A couple of years ago (16 December 2005) I ran the above photo along with a Mary Oliver poem “Pink Pond”. What I didn’t mention then, but will do so now, is that the pink leafy Duck Weed, although beautiful in its colouring of greens and reds, is considered a pest in most ponds because of its ability to spread over the entire surface of the water and choke out any sunlight getting past this barrier to plants below.
The usual method of dealing with this is to periodically rake the pond and keep the percentage of surface area covered by the plant below about 5% because, as it grows exponentially, once it reaches 30% or more of the pond’s surface, it is only a matter of days before the whole pond is covered.
For years I have been diligent in keeping the ponds relative clear of duck weed. This year, however, in a personal attempt to do something positive in dealing with climate warming I have allowed the duck weed to run rampant on the pond. Purpose: to allow the plants to achieve as much carbon capture as possible. Once the pond is covered I rake off a portion to use as mulch and compost in my vegetable garden (a form of carbon sequestration).
Nothing fancy, mind you, but it seems to me that this approach is achieving more practical results than all the fancy talk in Bali where, once again, America, Canada, Japan and Australia balk at becoming serious in dealing with climate change. These countries are all obstructionist talk and no action. They keep worrying about “the economy” without seriously understanding the dire economic future of this world if minimal targets are not set now.
Harvesting the duck weed is symbolic of taking a negative situation and turning it into something positive and useful. The garden will certainly benefit and surprisingly, the hundreds of tadpoles feeding leisurely off the roots of the “protective” duck weed not having to worry about Mr. Snake and Miss Heron are enjoying a field day (or should I say “pond day”?)
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