A new approach to conservation that starts in your yard

The organization, Homegrown National Park (homegrownnationalpark.org), encourages homeowners across the country to plant native plants in however much of their property they’re able and willing to do. Whether it’s planting a container on your deck with plants that attract pollinators, creating a small native garden, planting a single tree, or converting acres to meadow, it all counts. You can scale your efforts based on what is manageable for you, and no effort is too small.

Why Native Plants Matter for Our Environment and Future

Native plants are a big deal when it comes to keeping ecosystems healthy and thriving. These plants have been here for ages, adapting to the local environment and working hand-in-hand with native animals and bugs. They’re not just pretty to look at—they’re essential for the environment, conservation efforts, and making sure things stay balanced.

“If all insects on Earth disappeared, within 50 years all life on Earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish.” – Jonas Salk

Why Native Plants Are Awesome

Native plants are like the backbone of ecosystems. They give food and shelter to local wildlife, like bees, butterflies, and birds. Since they’re perfectly suited for the local soil and weather, they don’t need tons of fertilizers or pesticides that can mess up the environment. Also, one of the coolest things about native plants is how little water they need.

Helping Biodiversity: Native plants bring life to an area by supporting all kinds of species. Planting them in your garden or community is a great way to fight back against problems like habitat loss and climate change.

Boosting Soil Health: The roots of native plants dig deep into the soil, helping prevent erosion and letting water soak in better. They also encourage microbes to do their thing, which makes the soil healthier and full of nutrients.

Beautiful and Meaningful

Native plants aren’t just practical—they’re beautiful too! They’ve been used by Indigenous peoples for food, medicine, and traditions, making them culturally important. On top of that, their colors, textures, and how they change with the seasons make gardens and landscapes come alive. Plants like Wild Blue Phlox, Blue False Indigo and Foam Flower produce beautiful flowers. See Homegrown National Park for lists of native plants best for our area.

Stopping Invasive Plants from Taking Over

Non-native invasive plants can be a real pain, crowding out native plants and messing up ecosystems. Native plants help keep things balanced and give local species a fighting chance to thrive.

Easy Landscaping with Native Plants

If you’re planning a garden or looking for ways to spruce up public spaces, native plants are a no-brainer. They’re super low-maintenance, don’t need a ton of water, and can resist bugs better than non-native plants. Plus, they’re great for pollinators like bees, which are crucial for keeping ecosystems and food production going.

Pollinator-Friendly Spaces: By planting native species, you’re giving pollinators a safe place to do their job. And let’s be honest, a garden buzzing with life is so much more enjoyable.

Shrink your Lawn

The idea is to reduce the area of lawn and do it in an attractive way so you’re not thrown out of your neighborhood!

Lawns demand significant resources, negatively affect the environment, and do little (and often nothing) to support wildlife such as bees, butterflies, and birds,

You’ll rely less on synthetic fertilizers and herbicides, cutting down on potential health risks.

Going for a more sustainable route not only saves you a load of time and effort on lawn upkeep but also cuts down on the amount of yard waste you need to deal with.

Again, Homegrown National Park has many resources that can help you shrink any size on any lawn.

When you embrace the rewilding movement by shrinking your lawn and mowing less you become a trendsetter. It also helps bring concerns for issues such as loss of biodiversity into everyday conversations. The more we talk about these issues and share ideas with friends and family the better. So, chat it up!

Let’s Take Action

Native plants are vital for keeping nature healthy and dealing with big issues like climate change and water shortages. By choosing native plants, we can make a difference and help the environment bounce back.

Consider becoming a part of the Homegrown National Park (homegrownnationalpark.org) movement. There you will find many resources for native plants – what species are invasives? how to shrink my lawn?

“Join us and plant native to rebuild the ecosystems that support all life, and restore the vital connections between plants and animals for a healthier, thriving planet.” 

Doug Tallamy, Co-founder, HNP

Wrapping It Up

With all the environmental challenges we’re facing, planting native species, removing invasives and shrinking your lawn are small steps that can make a big impact. 

Let’s see how many households in our area can join the Homegrown National Park Biodiversity Map. Together, our individual efforts create meaningful change!