Tag: rewild

creativity

Ditch the Mower, Find the Wonder! 🌿 Your Guide to a Wild(ish) Lawn

Christa Avampato
Photo by Elisa on Unsplash

As spring flourishes in all its glory (hello, sunshine!), you might be eyeing that lawnmower with a familiar sigh. But what if I told you less work for you could mean more life in your lawn? This week, let’s talk about a trend that’s buzzing with benefits: letting your lawn go a little wild!

Forget the pressure of a perfectly manicured green carpet. In reality, that perfect lawn is nearly dead. A wilder lawn isn’t about letting things run completely rampant (unless that’s your jam!). It’s about consciously creating a more natural, vibrant, and wonderfully low-maintenance space that’s teeming with life. And that wild lawn has benefits for you, your bank account, wildlife, and this beautiful planet we all share.

Why Let Your Lawn Loosen Up? More Buzz, Less Fuss!

  • Become a Local Wildlife Hotspot: Think of it — your very own mini-nature reserve! Longer grasses and native “weeds” (I prefer “wildflowers-in-disguise” like clover and dandelions) become a five-star restaurant and hotel for bees, butterflies, ladybugs, and songbirds. You’ll be amazed at who shows up!
  • Kick Back & Relax (More!) and Save Money: Less mowing, less watering, less fertilizing… need we say more? A wilder lawn means more time for you to actually enjoy your outdoor space, not just work on it. And it also saves you money.
  • Better For You, Better for the Planet: Wild lawns are surprisingly powerful. Their diverse plant life helps soak up rainwater (reducing runoff), improves soil health, and even captures more carbon. You’ll also naturally reduce (or eliminate!) the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which is a win for everyone. And again, it saves you money.
  • A Feast for the Senses: Swap out the monotonous green for a shifting tapestry of textures, colors, and gentle movement. Watch wildflowers bloom and seed, listen to the hum of happy pollinators, and discover the intricate beauty of a natural ecosystem right outside your door.

Ready to Embrace Your Lawn’s Wild Side? It’s Easier (and Less Expensive) Than You Think!

Going wild doesn’t mean your yard needs to look messy. It’s about intentional choices that welcome and embrace nature. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Start Small, Mow Tall: You don’t have to go all-in at once. Designate a section of your lawn — maybe the back corner, or a strip along the fence — to let grow longer. Even raising your mower blades to 3–4 inches on the parts you do mow makes a big difference for tiny critters and plant health.
  2. “No Mow May” (and Beyond!): You might have heard of “No Mow May” — it’s a fantastic initiative by Bee City USA, a nonprofit that connects communities of people and pollinators in mutually-beneficial ways, to give emerging pollinators a head start! Why not extend the idea? Try mowing less frequently throughout the growing season. Every two weeks? Once a month for certain areas? Experiment and see what works for you.
  3. Love Your “Weeds”: Those dandelions? Early spring food for bees! Clover? It’s a nitrogen-fixer, meaning it naturally fertilizes your soil, and pollinators adore it. There’s a lot to love about these volunteer plants.
  4. Sprinkle Some Native Charm: Consider overseeding parts of your lawn with native low-growing wildflowers (spread wildflower seed over an existing lawn without disturbing the soil) or a “bee lawn” mix suitable for your geographic region. These plants are adapted to our climate and provide the best resources for local wildlife. A quick search for “bee lawn” mix or a visit to a local native plant nursery can provide great options.
  5. Create “Cues to Care”: Worried about what the neighbors might think? Keep the edges of your wilder areas neatly mown. This creates a look of “intentional wildness” and shows your landscape is cared for, not neglected. A small, friendly sign explaining your lawn is a “Pollinator Paradise” or “Wildlife Life” area can also work wonders and tell your story, raising awareness, advocating for wildlife, and encouraging your neighbors to give it a try, too.
  6. Patience is Your Superpower: Transforming a conventional lawn into a mini-meadow takes time. Don’t get discouraged. Enjoy observing the changes each week and season. You’re creating a living landscape, and every small step is a win.

Wild Fact: Allowing your grass to grow taller encourages deeper root systems, making your lawn more drought-tolerant. Less watering for you, less money spent, fewer resources used, and more resilience for your yard!

Ready to trade some mowing time for more butterflies and birdsong? Letting your lawn go a little wild is a simple, rewarding way to make a big difference for your local ecosystem and your own well-being.

Happy wilding!

creativity

What the Pope got wrong about climate change

Christa Avampato
Photo by Imat Bagja Gumilar on Unsplash

Last month, a study on conservation actions, including protected areas and management, showed they effectively halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and reducing climate change impacts. Over the weekend, CBS aired an interview with Pope Francis, the first he’s granted to a major U.S. television network. About climate change he told Norah O’Donnell, “Unfortunately, we have gotten to a point of no return.” What’s unfortunate is Norah O’Donnell didn’t explain the science that this is not true. We are not at a point of no return with climate change. We need to do more and faster, and there is hope.

I understand it’s probably intimidating to challenge the Pope during an interview on national television. However, what he says is taken as truth by millions of people. If he pointed to the many success cases we have, this would inspire the increase in climate action we need. People need to know they can and do have the opportunity right now to make a difference. We have to spread this message far and wide because time is running out. This next decade could turn the tide one way or the other, and we have the chance to be part of the solution.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. It’s documented that 44,000 species are at risk of extinction. If these extinctions happen, ecosystems will collapse and billions of people will struggle to have enough food, clean water, livelihoods such as fishing, homes, and cultural preservation, to name just a few of the severe impacts.

Re:wild is an incredible resource filled with hope and success stories backed by science. One of their recent article hit home for me because of my passion for nature-based solutions and rewilding: We don’t need to reinvent the planet; we need to rewild it.

The world’s forests store approximately 861 gigatonnes of carbon, equivalent to nearly a century’s worth of current annual fossil fuel emissions. Tropical rainforests store 50 percent of that. These forests are not just the trees – they’re a whole ecosystem including the fungi, soil, insects, and predators. “When there are pieces of that biodiversity missing, the carbon cycle is incomplete or much less efficient than it would be otherwise,” said Christopher Jordan, Re:wild Latin America director. Storing carbon and keeping it out of the atmosphere needs all parts of the forest. It needs biodiversity. The wild, not human-invented technology, is the most effective solution to the interconnected climate, biodiversity, and human well-being crises. 

This is what I wish the Pope had said about climate change because it’s true: There is hope. We have the solutions. Now, we need the will and humility to listen to nature and let her lead for our own sake and hers. We are all interconnected. We need each other.