{"id":2232,"date":"2026-05-21T09:41:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T09:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/21\/a-guide-to-converting-your-lawn-into-a-wildlife-friendly-garden\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T09:41:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T09:41:30","slug":"a-guide-to-converting-your-lawn-into-a-wildlife-friendly-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2232","title":{"rendered":"A guide to converting your lawn into a wildlife friendly garden\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"storytitle\">\n<h1>A guide to converting your lawn into a wildlife friendly garden\u00a0<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORYTITLE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-meta\" class=\"story-meta has-byline\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one-inner\">\n<div class=\"dateblock\">\n    <time datetime=\"2026-05-21T05:00:00-04:00\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"date\">May 21, 2026<\/span><span class=\"time\">5:00 AM ET<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/time>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE-INNER\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-meta__two\">\n<div id=\"storybyline\" class=\"storybyline-wrap linkLocation\">\n<div class=\"bucketwrap byline\">\n<div class=\"byline-container--block\">\n<p class=\"byline__name--block\">By\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"byline byline--block byline--has-link\" aria-label=\"Byline\">\n<p class=\"byline__name byline__name--block\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/g-s1-123006\/celia-llopis-jensen\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n      Celia Llopis-Jensen<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP BYLINE\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__TWO\" -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"STORY-META\" CLASS=\"STORY-META HAS-BYLINE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"storytext\" class=\"storytext storylocation linkLocation\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-122132\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 5333;--source-height: 3000\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5333x3000+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F70%2F7bb9bef6413291e197da7ece6373%2F01-lk-lawn-header-photo.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5333x3000+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F70%2F7bb9bef6413291e197da7ece6373%2F01-lk-lawn-header-photo.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"A medium-shot collage-style image of a native garden featuring clusters of various plants including purple Ohio spiderwort flowers and pale green mountain mint foliage. \"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Three years ago, this garden near the Kansas City metro area was a lawn. Now it&#8217;s full of Midwest native plants \u2014 like the Ohio spiderwort and mountain mint pictured here \u2014that attract plenty of pollinators.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Celia Llopis-Jepsen\/KCUR<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Celia Llopis-Jepsen\/KCUR<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><em>NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about how communities are <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/series\/1199537689\/climate-week\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>moving forward on climate solutions <\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>despite significant political headwinds. As the federal government halts plans to address climate change, states, cities, regions, and even neighborhoods are trying to fill the gap by cutting climate pollution and adapting to extreme weather.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lawns are great surfaces for throwing a football or laying out a picnic.<\/p>\n<p>But turfgrass in the United States now covers an estimated 40 million acres \u2014 an area about the size of the state of Georgia \u2014 and these manicured lawns take an environmental toll.<\/p>\n<p>Gas-powered yard equipment, like lawn mowers and trimmers, put out <a href=\"https:\/\/esol.ise.illinois.edu\/static2\/pdf\/IJLCA2021.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><u>30 million tons<\/u><\/a> of air pollutants a year, the Environmental Protection Agency says.<\/p>\n<p>To keep our lawns tidy and green, we also use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.udel.edu\/academics\/colleges\/canr\/cooperative-extension\/fact-sheets\/turf-grass-madness-reasons-to-reduce-the-lawn-in-your-landscape\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>weedkillers and fertilizers<\/u><\/a>. When it rains, those chemicals escape our yards and make their way through storm drains to our lakes and rivers.<\/p>\n<p>Shrinking lawns can reduce all these impacts. It can also create space for gardens that feed wildlife \u2014 great news at a time when North America has lost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.3billionbirds.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>one-quarter of its birds<\/u><\/a> and the U.S. has lost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xerces.org\/press\/study-finds-that-us-butterfly-populations-are-severely-declining\" target=\"_blank\"><u>one-fifth of its butterflies<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy has calculated that if Americans reduced their lawns by half and added native plant gardens to feed birds, butterflies and other wildlife, this would create more habitat than Yellowstone and a dozen other major national parks combined.