By: Sue Reed and Ginny Stibolt
Overview
This book presents a forward-looking message full of action and hope. We, the authors, based our ideas on the premise that climate change is real and has already altered the world and our lives. From the start, we avoided debate and instead accepted the facts of climate science.
Now, five years later, those facts are starker than ever. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the years 2013–2021 all rank among the ten warmest years on record. And 2021 was the 45th consecutive year (since 1977) with global temperatures above the 20th century average. People are witnessing the effects of climate change in their daily lives, which has caused many people to ask what can be done. Whole countries, international corporations, and environmental organizations are stepping up efforts to reduce their own carbon footprints and to convince others to follow suit.
This book gives everyday people an essential part to play as well. It empowers us all to make a difference in the world while also doing something we love: taking care of our own landscapes and gardens, and those in our communities, be they private or public. Noted garden writer and podcast host Thomas Christopher observed that while much ecological garden writing encourages gardeners to look to past native landscapes to inform their gardening choices, Climate-Wise Landscaping looks forward and helps readers anticipate the future.
Homegrown National Park
Of particular interest is a recent initiative called “Homegrown National Park” (homegrownnationalpark.org/). Co-founded by entomologist and author Douglas Tallamy and entrepreneur Michelle Alfandari, this program invites homeowners to replace half of their lawn acreage with native plants arranged to create habitat and habitat corridors for birds and pollinators. Their properties are then registered on the Homegrown National Park map. According to Tallamy, there are 40 million acres of green lawn on privately-owned property in the U.S. The initial goal of the program is to create 20 million acres of native plant habitats and ecosystems. This is a grassroots call-to-action to regenerate biodiversity and create new ecological networks. It is the largest cooperative conservation project ever conceived or attempted. This book could serve as the handbook to help people create habitat while making other climate-wise adjustments and improvements on their properties.
Questions about Assisted Migration
Unlike animals, plants can’t pick themselves up and relocate to a better locale when things get tough. It is true that, over the long span of time, plant species ranges may gradually shift in reaction to changing conditions. But now, according to many sources including a UN “Frontiers 2022” report, climate change is altering conditions faster than plants can keep pace.
Some conservationists propose a solution called “Assisted Migration,” which is the process of introducing plants or seeds to new regions that may be conducive to their survival. However, plant ecology is extremely complicated, and changing climate conditions are unpredictable. So, along with the potential for success come many possible pitfalls. Introduced species might become invasive within a new ecosystem, or they might hybridize with local species, disrupting long standing survival strategies. Plants from elsewhere might bring destructive pests or pathogens. Species may shift at differing rates, leaving some interdependent partners stranded.
For these and other reasons, no broad consensus yet exists among scientists about the desirability of assisted migration. As a management strategy, it might make good sense in some cases. But, until we know more, it should only be done by conservation organizations and those knowledgeable about the specific ecology of a region.
On the subject of assisted migration, our message now is the same as it was at the time of this book’s first writing: we should not introduce species from outside their present native range to “help” plants manage climate change. And it’s not a good idea to introduce native species that grow only in more southerly locations or lower elevations in the hope that these will survive further north or at higher (now warmer) elevations.
Conclusion
As a society, we have known for decades about global warming and most of its causes. One of the most urgent questions of our time is, in the face of this knowledge, why haven’t we, the people of our only planet, taken dramatic action to address those causes? One school of thought is that, when we don’t receive immediate feedback showing our actions are having a positive effect on global warming, we aren’t motivated to change our habits and behaviors.
This may be true. However, when we make our landscapes more resilient in the face of climate change, we will see and experience the changes very quickly. Almost immediately, more birds and pollinators will take advantage of the habitat that we have created. Our landscapes full of more regionally-adapted species will be better able to survive extreme weather events – such as rainstorms, drought, and unusually high or low temperatures – with minimal damage. We may experience lower utility costs while staying more comfortable indoors during temperature extremes. Neighbors and passersby will appreciate the new kind of beauty – and increased birdsong! – our landscapes contain.
Although global climate conditions continue to change, there’s one thing that hasn’t changed since we first wrote this book five years ago. In addition to providing hundreds of ideas and actions everyday people can take in their own properties and communities, this book also offers hope, optimism, and empowerment. Many millions of gardeners and landscapers together can make a significant difference in the health of our local ecosystems and our only planet. So let’s roll up our sleeves!
Sue Reed is a registered Landscape Architect with thirty years’ experience designing sustainable landscapes that are ecologically rich, energy efficient, and climate-responsive. Reed is the author of Energy-Wise Landscape Design: A New Approach for your Home and Garden.
Ginny Stibolt is a freelance writer, botanist, and experienced gardener. Stibolt’s many books include Sustainable Gardening for Florida, A Step-by-Step Guide to a Florida Native Yard, and Organic Methods for Vegetable Gardening in Florida.
December 2022
