Whether you live in a downtown urban center or along country roads in the townships, biodiversity in WaterlooRegion is a critical part of sustaining a healthy environment. Diversity in trees, birds, insects and fungi all play a role in maintaining functioning habitats that support all life in the Region, including ours.
Our lives as we know them depend on ecosystem services provided by our natural environments. Ecosystem services are natural processes that occur which humans are dependent on or benefit from, processes like photosynthesis, pollination, and decomposition just to name a few. These processes can’t function without all the working pieces in the system, namely the full array of interconnected species involved in these processes.
Global biodiversity is under threat due to excessive human activities, particularly habitat destruction for agriculture. While there are larger global actors at fault for this destruction, that doesn’t diminish the value of us taking smaller actions in our community and at home. There are actions we can take, some more permanent than others, that can improve the local biodiversity and support wildlife in our shared spaces.
What you can do to support local biodiversity
Since habitat loss is one of the leading threats to biodiversity, creating space for native species in your yard is a simple solution to this wicked problem, and there are multiple ways to do so.
Planting native species is one of the simplest and most impactful ways to support biodiversity in your gardens. These plants may not be as bright and flashy as plants sold in garden centers, but they will do wonders for the environment in your yard while they’re growing. Pollinators like butterflies, bees, birds, and other insects will greatly appreciate the native species for food sources and shelter, and in return they work on spreading the seeds of those plants to grow elsewhere.
Our Bloom(in) Box fundraiser is a great way to start the process of planting a native garden. Each box is curated with 3 plugs of 5 different species (that’s 15 plants in total) suited for specific climate conditions. Whether you have a sunny or shady spot, there is a Bloom(in) Box fit for that location, full of plants that flower at different points in the growing season so you always have blooms to admire! There is even a Bloom(in Rain) Box available for those who are looking to build a rain garden, which not only benefits biodiversity but also supports our watersheds.
In addition to a new native garden, there are also some small changes you can make to your property to support wildlife and biodiversity. Here’s a quick list of actions you can take this spring:
- Feeders: Hanging a bird feeder is a great way to support local bird populations year-round. Try placing a special hummingbird feeder with sugar water to see if you can attract some hummingbirds to your yard!
- Shelter: Another classic addition could look like a bird house or a bee hotel. If you have a shadier space, try adding a toad house to see if you have any amphibian friends lurking around your gardens.
- Rest: Bee baths and bird baths are great ways to provide a space to hydrate and rest while these pollinators are out working hard!
- Light: If you have lights outside, ensure they are shielded or on a time/motion sensor to reduce light pollution for bird species who fly at night.
- Non-toxic practices: Avoid using chemical treatments in your yard to minimize the risk for the native species.
With the threat of increased flooding, more frequent storms, and extreme temperature changes, supporting biodiversity is a critical step in mitigating the effects of climate change. While it may feel small, numerous “small” actions do amount to large impacts in our communities. This Earth Month, I encourage you to think about the space you occupy with your property and figure out ways to invite biodiversity to live alongside you; to support these native species and the things they do for us!
Featured image photograph by Sydney Daniels.