<\/p>\n<p>Interested in ditching your lawn? These tips can get you started.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"edTag\"><strong>1. Choose a spot where you&#8217;ll kill some grass<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Consider starting small, especially if you&#8217;re new to gardening.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u200aIt can be overwhelming to take on an expansive garden,&#8221; says Stacia Stelk, executive director of <a href=\"https:\/\/deeproots.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Deep Roots KC<\/u><\/a>, a group that teaches the public how and why to plant habitat gardens in the Kansas City region. &#8220;\u200aAs you get more comfortable, there&#8217;s always room to expand.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Replacing the whole lawn at once can lead to weed, mud and erosion problems, so it requires careful planning and more work.<\/p>\n<p>A good place to remove some grass could be along a fence or sidewalk. If you have a tree in your yard, consider putting a flower bed around it. This is called a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com\/softlandings.html\" target=\"_blank\"><u>soft landing<\/u><\/a> because it gives caterpillars a safe place to go after they finish feeding on your tree&#8217;s leaves. There, they can make their chrysalises and cocoons among flowers and leaf litter, safe from lawnmowers, and emerge as adult butterflies and moths. Bees, fireflies and other insects will find homes there too.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"edTag\"><strong>2. Plan what you are going to plant<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Using flowers, trees and shrubs that have existed in North America for millennia is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nwf.org\/Native-Plant-Habitats\/Plant-Native\/Why-Native\" target=\"_blank\"><u>a surefire way<\/u><\/a> to turn your space into a wildlife magnet.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s because many insects feed on specific native plants. A famous example is the monarch caterpillar&#8217;s need for milkweed \u2014 it can&#8217;t eat anything else.Native plants also boost insect populations, which feed birds, frogs, lizards and other animals.<\/p>\n<p>To pick your specific plants, first note whether your new flower bed will be in shade or sun and what the ground is like. For example, is the soil very sandy? Is the area usually wet?<\/p>\n<div id=\"resnx-s1-5821165-100\" class=\"bucketwrap internallink insettwocolumn inset2col \">\n<div class=\"bucket img\">\n                  <a class=\"imagewrap\" id=\"featuredStackSquareImagenx-s1-5340713\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/06\/10\/nx-s1-5340713\/north-carolina-climate-change-solutions\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/06\/10\/nx-s1-5340713\/north-carolina-climate-change-solutions\"}'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2000x2000+534+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F9d%2F811c9b6044e68422a02f8686f141%2F359a9678.jpg\" data-original=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2000x2000+534+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F9d%2F811c9b6044e68422a02f8686f141%2F359a9678.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2000x2000+534+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F9d%2F811c9b6044e68422a02f8686f141%2F359a9678.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" alt=\"In this photo, residents of Earthaven Ecovillage plant spring crops in their community garden. For example, one man is holding an armful of hay, and a woman is pushing a wheelbarrow.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a>         <\/p>\n<div class=\"bucketblock\">\n<h3 class=\"slug\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/series\/1199537689\/climate-week\">NPR&#8217;s Climate Solutions Week <\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/06\/10\/nx-s1-5340713\/north-carolina-climate-change-solutions\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/06\/10\/nx-s1-5340713\/north-carolina-climate-change-solutions\"}'>Why knowing your neighbors can be an important climate solution<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETBLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKET IMG\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"RESNX-S1-5821165-100\" CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP INTERNALLINK INSETTWOCOLUMN INSET2COL \" --><\/p>\n<p>Next, find a native plant group specific to your region, because native plants for Arizona and New York are completely different. Many of these groups have online cheat sheets for picking plants. Midwesterners, for example, can check out <a href=\"http:\/\/grownative.org\" target=\"_blank\"><u>GrowNative.org<\/u><\/a>, which has sample flower bed plans and Top 10 lists of plants for different light and soil conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Also know what style you&#8217;re looking for. Are you looking for short <a href=\"https:\/\/www.plantvirginianatives.org\/native-groundcovers\" target=\"_blank\"><u>groundcovers<\/u><\/a>? Do you dream of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PDbG61_Ebhk\" target=\"_blank\"><u>cottagecore garden<\/u><\/a> with big drifts of pastel flowers? Do you want a hedge between you and your neighbors?