Wildlife fascinates me. So naturally, I have always been a quick adopter of any way to preserve nature. However, with talks of carbon emissions, natural gas, deforestation, and unsustainable supply chains, it is easy to become overwhelmed and assume that any efforts to combat these issues would be too minuscule to make any meaningful change in the world. This unfortunately pessimistic stance is easy to adopt when you review the statistics in any number of articles on the topic. Additionally, it is seldom that you see the benefits to your changes with any of these commonplace calls to action.
Inspired by “Nature’s Best Hope” by Douglas Tallamy, I have been on a bit of a native plant craze. I started slowly by adding one or two native plant species to my yard that I picked up on a quick stop to the local Home Depot with Sharon. However, this has snowballed into adding swamp oaks, crab apple, Hawthorne, Joe-Pye Weed, anise hyssop, and one butterfly weed which unfortunately succumbed to a ravenous bunny.
His book showed me that adding trees will accomplish much more than carbon capture, and blooming flowers are more than just a source of food for pollinators. I encourage you to read this book because Dr. Tallamy explains his concepts in far greater detail than I ever could. He uses his experience as an Entomologist to educate on ways to make your yard compatible with the natural world. You’ll learn why native plants are so important and also the signs showing that your yard is contributing positively to the local ecosystems.
This is a change that is apolitical as well. Regardless of your feelings on global warming, fracking, pollution, or sustainable food sources, it is evident that there is an absence of wildlife in urban and suburban areas likely resultant from our interactions with the land.
It was nice to do something on an individual level which resulted in near-instant results. Over the course of one summer, my yard has hosted increased numbers of birds, butterflies, and bees. With the weather cooling down, my new additions are beginning to look less lively. However, I am filled with anticipation as Spring will show if the seeds I planted this Fall will result in any new native plants that hopefully avoid becoming dinner for the local rabbit.
