Celebrate Earth Day the NALMS Way!

Restoring Living Shorelands

“As gardeners and stewards of our land, we have never been so empowered to help save biodiversity from extinction, and the need to do so has never been so great. All we need to do is plant native plants!”
– Dr. Douglas Tallamy, University of Delaware, Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology / NALMS 2019 Plenary Speaker

You may be wondering, in these uncertain times, how you can safely and effectively celebrate Earth Day this year. To continue on the theme of our 2019 conference plenary speaker, Dr. Doug Tallamy, we’d like to share some ideas on how to start promoting biodiversity through native plantings, whether in your backyard or along your shoreline.

Here are some tips to get started:

  • Visit the National Wildlife Federation’s online Native Plant Finder to find your local native plant species.
  • Choose only native species for rain gardens, swales, berms, buffers, and other stormwater management practices. This choice is especially important to prevent the introduction of an invasive plant species. Preserve foundational native plant species if thinning for lake access and views.
  • Reduce lawn by creating “no-mow” zones, especially along shorelines. Lawn kills ecosystems and the food source for songbirds and other wildlife.
  • Be certain to follow your local, state, and federal stay at home and shelter-in-place orders, as well as recommendations for social distancing. Visit the CDC website for more guidance. Be safe!

Native plantings restore a living shoreland, stabilizing the bank and protecting property.

BEFORE
AFTER

While keeping access and views, keystone species are used in stormwater practices to prevent pollution from entering the lake, like in these rain gardens, and tree plantings.

BEFORE
AFTER

Download the Restoring Living Shorelands Flyer

More Resources

 

2020 marks the 50th year of Earth Day! Visit earthday.org to find more ways to take action, find a digital event, or learn more about this year’s theme: climate action. Organizers invite you to “join [them] for an Earth Day unlike any other.”

 

 

During this Earth Week, NALMS also looks forward to celebrating Arbor Day on Friday, April 24th. For suggestions of how you and yours might honor trees while staying healthy at home, visit celebratearborday.org or search social media for #ArborDayatHome.