<\/p>\n<p>Finally, know your local rules: Some homeowners associations or city codes restrict tall flowers and grasses in the front yard, for example.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"edTag\">3. Kill your grass<\/h2>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-123072\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 5333;--source-height: 3000\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5333x3000+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fad%2F67%2F20af87bb42a7bae8743fe8872739%2F03-lk-lawn-pickaspot-photo.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5333x3000+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fad%2F67%2F20af87bb42a7bae8743fe8872739%2F03-lk-lawn-pickaspot-photo.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                One way to kill your grass is to solarize it, according to Deep Roots KC, a group that teaches the public how and why to plant habitat gardens in the Kansas City region. Using transparent plastic to kill existing vegetation during the height of summer is a low-labor approach to remove lawn.\u00a0<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Cydney Ross<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Cydney Ross<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>There are plenty of ways to kill your grass. You can kill it by covering it with cardboard to deprive it of sunlight. You can lay down sheets of clear plastic to block light and rain while baking the grass in the sun&#8217;s heat. You can rent a sod cutter or use a shovel to dig the turf out by hand. You can also use herbicide. Iowa State University has <a href=\"https:\/\/yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu\/how-to\/how-kill-grass-create-new-garden-bed\" target=\"_blank\"><u>a nice guide<\/u><\/a> to carrying out these options.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s no right way to kill your grass. The best option for you will likely depend on your particular outdoor space, how much hands-on time you want to spend removing the grass and how long you&#8217;re willing to wait for it to die. Smothering the grass with cardboard can take weeks or months, for example.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re using plastic or cardboard, there&#8217;s no need to remove the grass once it&#8217;s completely dead, unless you see seedheads or grass pieces that could resprout. The dead turf will decompose on its own and add organic matter to your garden.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-122136\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 5333;--source-height: 3000\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5333x3000+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F69%2Fe2%2F38019b71458ab3ea0a3f0054e53d%2F04-lk-lawn-killgrass-photo.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5333x3000+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F69%2Fe2%2F38019b71458ab3ea0a3f0054e53d%2F04-lk-lawn-killgrass-photo.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                You can also use cardboard to smother your grass, but it may take weeks or months to die.\u00a0<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Igor Paszkiewicz\/Getty Images<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Igor Paszkiewicz\/Getty Images<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"edTag\"><strong>4. Buy plants for your new garden (or look for free options)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The tricky thing about native plants is that typical garden centers often don&#8217;t stock many of them. Many opt to focus on popular ornamentals such as peonies and boxwoods that originally came from other continents.<\/p>\n<p>Native plant or wildlife advocacy groups often post indexes online of native plant nurseries or pop-up events where native plants will be sold.<\/p>\n<p>But buying lots of plants can be expensive.<\/p>\n<p>Jeffrey Popp, director of restoration at <a href=\"https:\/\/aawsa.org\/what-we-do\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Anne Arundel Watershed Stewards Academy<\/u><\/a> near Annapolis, Md., has a few tips to save money when buying plants.<\/p>\n<p>First, look for places that sell plugs \u2014 small, young plants in six-packs or flats.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You can buy native plant plugs relatively inexpensive,&#8221; Popp says.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being small, those plugs can grow fast. Also, some homeowners with native plant gardens will give away seedlings for free or swap plants, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Try searching Facebook for local groups dedicated to native plants. This might mean a native plant society, for example,or a local chapter of <a href=\"https:\/\/wildones.org\/chapters\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Wild Ones<\/u><\/a>, a group that encourages wildlife friendly gardening.<\/p>\n<p>You can also start plants from seed, but this takes patience. Nurseries like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prairiemoon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Prairie Moon<\/u><\/a>, a major native plant seller based in Minnesota, have detailed instructions for how to get each kind of seed to germinate.