While you may not have a large space to devote to a prairie, there are still a lot of ways you can make an impact in your community and benefit the planet!
You can plant natives, even if you have a small space. Small plantings can have BIG IMPACT. If you’re not ready to ditch your whole lawn in favor of a big native planting, you could start swapping foreign ornamentals for natives in a landscaped garden bed. Some natives can even be planted in patio pots to create habitat on a balcony or window box.
Stop using herbicides and fertilizers on your lawn. The use of herbicides and fertilizers on lawns is unnecessary and has a negative impact on local watersheds. Turf lawn offers virtually nothing to our local wildlife. Know who likes turf lawn? Japanese beetles. Dandelions and clover are important food sources for pollinators and they also offer a pop of color! We know some people think these weeds in the lawn make it look “unkempt” or “untidy”, but we truly have to move beyond the current yard/garden aesthetic to produce great changes and create a healthier planet for us all.
Go out and explore (and support) your local parks and forests! Some parks have paved paths and benches for accessibility. All park systems that we are aware of welcome volunteers to keep the parks going. There are a lot of invasive weeds in our local parks and staff have a hard time keeping up with irradiating them. You can help. The benefit of helping your local parks means that you are outside enjoying nature and making a positive impact on your community!
Visit your local farmer’s market or join a local co-op to get fresh, in season produce, plants, and other local goods.
If you’re in Ohio, Ohio Proud has a farmer’s market search tool.
The USDA hosts a nationwide farmer’s market search tool.
Local Harvest can help you find a CSA or co-op near you.
If you’re in the Dayton area, join our Wild Ones chapter! If you’re not in the area, find your local Wild Ones chapter here.
