Your turn: Be part of Earth Day solutions
Over 40 million acres of lawn grass.
That’s how many acres our yards cover in the United States.
Not supporting wildlife or pollinators and constantly needing attention, why do we do it?
After making toxic chemicals for the wars in the 1900s the chemical industry decided they could make lots more money by persuading people to use these chemicals in their yards and to convince people there shouldn’t be anything in a yard besides mowed grass. No dandelions, no violets, not anything but turf grass. They’ve done a good job, but at what cost?
These toxins drain from our yards into our waterways. They kill beneficial soil organisms, cause dead zones and bring red tides. Human cancers are up. We know about that. Our wildlife, birds and pollinators don’t have a chance. They can’t read the signs in our yards to keep off the toxic sprayed turf grass. And all this so there won’t be a dandelion in your yard? Is that a priority?
But we saw something last week that gave us real hope.
Coming back from a Madison cancer check-up we began noticing literally thousands of native red-twig dogwoods and other shrubs and trees planted along the I-90 corridor from Janesville.
Native plants that went on for probably 6 miles or so on either side. Native plants that don’t need toxic sprays and that serve as host plants for several kinds of pollinators and that provide berries for birds and small mammals.
It told us that somebody cared. And that is what we so need — good informed entities and individuals that are caring and engaged in solutions.
Native plants (ones that were here before Europeans came to this country and that were used by the native indigenous people) do not need chemicals and are just what are needed in our yards.
Unfortunately, most nurseries do not carry native plants. A nest of baby birds consumes about 600 caterpillars a day and will not come from a yard with only turf grass.
Look around your neighborhood. In mine, most yards are very silent, not supporting much.
There are many sales going on this spring to sell native plants in Wisconsin and Illinois. Just look up native plant sales in these states.
Right here in the Rockford area there will be several going on in the next weeks. Just check out wildonesrrvc.org, for dates, time and place.
There are native grasses for those of us stuck on grass, sedges which are beautiful and of course sun and shade plants of all kinds providing places for butterflies to lay their eggs and places for them to nectar. It doesn’t take much to plant a few beneficial native
plants and water them but it does require all citizens to get engaged and help solve our country’s many problems. Please be part of the solution. Our country needs you engaged.
Jane Evans of Rockford was a federally licensed wild life rehabilitator for 20 years and is currently a member of several environmental groups.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Your turn: Be part of Earth Day solutions
