Planting Hope
July 13, 2015 12:46 AM Subscribe
Small as it was, perhaps our offer of sunflower seeds might bring a little solace. Amid the wreckage of MH17 and a war, Paul McGeough and Kate Geraghty decided to collect a keepsake for family and friends of the victims.
Wait, you have feral camels and water buffalo? That's astonishing! Does the public object to killing them all?
Invasive species are bad, though I love my tomatoes...
posted by alasdair at 3:12 AM on July 13, 2015
Invasive species are bad, though I love my tomatoes...
posted by alasdair at 3:12 AM on July 13, 2015
Oh man, Joe, we got those in Florida and that's a LOT of pie I'm seeing right there. And wine, and jelly, and red stained fingers. Tell me they solved the invasion with pie...
posted by mcrandello at 3:25 AM on July 13, 2015
The moth Cactoblastis cactorum from South America, whose larvae eat prickly pear, was introduced in 1925 and almost wiped out the population. This case is often cited[1] as an example of successful biological pest control.I'm a little disappointed in the ending to that story :( I'm glad that the sunflower seeds made it in, and that Nicola was as good as someone in her position could be about making that happen.
posted by mcrandello at 3:25 AM on July 13, 2015
This was such a beautiful story from the absolute heartbreak of the plane being shot down. And yay for such kindness and dedication from all parties involved.
posted by biggreenplant at 4:27 AM on July 13, 2015
posted by biggreenplant at 4:27 AM on July 13, 2015
Sunflowers are lovely.
But I'd be disappointed in myself if I managed to kill of my memorial sunflower, which is quite likely given my lack of green thumbs.
Offering a seed cast in resin as an alternative was a nice move, I think.
posted by Harald74 at 4:41 AM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
But I'd be disappointed in myself if I managed to kill of my memorial sunflower, which is quite likely given my lack of green thumbs.
Offering a seed cast in resin as an alternative was a nice move, I think.
posted by Harald74 at 4:41 AM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Hinder, 43, is assistant secretary for pathway compliance at the Department of Agriculture, which puts her in charge of what we used to call quarantine – these days it’s called biosecurity. That obscure title of hers is about ensuring adherence to Australia’s strict regulations on the import of all plants and animals, under which sunflower seeds are deemed a high risk. Hinder was already alive to the Ukraine story by dint of her membership of an interdepartmental committee managing the MH17 crisis in Canberra.
As one of her colleagues put it, she could have thrown the book at us. Instead, as others articulated regulatory protocols on the importation of dodgy seeds, Hinder went in to bat for us.
“Initially, there was quite a debate – but it was Nicola who prosecuted the argument that we should do the right and decent thing,” the colleague said.
Without that backing and the science that Hinder and her colleagues brought to the venture, even if we did get the seeds into the country, they likely would have been a disappointment to any gardener.
....
It was time to let go of my doubts about Hinder’s good intentions, and in a January 29 email, I told her: ‘‘I need to thank you and your colleagues for such a decent, human and sporting response.’’
We all had to bide our time for about 20 weeks as the plants matured, during which Hinder sent a running series of photographic reports – the first of which showed two tiny green leaves bravely pushing through a cover of mulch, with a 10¢ coin beside them for us to gauge how big – or perhaps how small – they were.
Meanwhile, Whattam and his colleagues did regular examinations to ensure our seeds would not introduce any exotic diseases to Australia."
I would not characterize Hinder's response as "going to bat", rather I'd say the assistant secretary for pathway compliance was "doing her job" by conducing a proper and thorough investigation and - finding no legitimate cause to stand in the way of this private initiative - did not get in the way and helped to facilitate it.
It shows that the quip "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you" need not always be a punchline.
One should not have to rely on the kindness or motivated interest of a government employee when it comes to regulatory approval and it seems almost slander to suggest that her personal connection to MH17 had any influence whatsoever her professional duties in this matter.
posted by three blind mice at 5:25 AM on July 13, 2015
As one of her colleagues put it, she could have thrown the book at us. Instead, as others articulated regulatory protocols on the importation of dodgy seeds, Hinder went in to bat for us.
