Last fall, David and I reduced our backyard turf and added more native plants, a drip watering system, and a water feature. Despite our triple-digit temperatures this summer, our little piece of God’s earth has morphed into a thriving wildlife center: bees, hummingbirds, cardinals, etc., butterflies, lizards, skinks, leopard frogs, dragonflies, and many other pollinators– great and small– are inhabitants now and our water bill has gone down. Even planting one native plant can make a difference because it increases biodiversity and helps our ecosystem function as it was meant to! Saint John’s will be initiating a Pollinator Project on church grounds, too! Stay tuned for more developments and ways you can become involved!

(Photo is a native asclepias tuberosa milkweed bloom from the Bost garden.)