Green Tip #30
Reduce Your Lawn and Help Wildlife

Unlike many native plants, traditional American lawns do not provide a good source of food or habitat for most types of wildlife. Native trees, shrubs, ground cover, prairie or meadow patches, flower beds, and attractively mulched areas are better environmental choices, for people and wildlife.

Here are some reasons to reduce your lawn:

• Save time and money that you would normally spend on mowing and fertilizing grass.
• Provide habitat and food for wildlife.
• Conserve water.
• Reduce lawn mower pollution and decrease run-off from fertilizers and pesticides.

Ways to reduce your lawn and help wildlife

• Use native plant species as ground cover instead of grass
• Install native trees and shrubs
• Create a water garden or pond
• Create a rock garden
• Use mulched paths

For more information from the National Wildlife Federation, visit: www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife.