GRAND RAPIDS — You've probably heard of "no mow May" which is a movement of people not mowing their lawns for a month to help the early pollinators. In the fall some people choose to wait to clear leaves from their yards to help the environment too. It's all part of what's considered "native landscaping".
We found a homeowner in West Michigan who has transformed her yard into a beautiful wild meadow plus farmers across the state who have partnered with MSU to add wild prairie plants to their land. We took a look at why some scientists say -- this can make a big difference for the environment.
"In the summer, it is absolutely stunning, because the grasses are tall, and they sway in the wind and they're all sorts of different grasses in here. So it's all sorts of different textures and it's absolutely beautiful. And there's flowers and then fall comes in, it gets wet and kind of clamps down," said Mary-Catheryn Baker, Homeowner.
Two years ago homeowner Mary-Catheryn Baker changed her front yard into a meadow welcoming a variety of pollinators.
"Bees, butterflies, birds, grasshoppers, I mean, things that were never in our yard before," said Baker.
This project is being done on a larger scale, too. Farmers from across the state are partnering with MSU to add native plants to under-developed land.
"How can we make these areas more natural prairie like habitat, and not just take away area from agriculture, but actually have benefits for the farms that go beyond those areas and improve yield and farm management and soil health over the whole field," said Nick Haddad, professor of integrative biology.
Homeowner and farmers say the pros outweigh the cons. They say costs go down for maintaining the land in terms of mowing or fertilizing. It can also result in a possible increase in crop yield, natural pesticides, added beauty and biodiversity of plants and insects.
"Those places can develop a diversity of soil microorganisms and insects that helped to maintain soil health, and they keep the organic matter the carbon in place and the nutrients in place, so that so that they benefit soils," said Haddad.
The benefits add up to lend a helping hand to the environment and combating climate change.
"If we add them up field by field, yard by yard, it turns into a really big area that's important to conserve," said Haddad.
It may not be something every farmer or homeowner can take part in, but for those who do they say they've seen the benefits.
“Honestly, all of the neighbors have been so nice. When I’m out here working they drive by and you know, they give me thumbs up like that. There's always the one neighbor who's you know, the one neighbor, but for the most part, 99% of them have been awesome. They love it," said Baker.
If you would like to lend a helping hand to improve our environment and transform your yard you can find a full list of Michigan native wildflowers, ferns, trees and grasses through MSU here.
