Author credit: Lila Erikson
Hello Bird Friends,
Cattail update. I don’t know about you, but I go to the new South Hill location Home Depot, they opened in June of 2025. Since opening I’ve taken note of how cool the wetland is that is tucked between Regal and the parking lot: water, cattails, birds... I had erroneously figured it was some sort of intentional habitat save negotiated in the development and driving by it would make me smile. From my lay person perspective it seemed very successful, beautiful and happy.
Then the evening of June 24, 2026 I pulled into Home Depot for some errands and found the whole thing mowed over. Many red winged blackbirds were anxiously hopping around on the curb and crushed cattails. It jolted my heart. I pulled over to survey and scoop up my jaw. It was jarring. Photo above with 12 birds in the frame that I can count.
I kept thinking “how could this be on purpose?” I went in and spoke with an on-duty manager and he shared that the cattails are weed whacked quarterly to comply with a city requirement. Something non-specific about zoning and landscape maintenance. In my head I was like, “there is no way someone at the city actually wanted this”. I called the city the next day via 311. The operator was incredibly friendly and connected me with the senior city planner that worked on the Home Depot development project (transferred me and he answered, yes, 311 is amazing!). He was also very kind and helpful and reviewed that they “cannot make Home Depot keep the cattails” but he clarified the ordinance and requirement for noxious weeds to be mowed quarterly.
I called Home Depot and spoke to an assistant manager that was polite and receptive to my concerns that the cattails were perhaps mowed over on accident and that in fact they are great bird habitat, he agreed to look into things. I followed up a few weeks later. He had taken the issue to leadership and found that the landscape order had indeed been for noxious weeds to be mowed. The landscape contracting company was able to trace the work back to the local company that did the mowing and confirm that the cattails had been weed whacked on accident. They apologized and accepted responsibility for the mistake. Home Depot has told me that they have given specific order to leave the cattails alone going forward!
It was so rewarding to see something that looked devastating and trace it back to a genuine mistake. The assistant manager at Home Depot thanked me for my concern and for speaking up about the issue, he told me it helped them improve their practices at a new store. I spoke with Shenandoah about the cattails and she lent hope that likely the birds were done with nesting for the season. Going forward, I hope this tucked away wetland can be a functional breeding ground again.
