Traffic-island habitat in Novato should be saved

I am writing in support of the gardens tended by Marcia Basalla and located on the Pacheco Valle traffic islands in Novato. I hope city officials do not allow the removal of the habitat.

As a professional garden designer, I know how much work goes into maintaining a landscape like this one. Basalla has done this free of charge for many years out of a sense of civic responsibility and deep care. Now, Basalla says the city has removed her stewardship rights. That makes no sense at all. From an environmental perspective, it makes even less sense.

Basalla created a thriving habitat area for native California plants and wildlife, supporting many beloved species including the endangered western monarch butterfly. With so many wild spaces being removed and replaced with new construction and human infrastructure, her project should be a template for similar projects in developed areas, demonstrating how we can create homes for the plants and animals to exist beside us.

Places like this one are crucial for maintaining healthy natural ecosystems. In turn, the ecosystems provide people with clean water, fresh air and a sustainable environment. The health of the land and the people are inextricably linked.

Novato officials should be progressive leaders in helping to support citizens to create spaces that allow native California pollinators, the plants that feed them and animals that are part of the web of life to thrive. Abundant natural beauty is one of the reasons that Novato is an attractive place to live. Replacing this gem of a space with yet more conventional, waterconsuming and ecologically worthless landscaping would be a huge mistake.