Back in the early 80’s my brother had the 45 (small vinyl record) of this odd song from Roy Clark. One day he played the song for me. At the time I thought it was a little funny song and nothing more. I forgot about the song and thought I’d never hear it again. In the past week I found the lyrics as well as the audio on YouTube. I’m the furthest thing from a fan of country music, but I think this song is sweet and packs a powerful message at the same time. I like that.
Lyrics to “Ode to a Critter”:
Today I met a fish who was standing on my front porch
Clapping his clipper on my door
And he said do you mind if I live a while at your house
'Cause I can't live in the waters anymore.
Now I also met a bird who came choking through my window
And he darn near passed out on the floor
And he said do you mind if I'd stay a while at your house
'Cause I can't stay in the air anymore.
I dedicate this song to the folks who brought us dark brown dirty waters
And to the ones who keep on throwing all that filthy black smoke in the air And I also dedicate it to the bird and fish who now live here at my house
'Cause they can't live out there anymore.
Now I also met a cow who was standing in my kitchen
Opening my refrigerator door
And she said do you mind if I fix myself a sandwich
'Cause I can't live on the grass anymore.
So I dedicate this song to the folks who brought us dark brown dirty waters And to the ones who keep on throwing all that filthy black smoke in the air And I also dedicate it to me and all the critters here at my house
'Cause we can't live out there anymore.
No, we can't live out there anymore...
United By Blue® (UBB™) is an ocean-friendly apparel brand that, for every one product sold, removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways around the world through company organized cleanups. The company designs, manufacturers, and distributes sustainable apparel and accessories under the United By Blue® brand. UBB products can be found in stores throughout the United States and the Bahamas, including Urban Outfitters, Dillards, and Whole Foods. United By Blue accomplishes tangible environmental good while creating a brand that resonates with the growing number of people who are concerned about the environment.
UBB is able to accomplish its mission through company-organized beach cleanups, many of which are co-hosted with retail partners that carry the company product. In 2010, UBB hosted 25 cleanups across 12 US states and removed 12,000 pounds of trash from beaches and waterways. In 2011, UBB is on pace to remove 100,000 pounds of trash.
You can help United By Blue with upcoming cleanups they have scheduled:
- April 5th, 2011: United By Blue will be leading a field trip with the High School for Environmental Studies in NYC. Part of the day will be spent learning about oysters and water pollution, and the other will be dedicated to cleaning up a waterway.
- April 9th, 2011: Cleanup with different Universities in Philadelphia at Bartram Gardens along the Schuylkill River.
- June 11th, 2011: Baltimore City Cleanup. United By Blue will be hosting a cleanup in Baltimore, Maryland.
For more information about
UBB cleanups, contact UBB’s Director of Cleanups, Mike Cangi, at Mike@unitedbyblue.com.
More information about the company can be found on unitedbyblue.com Contact Alexa Ahrem (PR) with any questions. You can contact her at alexa@unitedbyblue.com or 800-779-0240.
Growing up in the north east I remember in the spring and summer one of the neighbors making his way home from the beach with a couple of wet trash bags filled with seaweed. He used to put it around his tomato plants and they always grew robust producing lots of fruit.
At the time we also had a garden but purchased fertilizer and despite some annual setbacks like pests and occasional fungus, we reaped a good harvest. Still, looking back I often wonder what our return would have looked like had we ventured down the beach for some of that long brown rubbery stuff.
What is kelp?
Seaweed comes in many shapes and sizes but the type organic farmers like best for soil enrichment is what’s generally known as kelp.
It’s a “weed” classified as algae that grows at a rate of up to two feet a day on the ocean floor.
Found in abundance along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts it is available year round and comes in slightly different forms in other places around the world.
What kelp does for your soil:
Kelp makes contributions to the garden that few other natural fertilizers can brag about. First off it doesn’t smell as bad as manure! Others include the following:
- Being rich in bio-activators (the ingredients for healthy decomposition) kelp is great for compost piles as it assists in speeding up the decay of other organic matter.
- Kelp contains large traces of potassium and natural hormones making it a hearty fertilizer that strengthens roots and a plant’s overall system.
- It lowers vulnerabilities against diseases
- Its smell repels many unwanted pests and insects though it unfortunately also makes earthworms temporarily run for the hills, which is noteworthy because worms are important contributors to soil composition. However, they don’t disperse for long and in the end the benefits of applying fresh seaweed out way this temporary situation.
- As mulch kelp stops weeds dead in their tracks and keeps soil moist.
- Because kelp comes from the ocean it doesn’t introduce unwanted seeds to the new environment like other mulches may.
Application:
Applying seaweed to the garden is easy and can be a fun outing for the entire family. It starts by deciding on a beach to collect the kelp and for gathering purposes plan to bring along baskets with many openings or mesh bags to drain excess water.
Furthermore, ideally you’ll want enough kelp to cover the surface around your plants a couple of inches deep.
Avoid collecting kelp that is already drying and probably infested with certain types of flies or other bugs. You want healthy seaweed and scraps that tend to be smaller make it easier to distribute around plants.
It should be noted some gardeners worry that since kelp comes from the ocean its salt content may be unhealthy for soil and should be thoroughly rinsed. However, many lifetime green thumbs apply it directly to the garden without any problems. At the very least it could be lightly rinsed off before blanketed around crops.
Considerations:
Finally, if you decide on using seaweed make sure the beach you go to isn’t restricted because harvesting would then be illegal. This shouldn’t be a problem in most cities and towns but if you are unfamiliar with the region call the local authorities to be sure.
Also, for those of you reading this that don’t live near the ocean but really want to use seaweed know there are many seaweed fertilizers sold in gardening and home improvement stores across the country.
Just be sure to check with the dealer that the product is 100% organic and no other chemicals were introduced in its production. This is often the case and defeats the whole purpose of using seaweed in the first place, even if its store bought.
Jakob Barry writes for Networx.com a growing community of homeowners and contractors getting the most from their resources by sharing and monitoring home improvement projects together. He covers various home improvement topics including green gardening tips and landscaping maintenance.