“Initially, there was quite a debate – but it was Nicola who prosecuted the argument that we should do the right and decent thing,” the colleague said.
Without that backing and the science that Hinder and her colleagues brought to the venture, even if we did get the seeds into the country, they likely would have been a disappointment to any gardener.
....
It was time to let go of my doubts about Hinder’s good intentions, and in a January 29 email, I told her: ‘‘I need to thank you and your colleagues for such a decent, human and sporting response.’’
We all had to bide our time for about 20 weeks as the plants matured, during which Hinder sent a running series of photographic reports – the first of which showed two tiny green leaves bravely pushing through a cover of mulch, with a 10¢ coin beside them for us to gauge how big – or perhaps how small – they were.
Meanwhile, Whattam and his colleagues did regular examinations to ensure our seeds would not introduce any exotic diseases to Australia."
I would not characterize Hinder's response as "going to bat", rather I'd say the assistant secretary for pathway compliance was "doing her job" by conducing a proper and thorough investigation and - finding no legitimate cause to stand in the way of this private initiative - did not get in the way and helped to facilitate it.
It shows that the quip "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you" need not always be a punchline.
One should not have to rely on the kindness or motivated interest of a government employee when it comes to regulatory approval and it seems almost slander to suggest that her personal connection to MH17 had any influence whatsoever her professional duties in this matter.
posted by three blind mice at 5:25 AM on July 13, 2015
Wait, you have feral camels and water buffalo? That's astonishing! Does the public object to killing them all?
The government does do that every now and then, but I don't think there's much private hunting. You would be amazed how hard it is to get around in the Top End: horrible sticky weather in summer (although in winter it's fantastic); no roads; the few waterways that exist are full of crocodiles; and the geography is malevolently corrugated where it isn't swampy. I suppose you could shoot them from a plane, but good luck getting your trophies home.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:35 AM on July 13, 2015
The government does do that every now and then, but I don't think there's much private hunting. You would be amazed how hard it is to get around in the Top End: horrible sticky weather in summer (although in winter it's fantastic); no roads; the few waterways that exist are full of crocodiles; and the geography is malevolently corrugated where it isn't swampy. I suppose you could shoot them from a plane, but good luck getting your trophies home.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:35 AM on July 13, 2015
But I'd be disappointed in myself if I managed to kill of my memorial sunflower, which is quite likely given my lack of green thumbs.
I have a philodendron grown from a cutting from my uncle's plant and it's pretty much all I have from him - every time I move it gets carefully carried to the next apartment while the rest of the plants go in a flat together. It's name is Boromir because he liked Lord of the Rings and it has a little plastic Boromir in it. Even though I know it's practically impossible to kill a philodendron, I am very afraid of over- or under-watering it. It always lives high up so the cat won't munch on it.
So yeah, I'd probably be scared of the memorial sunflower too, heh. But it looks like they also got a resin block with seeds - even if they can't grow the plants themselves, at least they have that.
posted by maryr at 7:43 AM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have a philodendron grown from a cutting from my uncle's plant and it's pretty much all I have from him - every time I move it gets carefully carried to the next apartment while the rest of the plants go in a flat together. It's name is Boromir because he liked Lord of the Rings and it has a little plastic Boromir in it. Even though I know it's practically impossible to kill a philodendron, I am very afraid of over- or under-watering it. It always lives high up so the cat won't munch on it.
So yeah, I'd probably be scared of the memorial sunflower too, heh. But it looks like they also got a resin block with seeds - even if they can't grow the plants themselves, at least they have that.
posted by maryr at 7:43 AM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I suppose you could shoot them from a plane, but good luck getting your trophies home.
I'm reminded of the Great Emu War and the kangaroo simulation.
posted by maryr at 7:47 AM on July 13, 2015
I'm reminded of the Great Emu War and the kangaroo simulation.
posted by maryr at 7:47 AM on July 13, 2015
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I'm glad the public servants they dealt with were so nice about things, but going on past experience these things will grow legs and turn us into their slaves or something.
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:02 AM on July 13, 2015 [6 favorites]