Did you know that approximately 40 million acres in the United States are dedicated to lawns? That’s an area as large as the entire state of Colorado!  

These lush green carpets can take a large toll on our environment as they demand resources like pesticides, fertilizers, and a staggering 9 billion gallons of water daily nationwide. 

Rewilding your yard and introducing native plants can create a self-sustaining habitat that supports pollinators and wildlife, restores soil health, reduces water usage and even improves air quality. Check out these tips on how to make your lawn even greener! 

Why Update Your Lawn?

Although lush, green lawns are beautiful to look at, maintaining them can be hard on our environment. Every year, lawn maintenance in the United States uses around 3 trillion gallons of water, 200 million gallons of gasoline, and 70 million pounds of pesticide.

Lawns also lack habitat for pollinators and other living things that promote a healthy ecosystem. Pesticides used to keep unwanted pests off of our lawns can be ingested by wildlife and can contaminate rivers, lakes, streams and oceans through rainwater runoff.

Add Native Plants

Native plants are already adapted to local conditions and therefore require less pesticide and no fertilizer. They also promote biodiversity, help prevent erosion, provide food for wildlife, and make your lawn more beautiful! 

Native plants help reduce stormwater runoff and increase soil infiltration as their deep root systems absorb up to 30% more water than traditional lawn grasses. 

Planting native plants in your yard also supports pollinators and helps to curb the decline of insects. (To learn more about our effort to curb the decline of insects, check out the Insect Effect campaign.)

Leave Your Lawn to Grow

Join the No-Mow Movement and stop mowing your lawn! Refraining from mowing your lawn can help lower air pollution and lessen gasoline emissions from your lawnmower. Just remember to keep up with weeding out invasive plants like ragweed and dandelion so they don’t crowd out native ones!

Consider Adding Signage to Educate Others

Let that statement be one you share with your neighbors and consider adding signage such as, “Wildlife Habitat” to spark conversation and educate others about the benefits of rewilding your yard. 

A good sign can help your neighbors understand that the look of your yard is not result of neglect, but rather one of intention as you practice sustainble landscaping. Check out this selection of yard signs, offered by different organizations that may even inspire your neighbors to think of their own yards in a different way.

Start a Food Garden

Replacing part of your lawn with a food garden is a great way to promote your health and the health of the environment. Food gardens require less water than turfgrass and provide you with a fun new hobby and delicious produce.

Try Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping is a form of landscaping that uses drought-tolerant plants in order to conserve water and improve waste efficiency. Xeriscaping can be done by grouping plants according to their water needs, incorporating mulch to reduce evaporation, and using drought-tolerant turf like Bermuda grass, Bahia grass, and zoysia grass.

Rewilding your yard not only nurtures biodiversity and conserves resources but also makes a powerful statement for a healthier, more sustainable future—one that can inspire your neighbors and strengthen your community’s connection to the environment.

Information from EPA NFW, NRDC, UF/IFAS, GroundWater Foundation and U.S. Forest Service.