Home Roots

Photo by Trac Vu on Unsplash

“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets,” said Aldo Leopold in A Sand County Almanac. “But humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel.”

Or maybe a rake. Or even a stick. The creation by planting Leopold spoke of isn’t limited to trees, and you don’t need 80 acres in Wisconsin or to wait decades for a stand of pine trees. Yes, large blocks of acreage matter and are necessary. We need those. That doesn’t mean that smaller spaces don’t matter or that they can’t contribute to the end goal: increasing habitat. That forgotten corner of a field or backyard, or even an ignored flower bed can make a difference, even this year. 

Learn more in my column on the Dayton Daily News site: Celebrate Earth Day by preparing your own yard to be a habitat 

Find plans

Ohio Native Plant Month - https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/plant-a-pollinator-garden 

Pheasants Forever offers a free PDF download of instructions for organic site prep for any season: https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/resources/64/organic%20site%20preparation.pdf

Find seeds

https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/store/items/OH/

https://www.gardenia.net/guide/great-pollinator-plants-for-ohio

Resources

Register your pollinator garden to help Ohio studies and research https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/plant-a-pollinator-garden 

Find Events

Marianist Environmental Education Center - Gardening with native plants hands-on workshop. April 26, 9:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.

Carolyn Kimes Tree Seedling Giveaway at 2nd Street Market - Free deciduous and coniferous tree seedlings, first come, first serve while supplies last. April 26, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=S165&api=programs&type=program