  • Link, R. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. 1999. University of Washington Press,
  • Mader, E., M. Shepherd, M. Vaughan, S. Black, G. LeBuhn, Attracting Native Pollinators. 2011. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
  • Martin, A., H.S. Zim, A.L. Nelson. American Wildlife and Plants: A Guide To Wildlife Food Habits. 1951. Dover Publications.
  • National Center for Appropriate Technology, Oregon Tilth and The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Conservation Buffers in Organic System: Western States Implementation Guide. March 2014.
  • Pojar, J. and A. MacKinnon. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. 2016. Lone Pine Publishing.
  • Rodriguez, O. and R. Dufour. A Pictorial Guide to Hedgerow Plants for Beneficial Insects, ATTRA — Sustainable Agriculture Program.
  • Rose, R., C.E.C. Chachulski, D.L. Haase. Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants. 1998. Oregon State University Press.
  • The Xerces Society. Estimated Costs To Establish Pollinator Hedgerows.

Pollinator guides and publications

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This is a fantastic resource and my hope is that it will be read far and wide. We find it very inspiring here in Southern Oregon.

The Human Brain – Part One

An animated tour around the human brain.

I’m not young anymore but still open to learning.

This week I want to communicate information about the human brain.

This video was produced by Bristol University, based in England. There website is: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/

Are we asking too much of our dogs?

We have never thought of this before but the question is a valid one.

The article, which was presented by The Conversation, raised the question. As you will see the article starts with the sentence “Americans love dogs.” To my mind, it is many more people than Americans who love dogs. Let’s read the article.

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Americans are asking too much of their dogs

Some people appreciate relationships with pets to combat loneliness – but others simply prefer dogs’ company. Catherine Falls Commercial/Moment via Getty Images

Margret Grebowicz, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Americans love dogs.

Nearly half of U.S. households have one, and practically all owners see pets as part of the family – 51% say pets belong “as much as a human member.” The pet industry keeps generating more and more jobs, from vets to trainers, to influencers. Schools cannot keep up with the demand for veterinarians.

It all seems part of what Mark Cushing, a lawyer and lobbyist for veterinary issues, calls “the pet revolution”: the more and more privileged place that pets occupy in American society. In his 2020 book “Pet Nation,” he argues that the internet has caused people to become more lonely, and this has made them focus more intensely on their pets – filling in for human relationships.

I would argue that something different is happening, however, particularly since the COVID-19 lockdown: Loving dogs has become an expression not of loneliness but of how unhappy many Americans are with society and other people.

In my own book, “Rescue Me,” I explore how today’s dog culture is more a symptom of our suffering as a society than a cure for it. Dogs aren’t just being used as a substitute for people. As a philosopher who studies the relationships between animals, humans and the environment, I believe Americans are turning to dogs to alleviate the erosion of social life itself. For some owners, dogs simply offer more satisfying relationships than other people do.

And I am no different. I live with three dogs, and my love for them has driven me to research the culture of dog ownership in an effort to understand myself and other humans better. By nature, dogs are masters of social life who can communicate beyond the boundaries of their species. But I believe many Americans are expecting their pets to address problems that they cannot fix.

Dogs over people

During the pandemic, people often struggled with the monotony of spending too much time cooped up with other humans – children, romantic partners, roommates. Meanwhile, relationships with their dogs seemed to flourish.

Rescuing shelter animals grew in popularity, and on social media people celebrated being at home with their pets. Dog content on Instagram and Pinterest now commonly includes hashtags like #DogsAreBetterThanPeople and #IPreferDogsToPeople.

“The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog” appears on merchandise all over e-commerce sites such as Etsy, Amazon and Redbubble.

One 2025 study found that dog owners tend to rate their pets more highly than their human loved ones in several areas, such as companionship and support. They also experienced fewer negative interactions with their dogs than with the closest people in their lives, including children, romantic partners and relatives.

The late primatologist Jane Goodall celebrated her 90th birthday with 90 dogs. She stated in an interview with Stephen Colbert that she preferred dogs to chimps, because chimps were too much like people. https://www.youtube.com/embed/3xGvLApNrFQ?wmode=transparent&start=0 Jane Goodall said she appreciates dogs for their “unconditional love.”

Fraying fabric

This passion for dogs seems to be growing as America’s social fabric unravels – which began long before the pandemic.

In 1972, 46% of Americans said “most people can be trusted.” By 2018, that percentage dropped to 34%. Americans report seeing their friends less than they used to, a phenomenon called the “friendship recession,” and avoid having conversations with strangers because they expect the conversation to go badly. People are spending more time at home.

Today, millennials make up the largest percentage of pet owners. Some cultural commentators argue dogs are especially important for this generation because other traditional markers of stability and adulthood – a mortgage, a child – feel out of reach or simply undesirable. According to the Harris Poll, a marketing research firm, 43% of Americans would prefer a pet to a child.

Amid those pressures, many people turn to the comfort of a pet – but the expectations for what dogs can bring to our lives are becoming increasingly unreasonable.

