The Problem
There is a lack of native trees in home landscaping. We want to educate ourselves and others on the need for native plants to support insects to support the food web!
Our Plan
Planting native trees and learning about how we can make a difference and why it is important!
Themes Addressed
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Community Enhancement
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Global Citizenship
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Reasons for Hope
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Wildlife
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The Benefit
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People
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Animals
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Environment
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Here is how the project went:
Well, Covid-19 had other plans than we did! I was hoping to utilise my micro-grant to purchase sapplings for my local library to distribute to families and individuals wanting to plant native trees at home after taking part in an activity to learn about native species and the wild life around us. Due to the virus, this in-person event has been postponed. Instead, we utilized the grant and two free native plant vouchers to purchase garden supplies, including a drinking-safe/lead and chemical free hose. We ordered two native plants for our yard and spent a number of weeks transforming our space to be more wildlife friendly. It was great fun! We appreciate Roots & Shoots allowing us to have this opportunity and to take part in the Trillion Trees program! I also completed the Coursera leadership course which helped guide our backyard adventure. I sought out various native landscaping webinars which was a really enjoyable hobby and resource! We can't wait to continue working with Roots and Shoots and our community members to enact small changes right where we live!
Through this project I/we learned:
We learned more about our new state's native plants and wildlife. We learned what plants would work in our yard and why we should plant them. We learned more about the chemicals found in common garden tools and supplies. We learned how we feel about those chemicals ingredients and what alternatives were available that are safer and more responsible. We are continuously learning how to be better stewards of the land we live on and the community (both human and wild) we are a part of.
What I/we might change:
Well, we do hope to do this project again! We needed to alter our plans from a community-wide program down to just our yard space. In the future, we hope to apply what we learned to the library-lead distribution program. One thing I may change for that is instead of handing out solely tree saplings, we may offer shrubs, bushes, grasses and flowers as well! Not everyone has the space or ability to plant a big tree, but a smaller plant can still be very beneficial for wildlife.
My/our favorite part of this project was:
Picking out our plants! We chose native fruit-bearing plants that could feed both wildlife and us!
Some tips, tricks or fun facts about the project:
There are some great webinars available on native landscaping. We live in Florida and enjoyed a live webinar by author Douglas Tallamy about saving wildlife by choosing native plants for our home. JGI's Coursera course (Compassionate Leadership through Service Learning) is a worthwhile and interesting course developed for educators to help young people take action in their community.