The grass tickles my knees, the warm breeze brushes over my face, the trees whisper and the grass sighs. The world seems to stand still as a fly buzzes past my face, and the sun warms my head. Then it is abruptly interrupted by the barking of a dog, my dog actually. He’s begun to dig a hole in the yard, right where my mom has just been planting. Mom calls him inside, and I look over at the patch of upturned dirt, the plant askew, a few worms weaving their lazy way through the loose peat. I push the dirt back around the plant, my knees covered in soil and my hand grubby. I run inside grinning.
Ecological restoration conjures images of huge wetlands and expansive reforestation – but what if it could start in your backyard? Michigan has become overrun with invasive species over the last decade. A combination of incredibly warm temperatures, and the spread of invasive species through travel, has provided a perfect environment for buckthorn, garlic mustard, and other invasives to spread. The question of how to help fight invasive species, while maintaining the thriving ecosystems inherent to Michigan, is a vital one. I live on an acre in the suburbs of Ann Arbor. I have a big backyard, and when I was little we had a small meadow at the very end. As a little girl I frolicked in the meadow, spreading wild milkweed seeds and letting them catch the wind. Monarchs had been frequent visitors in our meadow but as I grew older we noticed their visits became infrequent and their populations dwindled. This was the beginning of what would in essence become an ecological restoration project. It started small, not mowing as far back and slowly letting the meadow creep up; pulling thistles and garlic mustard. Then we began researching native species, and native insects that lived in long grasses; we planted milkweed, blue aster, wild bergamot, and more. The goal was to create a habitat for monarch butterflies, but also for the other fauna that had been displaced. It was a slow process, but over the years the invasive species have begun to dwindle while the native ones thrive.
“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Restoring a damaged planet is a rather large task, one that is daunting for even the most intrepid. My approach? Build a relationship with the place you call home. Involve friends and family. Spread the message to others that a small step is worth it if we all take one. Re-learning ways of being that are connected to the environment is both personally fulfilling and extraordinarily fun. I can’t wait to explore new mountains, wide oceans, and deep forests, but I know deep down that the backyards and gardens are where the real magic of environmentalism happens.
Changing the world is too large a task for any one person, however if everyone makes small changes, the result is enormous. This is a cliche, but it’s true. Spreading awareness about the damage that mowed lawns do to natural ecosystems is a small start. Helping to get rain gardens started at my school, making changes in my yard with my family, and trying to become educated and educate others are all ways that I have tried to make my own small changes in hopes of being part of a larger difference.
The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.