For some people, dogs are a way to feel loved, to relieve pressures to have kids, to fight the drudgery of their job, to reduce the stress of the rat race and to connect with the outdoors. Some expect pet ownership to improve their physical and mental health.

A woman with short brunette hair sits on the floor in front of a sliding door and balcony, as a black dog sits beside her and looks at her.
Even years after the pandemic lockdown, many people are spending more time at home – often with pets. curtoicurto/iStock via Getty Images Plus

And it works, to a degree. Studies have found dog people to be “warmer” and happier than cat people. Interacting with pets can improve your health and may even offer some protection against cognitive decline. Dog-training programs in prisons appear to reduce recidivism rates.

Unreasonable expectations

But expecting that dogs will fill the social and emotional gaps in our lives is actually an obstacle to dogs’ flourishing, and human flourishing as well.

In philosophical terms, we could call this an extractive relationship: Humans are using dogs for their emotional labor, extracting things from them that they cannot get elsewhere or simply no longer wish to. Just like natural resource extraction, extractive relationships eventually become unsustainable.

The late cultural theorist Lauren Berlant argued that the present stage of capitalism creates a dynamic called “slow death,” a cycle in which “life building and the attrition of life are indistinguishable.” Keeping up is so exhausting that, in order to maintain that life, we need to do things that result in our slow degradation: Work becomes drudgery under unsustainable workloads, and the experience of dating suffers under the unhealthy pressure to have a partner.

Similarly, today’s dog culture is leading to unhealthy and unsustainable dynamics. Veterinarians are concerned that the rise of the “fur baby” lifestyle, in which people treat pets like human children, can harm animals, as owners seek unnecessary veterinary care, tests and medications. Pets staying at home alone while owners work suffer from boredom, which can cause chronic psychological distress and health problems. And as the number of pets goes up, many people wind up giving up their animal, overcrowding shelters.

So what should be done? Some philosophers and activists advocate for pet abolition, arguing that treating any animals as property is ethically indefensible.

This is a hard case to make – especially with dog lovers. Dogs were the first animal that humans domesticated. They have evolved beside us for as long as 40,000 years, and are a central piece of the human story. Some scientists argue that dogs made us human, not the other way around.

Perhaps we can reconfigure aspects of home, family and society to be better for dogs and humans alike – more accessible health care and higher-quality food, for example. A world more focused on human thriving would be more focused on pets’ thriving, too. But that would make for a very different America than this one.

Margret Grebowicz, Distinguished Professor of the Humanities, Missouri University of Science and Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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I do not recognise the unhealthy culture as mentioned four paragraphs above. But Jeannie and me do understand and believe the alternative: “Some scientists argue that dogs made us human, not the other way around.”

I’ve said it many times before but perhaps some of our newer readers haven’t heard the fact that when I met Jean in 2007 she was looking after twenty-three dogs, and numerous cats, and it was pure magic. In 2008 I went to Mexico, where Jean lived, with Pharaoh. Then in 2010 we came north to Arizona to be married. We had sixteen dogs and seven cats with us.

A further insight into the human brain

A recent article in The Conversation prompted this post.

The human brain is quite amazing. Actually I would extend that statement to include the brains of all ‘smart’ animals.

As more and more research is undertaken, the discoveries learned about the human brain are incredible. Take this story:

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Your brain can be trained, much like your muscles – a neurologist explains how to boost your brain health

Research shows that the brain can be exercised, much like our muscles. RapidEye/E+ via Getty Images

Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, University of Pittsburgh

If you have ever lifted a weight, you know the routine: challenge the muscle, give it rest, feed it and repeat. Over time, it grows stronger.

Of course, muscles only grow when the challenge increases over time. Continually lifting the same weight the same way stops working.

It might come as a surprise to learn that the brain responds to training in much the same way as our muscles, even though most of us never think about it that way. Clear thinking, focus, creativity and good judgment are built through challenge, when the brain is asked to stretch beyond routine rather than run on autopilot. That slight mental discomfort is often the sign that the brain is actually being trained, a lot like that good workout burn in your muscles.

Think about walking the same loop through a local park every day. At first, your senses are alert. You notice the hills, the trees, the changing light. But after a few loops, your brain checks out. You start planning dinner, replaying emails or running through your to-do list. The walk still feels good, but your brain is no longer being challenged.

Routine feels comfortable, but comfort and familiarity alone do not build new brain connections.

As a neurologist who studies brain activity, I use electroencephalograms, or EEGs, to record the brain’s electrical patterns.

Research in humans shows that these rhythms are remarkably dynamic. When someone learns a new skill, EEG rhythms often become more organized and coordinated. This reflects the brain’s attempt to strengthen pathways needed for that skill.

Your brain trains in zones too

For decades, scientists believed that the brain’s ability to grow and reorganize, called neuroplasticity, was largely limited to childhood. Once the brain matured, its wiring was thought to be largely fixed.

