Dunbar Uplands II

I've been sick the past few days, but had to get out of the house. So, I hacked and coughed my way around some more of the uplands just north of Canyon Lake 6.

This area is pretty typical of the other rocky feral areas of Yellowhouse canyon. The city's mowers can't mow them down, so lots of endemic prairie species for both the Llano Estacado and the Rolling Plains are able to exist. Sideoats grama, blue grama, hairy grama, and (I think) black grama all have a presence. I haven't seen any little bluestem yet, but it wouldn't surprise me. I was surprised by some sand sagebrush today. Just a tiny pocket of sandier soil up top in a spot.

Of course, there is bad with the good. The dominate tree is Siberian elm, and both kochia and russian thistle have a strong foothold.

I've secretly hoped to see a tiny horned lizard this week. There are enough harvester ants, and there are enough observations in other places across town that I suspect they are there, I've just not been lucky yet

I would like to see the City of Lubbock commit to restoring some native prairie. What little feral park land Lubbock has is steadily decreasing while things like disc golf courses increase. Amid all of the various sports complexes and courses, Lubbock does not maintain any native prairie that is open to the public.

Lubbock Lank Landmark is a jewel, but it isn't city owned or maintained. Lubbock should seek to emulate the success of the restoration at LLL somewhere else in the city. One suggestion might be the city owned land between Hell's gate and the loop. Take everything between those two points and north of the creek and it would be ~100 acres that is crying out for restoration.

Currently that land is open for public use and features bike trails. Restoring the landscape to native prairie would allow the bike trails to remain while adding better scenery, possible interpretive uses, and improve the ecosystem services that bit of land could provide. Once the restoration was complete, maintenance costs would be low.

There might be other areas in the city that would be suitable, this is just one example.

I would also suggest the creation of a Natural Resources Manager/urban biologist position in the City of Lubbock who would be tasked with being the land steward for this new native prairie park as well as seeking innovative ways to increase biodiversity in all of the existing parks and promote nature.

Just daydreaming while being sick.

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