where did all the bugs go? (sprays pesticides on lawn) why are there fewer birds than there used to be? (cuts down weeds and bushes and tall grass) what a mystery
If you have a yard, you can replace invasive grasses with native species and nectar-rich flowers. Don't use herbicides or pesticides. Leave leaf litter alone over the winter to provide habitat for insects. Set aside a section to "go wild". Just like with flower pots, leaving even a small section of lawn without chemicals and frequent mowing can have an outsized impact on pollinators and native insects.
Lawns and gardens are a space where individual effort and individual care for the environment really does matter. You might not be able to reverse climate change, but you can make a migratory monarch butterfly's day just a little better.
Last spring I converted 125 sqft of my property into a wildflower garden. It was a lot of work but seeing all the birds, bees, and butteflies hanging out in it all the time makes me so happy!