Look, a Lizard

Usually you're here to enjoy lighthearted texts and nice pictures. Today Is going to be a little different. I need your help / advice on how to write.

Huh? 

Bear with me.

About a year ago I started to write articles for our town's quarterly magazine. First it was on a freelance basis, and as of January 1st I am an official member of the editorial team. We don't have many rules, just that we're neutral. As Swiss people that's nothing new to me. 

We meet once a month to discuss topics, articles, pictures, etc. Every once in a while, however, the chief will text something like "event so and so is taking place, can anybody cover it, please?"

This was the case yesterday. 

The Nature and Landscape Conservation Commission invited guests to the inauguration of a newly designed strip of land that is located in a neighborhood near me. 

This district has a history:

It was one of the very last agricultural areas that had to be rezoned by resolution of the municipal assembly so that residential buildings could be built on it.

I remember this meeting well. Mainly because I make use of my direct democratically rights way too rarely. Back then I attended in order to support two other topics: Subsidies to support the first daycare center and the naturalization of our next door neighbors. 

As it turned out for most citizens the rezoning was the most important voting point. Some were against it on principle. If I attended these events more often, I would probably know that it's always the same people who are against everything ;-)

Others asked legitimate questions about the implementation, such as whether there were plans to expand the premises for kindergartens and elementary school at the same time. 

I can remember the local council's answer as if it were yesterday. They said it wasn't necessary because the pricing for the new apartments was set so high that only double earners without children, i.e. good taxpayers, could move here. It wasn't promised in so many words, but it was clear from the word of mouth that these newcomers would help us to lower the tax rate, and who doesn't want that?

The majority of the municipal assembly - me included, hey, I know how hard it is to find a nice apartment - ultimately approved the planned project, and construction work could soon begin. 

In the beginning voices have been raised that a considerable percentage of the newly built apartments are empty. It must have been partly true, because up to this day, a few companies are renting space that was supposed to be for the DINKs we talked about ;-)

Anyone walking to school from this new district, has to walk along my street. It wasn't long before the sidewalk was populated by countless toddlers, mothers with strollers, older children on scooters and kids on bicycles or scooters. 

Hahahahaaaaa!

Loans had to be granted quickly in order to build new school facilities, and the tax rate was raised quickly and without much ado. Joke's on you, greedy council people!

A few years later, the municipal council, which had previously been made up of conservative men, was completely replaced. Since then, it has mainly been made up of committed individuals with no party affiliation, who now have to bear the brunt. One of them is the founder of Colin's daycare, whose financial contributions we voted for at the time. In the meantime there can be found three daycare centers, by the way. One of them being located in the heart of the new neighborhood of course.

Back to yesterday's event. It was very nice. 

Photo Credit: My Mom

Many involved parties presented their contribution to this tiny strip of land that was equipped with a few rock and branch, rootstocks and plants, as well as wall gravel and wild bee sand. They talked about how these structures will provide shelter and nesting opportunities for weasels, mice, slow worms and lizards. 

"A paradise for wild bees, insects and many other small animals has been created in the smallest of spaces."

On my way home I felt like, are we kidding? 

Some ten years ago, trees have been felled and meadows built up to the tune of two to three blocks, 950 square meters or 1,140 square yards and now we are clapping euphorically for the denaturation of a few paltry square meters? 70 max? 84 square yards.

We have a saying that if a community is really rural, the fox and the hare say good night to each other. We used to be that community. I used to see foxes crossing the road and disappearing into the tall grass in the fields. There were probably deer there, too. They have all disappeared. 

But now we have created a paradise for a lizard, a mouse and five wild bees. 

I am not a tree hugger by any means, and I don't even know why I am so upset, but this project bugs me. Not the project itself of course, we need more of them, and we are going to get more of them if I heard correctly, but the way we are feeling good about ourselves. We are literally compensating a tiny percentage of the damage we made?

So my question to you: How on earth do I write this article? 

I feel hypocritical simply writing about how great these voluntary interest groups are for nature. But I have to remain politically correct and neutral and cannot call previous democratic decisions financially motivated meddling by the local council of the day. Or can I?

Photo by Jack Blueberry on Unsplash

PS: 

Did you know that some species of lizards are capable of regenerating lost body parts? For instance, the green anole lizard can regenerate its tail if it gets severed. This ability comes in handy as a defense mechanism against predators. When a predator grabs onto the lizard's tail, it can detach it and make a quick getaway, while the tail continues to wiggle, distracting the predator. Eventually, the lizard grows a new tail to replace the lost one.

One more, probably unknown fact: 

Most lizards are ectothermic, which means they rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature. They bask in the sun to warm up and seek shade or cooler areas to cool down. Having access to warm spots is crucial for their physiological functions because they cannot internally generate heat like mammals do.

These warm spots, such as rocks or patches of sunlight, are essential for lizards to maintain their metabolic activities. They adjust their behavior throughout the day to optimize their body temperature, ensuring they can function efficiently. Without access to these warm spots, lizards may struggle to maintain their body temperature within the optimal range for their biological processes.