Mastodawn

Less lawn, more #wildlife! Here’s how to ditch turf for #NativePlants

By Celia Llopis-Jepsen
Published May 6, 2025

"So you’ve been thinking about getting rid of your lawn, or at least having less. You’ll attract birds and bees and you won’t have to mow as much. Nice! But where to start? Master gardener Paula Diaz gives us the scoop on how to kill grass, where to look for the right native plant species to replace it, and how to start laying out your flower beds. Come learn from someone who’s been winning over her neighbors to give native plants a shot."

Listen / Learn more [includes a list of
mentioned in the podcast]:
https://www.kcur.org/2025-05-06/less-lawn-more-wildlife-heres-how-to-ditch-turf-for-native-plants

#SolarPunkSunday #GardeningForPollinators #Gardens #LessLawns #KCUR #NPR

Less lawn, more wildlife! Here’s how to ditch turf for native plants

So you’ve been thinking about getting rid of your lawn, or at least having less. You’ll attract birds and bees and you won’t have to mow as much. Nice! But where to start? Master gardener Paula Diaz gives us the scoop on how to kill grass, where to look for the right native plant species to replace it, and how to start laying out your flower beds. Come learn from someone who’s been winning over her neighbors to give native plants a shot.

KCUR

DoomsdaysCW Apr 25

Oh, this is too good not to share for an early #SolarPunkSunday ... I just heard about this on the local news. Wow!!!

#ResilientYards in #SouthPortlandME

"The goal of Resilient Yards is to continue to promote landcare practices that bolster South Portland’s community and #ecosystem #resilience. Volunteer coaches offer personalized guidance, advice, and support to South Portland residents to transition their yards into resilient landscapes. Once paired together, coaches and participants discuss site needs, set up scheduling, and install gardens at each site. We provide each yard with free #compost, #mulch, and a set of 8 #NativePlants.

Native plants require less maintenance, support #biodiversity, and build #ecosystem #resilience. The program also builds #SocialResilience, as South Portland neighbors connect through sharing advice and resources.

Program Impact

Since we launched our inaugural 100 Resilient Yards program in 2023, we have helped 230 Resilient Yards participants, who, with the support of 65 volunteer coaches, have planted a total of 1,352 native #pollinator plants in yards across South Portland."

Learn more:
https://www.southportland.gov/668/Resilient-Yards

#SolarPunkSunday #GardeningForPollinators #MaineNews #BuildingCommunity #Rewilding #LessLawns #NativePlants #WildlifeCorridors #PollinatorGarden #PollinatorCorridors #gardening

Resilient Yards | South Portland, ME

City of South Portland Resilient Yards Program

DoomsdaysCW Jul 20, 2025

Seeing fewer #fireflies this year? Here’s why, and how you can help.

Fireflies are vulnerable to #ClimateChange and habitat loss. Some simple landscaping tricks and turning off porch lights can make a big difference.

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between #Grist and #BPR, a #PublicRadio station serving western #NorthCarolina.

Katie Myers Regional Reporter, #Appalachia, July 11, 2025

Excerpt: "Basham and Jacobs have a few other tips for helping fireflies thrive. You don’t need to be a scientist to help protect fireflies. In fact, the biggest difference comes from how we care for our own #backyards. Here are a few things Basham and Jacobs recommend:

- Turn off your #PorchLights. Fireflies are incredibly sensitive to #ArtificialLight, and it can confuse them.
- Ditch the manicured lawn and embrace #NativePlants. In addition to being easier to care for, they suit the local environment and conserve water.
- Leave some leaves behind when you rake in the fall. They’re a great place for fireflies to find food, stay cool, and lay eggs.
- Plant shrubs, tufting grasses, and other, large plants. These can shelter fireflies during rainstorms and other severe weather.
- If you spot fireflies, jot down when and where you saw them and add your observations to citizen science databases like iNaturalist, Firefly Watch, or Firefly Atlas to help scientists collect data.

"Even among those who study fireflies, the thrill of spotting them remains magical. Lower has made many excursions to the southern #AppalachianMountains to find the famous, ethereal 'blue ghosts.' Rather than flicker, the insects emit a continuous bluish-green glow. 'You walk into the pitch black woods and at first you can’t really see anything right because your eyes are getting used to the darkness,' Lower said. 'But eventually you start to see all these dim glows.' "

https://grist.org/science/seeing-fewer-fireflies-this-year-heres-why-and-how-you-can-help/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

#SolarPunkSunday #CitizenScience #FireflyConservation #LessLawns #Rewilding #HabitatLoss #Insects #Nature #LeaveTheLeaves #DarkSkies #TurnOffTheLights #ConservingNature