ANIMALS in the RAIN GARDEN !!!

[Ryan James Aldrich]

ANIMALS in the RAIN GARDEN !!!

I am trying to design rain gardens / bio swales for public and semi public urban areas in India. However cows roam the streets. What are some interesting ways to keep the cows out of the green infrastructure?

Your comments, thoughts, and reference images would be most appreciated.

Thank you!

[Ryan James Aldrich]

[Ernst Glaeser]

If you google unde “HA-HA-EFFECT” you will find that this is a very old way to create an open landscape with undisturbed views but leaving a lot of beasties out. I remember having lerned that the name is A-Ha effect, but who cares. Simmilar models are being used in modern zoo design.

[Rob Halpern]

There are two methods that come to mind:

Cattle grids in the surrounding pavement….. which may catch as many pedestrians as it excludes cattle

Fencing/bollards

It requires physical restraint

[Tanya Olson]

Farmer and ranchers here use steel structures to control access to hay. They can eat, but they can’t get into the structures. Maybe something like this would be a good solution? http://www.a1gate.com/hay-feeders.html

[Ryan James Aldrich]

A HA-HA is a interesting idea, however I dont think it is the most applicable to urban situations as it require a large space to implement. However to continue this thought another similar idea for larger sites is tall steps that are pedestrian friendly but not traversable by cattle.

As a note: Parks within Indian city’s are always fenced to keep cattle out. I posed this question more in regards to urban streets. For example how can you achieve rain gardens / bio swales between a road and a sidewalk. This is now typical design practice for LAs in most developed countries – How does it work with roaming cattle? 

 Thanks for your input!

[Ryan James Aldrich]

Thanks for the Ideas. Fencing is the most pragmatic – although there is opportunity in design to develop interesting / creative fencing solutions. Bollards could be an interesting aproch.

I was considering that where room is sufficient plants that are deterrents to cows could be used – perhaps something very un-tasty for cows, spiky and hardy / robust.

Thanks for your thoughts!   

[Ryan James Aldrich]

Thanks for your thoughts. I think there are ideas that can be taken from the farming industry.

[Ryan James Aldrich]

Perhaps seating can be arranged to protect the green infrastructure – benches used as fencing.

[Goustan BODIN]

cows are holy sacred animals, you should be roasted in the flames of the 3.748 hells for trying to keep then out of the turf. Evreyone should enjoy the benefits of rain gardens, especially animals.

They will fertilize the rain gardens, isnt that fantastic ?

Now, back to work.

[Rob Halpern]

I think there are no plants to deter cattle which also thrive in rain gardens and also are safe in public places. That is a very tight design parameter.

[Ryan James Aldrich]

Feeding the cows is an interesting topic. I would love to see parks / urban sanctuaries created throughout the cities for cows. In my home country of NZ, in Auckland city we have urban parks on the many volcanoes with sheep grazing the grass. (As an example Google image search: One Tree Hill Auckland). In India Instead the cows roam the concrete and feed on garbage. It is a horrible site that makes me sad. Unfortunately without some sort of protection I see a small rain garden being completely consumed and destroyed one day after planting.

There is probably a balance that can be achieved – enough protection so the rain garden is not destroyed yet a controlled amount of vegetation is exposed and can be consumed by cattle.    

[Goustan BODIN]

I found what you need :

wiremesh topiary

Cows graze, and at the same time trim and maintain topiaries, which you shape to your fancy (mythology, cosmos, modern, classic…). You could even have cow shaped topiaries, fertilized and maintained by real cows. (mirror of culture on reality, while reality entertains culture)

Loads of karma points.

Please don’t shoot.

[Rob Halpern]

Cows feeding on cows that people do not eat…. the mind boggles

[Goustan BODIN]

this would deter cattle alright, but forget about safety…

zombie palm (zombia antillarum)

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