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Many call her Mother Earth. Which is a very fitting name as she is the caretaker of us all. She is the being that keeps us, humans, alive and all other living things. She is the one thing that binds us all together.
Imagine, for a moment, Mother Earth in human form. She has been used and abused, so much has been taken from her, and very little given back. She has endured hundreds and hundreds of years of giving her life force away in the form of wilderness, resources such as water, minerals, & elements. If you continue to imagine, she is now looking very sickly, worn out, thin, weak, and susceptible to disease. It is a dim bleak thought to imagine her in this way. Just as we are empathetic to abused and neglected humans, so should we be to Mother Earth. Her body is made of a complex web of living things, just as our human body is a complex web of living material. Bacteria to whales to humans, all living things are connected. The health of our planet will directly determine YOUR health and the health of your children and grandchildren. If each of us begins to view Mother Earth as a living being and not a commodity, many may start treating her differently.
Now, imagine YOU could help to FIX her, that YOU could help nurse her back to health. It seems to be an insurmountable problem that is too big for any one of us to fix. You would be right to think this. It is too big for just one person to fix. It is going to take many people working together for the good of all people. I was called to write this message to open minds, inform and extend my hand, walk with me we can do this together.
One of the biggest positive impacts that one person can make to our environment is to support and create BIODIVERSITY on their property. What does that look like? I have compiled a practical list of changes that you could make today. I challenge you to choose one or two of them to start your journey in a positive direction. Many small changes added up over time will make a HUGE positive impact.
Discontinue using lawn companies to spray fertilizers and pesticides on your property.
Add native plant species to your property.
Plant a keystone species to your region (ex: add a native oak species)
Remove known invasive non-native species from your landscape.
Shrink your lawn, expand your gardens (with natives plants)
Monetarily support your LOCAL grass-root organizations working on the front line creating positive change for the environment.
Educate yourself :) Recommended Reading: Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy
Encourage and support local government initiatives that protect habitat and decrease threats to biodiversity.
Support local organic farms in your area by purchasing from them
Support companies with a mission to be carbon neutral, plastic neutral, and plastic-free.
What qualifies me to talk about such a subject? All of these reasons and none of these reasons. I am not a formally trained biologist, ecologist, or scientist. I am far from perfect and have made many mistakes, and I will continue to make mistakes. Why am I so passionate? My husband and I have four children that deserve to live on a healthy Earth as we all do. We have bared witness to what small changes can do in our own yard. I am here to tell you that anyone can do this. They are changes that are not only easy to make, they will also bring you joy! Sitting within our garden observing all the wild visitors in the form of butterflies, bees, wasps, moths, and birds doing their thing is calming, healing, and a balm for the soul.
The shelter in place due to COVID-19 allowed all of us to witness that when we give Mother Earth a "break" she can and will heal herself. She is resilient. I would love to share what I have learned and direct you to resources to help you start your journey of being a good steward to your piece of this beautiful earth.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” ― Dr. Seuss
Do you live in Canton, Michigan? If yes, I can plant you a free (yes free no strings attached) native Michigan garden. Fill out this form to get on my list: Garden Application
*Free gardens are brought to you by Adapt: Community Supported Ecology a crowdfunded, volunteer-based organization. Not interested in a garden but want to help? Consider a monetary monthly donation to Adapt via Patreon: Sign Up Here
This piece is incredible! This really made me think, much harder, about how Mother Nature needs our help. Thank you for putting it all into perspective!