Monarch butterflies are disappearing. Other insects are on the decline as well. So are birds. Forests in the U.S. have been reduced by a third since the arrival of Europeans. Some 99 percent of our prairies are gone, too.
In this time of widespread ecological catastrophe, it can be tempting to let eco-anxiety give way to eco-pessimism. What, after all, can one person do? Most of us aren’t going to lay down in front of a bulldozer or chain ourselves to a tree. Abandoning your gas-guzzling car is hardly a viable option for everyone. And simple steps like recycling, apparently, aren’t even that effective, with much of our dutifully sorted waste ending up in the trash or in the ocean anyway. Even our reusable cotton totes would have to be used 20,000 times to offset their environmental impact.
But before you go full nihilists, take heart — there’s something you can do that actually has a documented impact. And you can see it with your own eyes.
Homeowners and even apartment dwellers across the world are creating backyard habitats for wildlife. Planting native species provides much needed food and shelter for animals as they eke out a living in pesticide-saturated suburbia or concrete city landscapes. In concert with larger restorations in rural areas, thoughtfully planted utility strips, forest preserves, and state and national parks, these oases become part of a larger system of wildlife corridors — a network of hospitable places for animals to feed, breed and shelter.
