Tag Archives: City of Des Moines

Plant strawberries!

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In 2018, City of Des Moines staff did something bold and unique. They planted strawberries all around City Hall. Then they planted them at another city building on the east side of Des Moines, and at Gray’s Lake on the City’s south side.

Thousands of plants. Probably millions of strawberries. Hugely popular. Each year has seen more and more Des Moines residents picking, eating, and preserving.

Oh, and strawberries are an excellent ground cover — a delicious alternative to grass. They also provide pollen and nectar for bees. And the color-combo of red berries and green leaves makes it feel like Christmas in June. 

Sadly, some City officials in Des Moines are citing budget constraints as a reason not to establish new plantings, and to ignore maintenance needs at existing plantings. Continue Reading →

Former Des Moines mayor, Frank Cownie, discusses UN climate summits

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ACTION ON CLIMATE … OR NOT
COP veteran and former Des Moines mayor Frank Cownie joins me for a hard look at UN climate summits, past and present. Overall, this year’s COP was disappointing. That’s probably no surprise, given that there were more than 1,600 fossil-fuel reps in attendance, and petro-states continue to wield inordinate influence.

With more and more local governments refusing to wait on national and international action, Frank’s idea of decentralizing the COP process is promising. Some cities and counties are already launching initiatives.

Two recent actions in Des Moines exemplify this strategy. Last month, working with Kathy, me, and local non-profits, the City coordinated planting 36 fruit trees in a public orchard at Drake Park. This isn’t a one-and-out. City staff are researching other good locations for urban orchards.

Also, this month the City Council voted to establish the Food Sustainability Advisory Committee. This permanent body is an encouraging outgrowth of the Food Security Task Force that Kathy and I led the way to bring to fruition several years ago. Continue Reading →

Cars Matter More Than Kids

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Dear Friends, My birthday is next week, and in the great tradition of Hobbits – who instead of receiving gifts on their birthdays give them – I’m offering four of you Continue Reading →