It has been widely reported that our native insect populations are in trouble and the plight of insects has downstream impacts on the rest of the ecosystem. There is a new movement afoot to create a community based, grass-root solution to the problem. And you can easily participate!

It turns out that the largest single irrigated crop in the United States is turf grass. As a nation we maintain more than 40 million acres of turf grass. We spend more than $100 billion dollars a year managing turf grass – not to mention the amount of fuel, water, fertilizer and pesticides used and the impact that use has.

The idea of the Homegrown National Park was conceived by Doug Tallamy (of “Bringing Nature Home” fame) and Michelle Alfandari (a former media business CEO). The goal is to create “20 million acres of native plantings in the U.S. This represents approximately ½ of the green lawns of privately-owned properties”.

The focus is on small actions by many people, converting parts of their privately owned properties into areas of habitat. When joined together, these small pieces create a real, significant impact on the natural environment.

You can learn more about Homegrown National Park here. There are resources to help anyone get started creating habitat areas. If you already have habitat areas or native plant gardens on your property, be sure to get on the map and add your garden to the national park!