GROUNDS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

1. In any new plantings, especially on Cluster property, the emphasis should be on native plants and a naturalized landscape. Plants that are native to our area are best adapted to our soil, climate and habitat, will require less care and are more likely to thrive. Additional information about naturalizing and using native plants is available from Reston Association in a booklet called Naturescaping. This booklet includes lists of native plants. The Grounds Committee also has several lists in our resource file. The Virginia Native Plant Society has a website that is extensive and informative.

2. We should assiduously avoid planting alien, invasive species (also referred to as exotics), and wherever possible remove these plants before they become established. Some of the most common examples are bamboo, English ivy, purple loosestrife, honeysuckle, kudzu and multiflora rose. Most of us have unwittingly planted such species at one time or another in our gardening experience and have learned the hard way how difficult, if not impossible, it can be to rid our gardens of such plants. An excellent example of this problem is the English Ivy that has overtaken the woods on Teddy Roosevelt Island. It is suspected that trees covered with ivy are more susceptible to Gypsy Moth infestation; the ivy provides a convenient hiding place for the egg sacs. A list of alien Invasive Species is attached. Additional information is available from the resources listed above.

3. While the Grounds Committee is made up of volunteers, and we very much appreciate the help of other volunteers in our community, we respectfully request that our neighbors not install donated plants or otherwise alter our landscape without consulting with the Grounds Committee and/or the Cluster Board of Directors. If you have plants you wish to donate, please contact a Board member or the Chairman of the Grounds Committee. Our goals are to maintain a consistent, uniform and pleasing appearance to the landscape of our Cluster. You may be installing your generously donated plants in an area for which we already have plans in process.

4. Residents and homeowners are asked to keep all cats indoors, keep dogs on leash when outside, and to clean up after your dog(s). An excellent brochure on the importance of keeping cats indoors is available in our resource file. County ordinances require that dogs be leashed (except in areas designated as dog parks) and that owners pick up after them. A brochure on this issue is also available. Dogs and cats are domesticated species and require their owners' caring supervision while outdoors to prevent a negative impact on the natural environment. Their excrement can cause several serious diseases. Dogs frequenting the same area make it impossible to grow healthy plants and are a danger to our children.

5. For the sake of humans and wildlife, no wildlife should be fed. Wildlife includes raccoons, squirrels, Canada geese, deer, foxes, raptors, crows, etc. This includes leaving food for dogs and cats outdoors. When these animals become accustomed to handouts, their natural behavior is altered. They can become aggressive and destructive to property and plantings. One of our neighbors recently lost a roof due to damage caused by well-fed raccoons. The only exception is the feeding of songbirds. Studies show that birdseed, suet, and nectar provide a relatively small percentage of the diets of passerines and do not alter migratory, breeding or other behavior.

--Moorings Cluster Association Grounds Committee

March, 2002