Biodiversity is the cornerstone of any healthy ecosystem. Unfortunately, the biodiversity of the Great Plains landscape, dominated by prairie, has been significantly altered, making it one of the most imperilled ecosystems in North America. Our personal gardens and community green spaces offer a smart opportunity to celebrate native biodiversity and to help create refuges for the native flora and fauna, including pollinators, left struggling to survive. Biodiversity is also beautiful.
Why we love pollinators (24-page pdf with lots of resources)
What NSA is doing: NSA encourages and enables landscape biodiversity by growing and selling a variety of native plants; by developing educational materials that celebrate native plants and promote biodiversity; by assisting communities with biodiverse landscape demonstration projects; and by partnering with many institutions and organizations around the state and region in a shared message of landscape stewardship.
What you can do: Anyone wishing to improve biodiversity and the ecological function of their own gardens or the landscape around them can start by becoming an NSA member and learning about the native and well-adapted plants that can be planted to improve wildlife habitat. Then it’s as simple as obtaining plants from NSA and other like-minded nurseries and planting them in their own garden. Start small. Rome wasn’t built in a day and every little bit helps.
How your neighborhood, business or community can help: Organizations, businesses and other groups can actively promote and help plant biodiverse landscapes throughout a community, including on the properties they own and manage. Organizations can also host learning opportunities and other events to promote wise landscape stewardship while emphasizing biodiversity. If these events include volunteer opportunities to help make our communities greener while getting our hands a little dirty, then that’s even better.
