Across the 3,000 acres of woods and meadows in Nashville’s Warner Parks, drought is spreading.
Trees stopped chlorophyll production early, now shedding crunchy, golden leaves daily. Wildflowers stopped blooming. Mosquitoes disappeared. And bird baths have been teeming with wildlife. The Belle Meade-bordering park’s organic vegetable garden had to be abandoned.
“I’ve worked here for 24 years, and I don’t remember ever seeing it this dry in the park,” said Vera Roberts, director of the Warner Park Nature Center.
The National Weather Service recorded just .01 inches of rain in Nashville in 30 days, making it one the driest stretches ever. The weather event, which ended after some light rain on Wednesday, has only happened six other times in recorded history.
The latest National Climate Assessment shows how the warming climate is intensifying droughts in the Southeast. These dry spells can “greatly modify” ecosystems.
Across the city, drought has been affecting parks in unusual ways: A sunken car was revealed in a depleted Sevier Lake in Shelby Park on Tuesday. In Warner Parks, visitors have been spotting abnormal activity, as animals hunt for moisture.
“People have been seeing armadillos out during the day, foraging in really open areas where we normally don’t ever see them. They’re usually pretty secretive and nocturnal,” Roberts said.
Courtesy U.S. Drought Monitor Many Tennessee counties shifted into a “moderate” drought stage this past week.
Roberts recommends that people plant native wildflowers in their yards to help feed animals during droughts. In the Warner meadows, for example, sparrows, gold finches and wrens were foraging for the seeds dropped from golden rods and ironweeds.
“That’s important food for wildlife, especially when they have extreme situations,” she said.
Roberts also suggested setting out a bird bath or a dish with fresh water each day.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM