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Changing the World Around You Starts in Our Own Backyard

Writer's picture: Cathy TiffanyCathy Tiffany

Do you ever fell stressed and overloaded with all the things going on in the world? I mean, there's wars, famine, homelessness - just to name a few! While I believe strongly in voting, having your voice heard, conscious buying, etc., I also strongly believe that often, the best place to start is at home. Since this blog is about backyards and gardening, I'm obviously centering the focus of this article there.


Have I lost you? See, after I vote, after I write my letters and try to make the best purchasing decisions (fair trade, organic and all that jazz), mostly I've done what I can for the "big" stuff.

What's left is the "small" stuff, but that small stuff can add up to big changes!


Here's what I mean:

  • I might not change the world, but I can plant a pollinator garden to help bees and butterflies

  • I might not change the world, but I can add a native tree or bush to help local birds (and pollinators)

  • I might not change the world, but I can eliminate pesticides from my yard that decrease the amount of necessary insects in the world around me

  • I might not change the world, but I can reduce the size of my lawn, which helps to purify everyone's air with less lawnmower emissions


Do you see where I'm going with this? If more of us added pollinator gardens, then all of us would see more butterflies. If we all added a native tree and/or bushes (and a few other native plants) to our yard, then we'd basically form what would be the largest national park in the country, which is the premise behind Doug Tallamy's Homegrown National Park organization. Pesticide use on our lawns kills moths (very important pollinators), fireflies and a whole host of other critters that even if you don't like them, are necessary to the ecosystem. The retention pond in our neighborhood is fed from storm drains on each of our streets, that's fed from our lawns... and then the folks walking their dogs around that pond are allowing their dogs to drink poisoned water, the geese and ducks on that pond are getting sick and I've seen people fish in that pond. OMG! Do you see that our little changes in fact can have a larger impact on the world where you live?


It's crazy how much more life (bees, butterflies, birds, FUN!) our yard has since we added loads (and loads, lol) of native plants, ponds and less lawn. My neighbor and I released over 120 monarch butterflies last year because we have milkweed (the plant the monarchs lay their eggs on) and other nectar producing flowers. That means more butterflies for all of us, which makes almost everyone happier....and that has value, too!


So as we move forward through summer and into fall, let your voice be heard, but then crawl back into the happiness of your home and garden....and remember that you can make a difference from there, too.





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