A Perfect Coeur d Alene Afternoon 8.1.11

On a perfect afternoon in Coeur d’ Alene Idaho, I sat in the shade of a fruit-less cherry tree at Stokes field and watched women’s and men’s slow pitch baseball. The wind rustled though the trees. Team members called encouragement to one another and on Ramsey road hundreds of people drove up and down. Occasionally a person would turn into the refuge center, their truck, Suv, or trailer full of clipping or refuse to be disposed of.

I just sat enjoying the shade, the sun, and the chatter.

Then along came Nick. My simple question of what kind of tree was I sitting under led to the most interesting discussion of the science that the Coeur d Alene Parks Department has used to give me the wonderful experience of sitting in the shade of a fruitless cherry tree enjoying the sounds of "Hey Batter Batter."

Did you know that Stokes field is built on land that sits atop an old, filled in refuse station? That the reason the trees have shallow roots is because there is only three feet of soil over the liner that separates the land field from the park? Did you know that the methane gas from the landfills powers the trucks that take our waste to their various destinations. No, there isn’t any methane gas being emitted from Stokes field but there are meters on all the landfills and they are watched carefully. And did you know that the tree branches and wood from Couer d' Alene are taken to Lewiston to their pulp mills? We have an incredible waste system that supports the fact that many people choose to live in North Idaho because of the natural surrounding that they can enjoy.

You can check out The Panhandle Parks Foundation at: http://www.cdaparksfoundation.org.Their purpose is to pursue the development and preservation of land both now and for future parks and for open space use. They strive to expand recreational opportunities, while preserving natural resources and creating future parks.

Thanks Nick for the science lesson. Thanks Parks and Recreation Department for your work and thanks Saturday for the perfect afternoon to sit in the shade of a tree and watch baseball being played!