These days I’m embarrassed to be human. Humans may be smart, but we are a selfish species of takers, wreaking havoc in every corner of our planet, destroying the natural world because we mistakingly believe we are separate from it, rather than part of it. Humans seem to think they rule the earth and that everything else on this planet is for humans to use as we see fit, regardless of the consequences. People seem unaware of the services Mother Nature provides, and which we require— clean air, clean water, flood control, pollination of our crops, and recycling organic matter, to name a few..
From tiny insects to large mammals like bears, we take, take, take. We take forests and fields so we can build more stuff. We divert, dam, and pollute streams and rivers, and selfishly cut down trees only so we can claim a view. Obsessed with neatness we destroy habitat in ditches and on hillsides, trimming every inch of wild land, or worse, poisoning it with our easy-access poisons. We take safe passage, making it impossible, or challenging for animals to cross from one fragmented habitat to another with our roads, fences, and walls, and our obsession to get everywhere fast. What’s another dead squirrel, a raccoon? Zoom, zoom and off we go. We take their ability to move about safely with our free-roaming cats and dogs, believing it is “our right” to allow our pets to wander. We take their silence with our leaf blowers, lawn mowers, gunshots and fireworks. We even steal darkness, oblivious that many animals like fireflies require it. We take the free and plentiful leaf fertilizer that the forest gives us every fall, whisking away all of that leaf litter gold so we can claim a spotless lawn… Oh well if creatures like luna moths, wood frogs, or fireflies die because of this.
We destroy perfectly functioning ecosystems when we replace the native grasses, trees, flowers and other plants with lawn, and non-native species. ”But it’s so pretty,” we say of burning bush, English ivy, or bradford pear. We don’t want to hear that those plants outcompete the native plants that have evolved beside our insects and other animals for eons. If it’s quick-growing, deer-resistant, or colorful, we look the other way. “It’s our right,” we say.
Did you know the green lawn originated in 1715 when a guy by the name of Lancelot Brown —or “Capability Brown” as he become known, convinced wealthy aristocrats that their estates had a great capability for improvement— specifically, to replace existing landscaping with sprawling lawns? In the early nineteenth century, only the ultra rich could afford such luxuries. But after the lawn mower was invented in 1830, that changed, and the lawn became a symbol of personal and national prosperity. One’s front lawn became an opportunity to display one’s success.
We create vast monocultures with our obsession for a perfect lawn. Got dandelions? Violets? Kill them quick, because we need the green to be unmarred and totally devoid of life to fit in with our neighbors. To maintain these monocultures, we spray chemicals as if they were water, not caring, or ignoring the fact that these poisons are long-lasting, and affect many non-target animals like birds, bees, and even our own pets. Got mosquitoes? It’s so easy to hire companies claiming to target only mosquitoes, but this is impossible, and many other beneficial insects will be also killed. Would it matter if people knew 96% of songbirds require insects when raising babies? Or that studies show that pets —and people!—in households with herbicide-treated lawns have a greater risk of cancer?
Got grubs? Moths? Beetles? Caterpillars? Moles? Voles? Mice? Deer? No worries, there’s a poison for that at our local hardware store, though of course it will have some catchy name, maybe even some cute clip art on the side, portraying these creatures in a negative light.
Ironically, after we destroy the habitat of these animals, and cause their demise, we then take their image and stick it on pillows, t-shirts, mugs, aprons, and other things. We’ve all seen products featuring dragonflies, monarch butterflies, luna moths, fireflies, and foxes. If we like them enough to celebrate their image, should’t we protect them and their habitat? Shouldn’t we care about their habitat needs before they are on the brink of extinction?
A dangerous argument is, “But we’ve always done it this way!” Just because we’ve always had lawn around our houses is not a good reason to keep having one. Just because our parents hauled off every fallen leaf doesn’t mean we have to. Just because our neighbors spray chemicals to maintain their turf grass doesn’t mean we have to. Did you know a perfect green lawn around our house dates back to the 1700’s when such a space symbolized wealth? Today, the only thing a green lawn symbolizes is a giant middle finger to the environment, the animals who require habitat, and to others who care about the Earth. Is this what we really the message we want to convey with our properties?
If we are as smart as we claim, then let’s start making different choices. Let’s allow some wildness in our yards. Let’s learn to coexist with insects and other animals. Let’s prioritize habitat over lawn, healthy ecosystems over outdated practices. Let’s give something back to our outdoor neighbors.
Ready to change, but don’t know where or how to start? Here are a few ideas, most of which cost absolutely nothing.