But that idea has been overturned. Decades of research show that adult brains can form new connections and reorganize existing networks, under the right conditions, throughout life.

Some of the most influential work in this field comes from enriched environment studies in animals. Rats housed in stimulating environments filled with toys, running wheels and social interaction developed larger, more complex brains than rats kept in standard cages. Their brains adapted because they were regularly exposed to novelty and challenge.

Human studies find similar results. Adults who take on genuinely new challenges, such as learning a language, dancing or practicing a musical instrument, show measurable increases in brain volume and connectivity on MRI scans.

The takeaway is simple: Repetition keeps the brain running, but novelty pushes the brain to adapt, forcing it to pay attention, learn and problem-solve in new ways. Neuroplasticity thrives when the brain is nudged just beyond its comfort zone.

Older women knitting together and socializing in a community space.
Tasks that stretch your brain just beyond its comfort zone, such as knitting and crocheting, can improve cognitive abilities over your lifespan – and doing them in a group setting brings an additional bonus for overall health. Dougal Waters/DigitalVision via Getty Images

The reality of neural fatigue

Just like muscles, the brain has limits. It does not get stronger from endless strain. Real growth comes from the right balance of challenge and recovery.

When the brain is pushed for too long without a break – whether that means long work hours, staying locked onto the same task or making nonstop decisions under pressure – performance starts to slip. Focus fades. Mistakes increase. To keep you going, the brain shifts how different regions work together, asking some areas to carry more of the load. But that extra effort can still make the whole network run less smoothly.

Neural fatigue is more than feeling tired. Brain imaging studies show that during prolonged mental work, the networks responsible for attention and decision-making begin to slow down, while regions that promote rest and reward-seeking take over. This shift helps explain why mental exhaustion often comes with stronger cravings for quick rewards, like sugary snacks, comfort foods or mindless scrolling. The result is familiar: slower thinking, more mistakes, irritability and mental fog.

This is where the muscle analogy becomes especially useful. You wouldn’t do squats for six hours straight, because your leg muscles would eventually give out. As they work, they build up byproducts that make each contraction a little less effective until you finally have to stop. Your brain behaves in a similar way.

Likewise, in the brain, when the same cognitive circuits are overused, chemical signals build up, communication slows and learning stalls.

But rest allows those strained circuits to reset and function more smoothly over time. And taking breaks from a taxing activity does not interrupt learning. In fact, breaks are critical for efficient learning.

Middle-aged woman sitting near her computer, rubbing her neck.
Overdoing any task, whether it be weight training or sitting at the computer for too long, can overtax the muscles as well as the brain. Halfpoint Images/Moment via Getty Images

The crucial importance of rest

Among all forms of rest, sleep is the most powerful.

Sleep is the brain’s night shift. While you rest, the brain takes out the trash through a special cleanup system called the glymphatic system that clears away waste and harmful proteins. Sleep also restores glycogen, a critical fuel source for brain cells.

And importantly, sleep is when essential repair work happens. Growth hormone surges during deep sleep, supporting tissue repair. Immune cells regroup and strengthen their activity.

During REM sleep, the stage of sleep linked to dreaming, the brain replays patterns from the day to consolidate memories. This process is critical not only for cognitive skills like learning an instrument but also for physical skills like mastering a move in sports.

On the other hand, chronic sleep deprivation impairs attention, disrupts decision-making and alters the hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. This is why fatigue drives sugar cravings and late-night snacking.

Sleep is not an optional wellness practice. It is a biological requirement for brain performance.

Exercise feeds the brain too

Exercise strengthens the brain as well as the body.

Physical activity increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, a protein that acts like fertilizer for neurons. It promotes the growth of new connections, increases blood flow, reduces inflammation and helps the brain remain adaptable across one’s lifespan.

This is why exercise is one of the strongest lifestyle tools for protecting cognitive health.

Train, recover, repeat

The most important lesson from this science is simple. Your brain is not passively wearing down with age. It is constantly remodeling itself in response to how you use it. Every new challenge and skill you try, every real break, every good night of sleep sends a signal that growth is still expected.

You do not need expensive brain training programs or radical lifestyle changes. Small, consistent habits matter more. Try something unfamiliar. Vary your routines. Take breaks before exhaustion sets in. Move your body. Treat sleep as nonnegotiable.

So the next time you lace up your shoes for a familiar walk, consider taking a different path. The scenery may change only slightly, but your brain will notice. That small detour is often all it takes to turn routine into training.

The brain stays adaptable throughout life. Cognitive resilience is not fixed at birth or locked in early adulthood. It is something you can shape.

If you want a sharper, more creative, more resilient brain, you do not need to wait for a breakthrough drug or a perfect moment. You can start now, with choices that tell your brain that growth is still the plan.

Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

ooOOoo

That last section of the article is most powerful. I’m speaking of the section that is headed Train, recover, repeat.

The human brain notices when even small changes to our normal routine occur. Also that exercise strengthens the brain plus our brains stay adaptable throughout our lives. Amazing!