It's mowing season again, and a question for those of us who care about wild things might be hovering in our minds: How can we encourage more native plants in our landscapes?
Our readers most likely already see the value of biodiversity, wild places, and honoring native species, but there are so many other issues associated with the American love of standard green lawns. Did you know that over $35 billion is spent annually on lawn care and maintenance in the U.S.? Herbicides and pesticides are still all too common in caring for patches of grass that are not native to the landscape. These chemicals have an impact on the soil and the organisms that depend upon it. It is estimated that 40 million acres of the lower 48 states are lawns!
In our last blog post, we featured important women in Wisconsin conservation. One person that bridges our last post with this one is Lori Otto. In addition to helping combat the use of DDT, a pesticide that is a carcinogen with detrimental impacts to fish, birds, and other wildlife, Otto discovered that allowing her yard to grow more naturally created an excellent habitat for birds and other pollinators. She was active in bringing the "rewilding" movement to American yard owners. Otto's group of natural lawn enthusiasts eventually became the national nonprofit organization, Wild Ones. In January of 2021, Wild Ones released free garden plans for a variety of regions in the United States.
If you are ready to plan to return your lawn or part of your yard to more native plants, another great resource is the National Wildlife Foundation's Native Plant Finder. You can enter your zip code and find plants ranked by points in terms of how many other species they support. For example, oak trees are listed as potentially supporting 389 species. The tool narrows it down to 15 of the most common caterpillars in our area that rely on oak trees in their life cycle. The Plant Finder Tool would be a great resource to use with children to consider which butterflies you might attract to your yard. Take your list to a nursery that stocks native plants and talk with a plant expert about what might work best in your yard.
Doug Tallamy, an entomologist with the University of Delaware and author of Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Backyard, has created the Homegrown National Park Project with a goal of encouraging 20 million acres of native plantings across the U.S. This website has a ton of resources for just getting started in diversifying your backyard, including an article on five easy steps for beginners.
Here's a talk Doug gave with the National Wildlife Foundation on the principles behind diversifying our landscapes.
It takes learning, commitment, and labor to rewild a patch of yard, but the impact could be great. Less mowing and supporting biodiversity in your own space at the same time are two potential benefits. And if you notice a yard that looks a little more wild than the stereotypical American lawn consider all ways it might be supporting important species.
Urban planners and city dwellers are beginning to reconsider how common greenspaces can be redesigned to include more native species and less manicured lawns. These efforts are helping to sequester carbon, reduce the amounts of pesticides and chemicals in high traffic areas, and connect people with wild things. What's happening in your neighborhood?