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"edTag\"><strong>5. Plant the plants and wait<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-122134\" class=\"bucketwrap image medium\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 3230;--source-height: 4699\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3230x4699+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/png\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F78%2Fd7%2Fb337a30142cd948e8a9a60f80b35%2F03-lk-lawn-plan-photo.png\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3230x4699+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F78%2Fd7%2Fb337a30142cd948e8a9a60f80b35%2F03-lk-lawn-plan-photo.png\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Native plants laid out and ready to be planted. \" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Native plants laid out and ready to be planted.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Deep Roots KC<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Deep Roots KC<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Get them in the ground and put mulch around them. There&#8217;s no need to add extra garden soil during planting if you&#8217;ve picked native plants suited to your soil conditions. Advice on how far to space the plants out varies depending on the plant. But basically, you&#8217;ll want to space them so that once the plants mature, your flower bed is full.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u200aPlants want to touch each other,&#8221; says Paula Diaz, a master gardener in Kansas City. &#8220;They don&#8217;t want acres of mulch in between them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This is better for you, too, because eventually you won&#8217;t have to replenish mulch or pull weeds as often.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;ll take a few years to get to that point, though. Gardeners like to say that many perennials &#8220;sleep, creep, leap,&#8221; meaning they won&#8217;t seem to do much in their first year, will only grow a little in their second, and then will thrive in their third. (Although it&#8217;s true that some species can grow faster.)<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"edTag\"><strong>6. Watch out for weeds and dry conditions. And be sure to enjoy your new garden<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As young plants grow, you&#8217;ll especially have to keep an eye out for weeds and to make sure that empty spaces between plants are mulched.<\/p>\n<p>You may also need to water them while they develop strong root systems. If you&#8217;ve chosen plants appropriate to your area, you shouldn&#8217;t have to water them once they mature, except perhaps during serious dry spells.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resnx-s1-5821165-101\" class=\"bucketwrap internallink insettwocolumn inset2col \">\n<div class=\"bucket img\">\n                  <a class=\"imagewrap\" id=\"featuredStackSquareImagenx-s1-5628934\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/01\/30\/nx-s1-5628934\/community-locals-connection-friendship-relationships-neighbors\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/01\/30\/nx-s1-5628934\/community-locals-connection-friendship-relationships-neighbors\"}'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1910x1909+991+235\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6c%2F4e%2F098e137941e09cb2dae12e588452%2Flk-community-building-2-gettyimages-2212785103-1.jpg\" data-original=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1910x1909+991+235\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6c%2F4e%2F098e137941e09cb2dae12e588452%2Flk-community-building-2-gettyimages-2212785103-1.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1910x1909+991+235\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6c%2F4e%2F098e137941e09cb2dae12e588452%2Flk-community-building-2-gettyimages-2212785103-1.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" alt=\"An illustration shows two floating pink hands holding a string of paper cutout people that are attached at the hands. The colors of the paper cutout people alternate between green and blue. The image symbolizes the concept of building community.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a>         <\/p>\n<div class=\"bucketblock\">\n<h3 class=\"slug\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/lifekit\">Life Kit <\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/01\/30\/nx-s1-5628934\/community-locals-connection-friendship-relationships-neighbors\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/01\/30\/nx-s1-5628934\/community-locals-connection-friendship-relationships-neighbors\"}'>Want to be part of a village? You might need to get out of your comfort zone<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETBLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKET IMG\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"RESNX-S1-5821165-101\" CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP INTERNALLINK INSETTWOCOLUMN INSET2COL \" --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/xerces.org\/sites\/default\/files\/publications\/18-014_02_Natural-Nesting-Overwintering-FS_web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><u>In the winter<\/u><\/a>, don&#8217;t cut the plants all the way to the ground. Leave at least part of the stems because native bees nest in them. Also leave fallen leaves, because butterflies and other critters are overwintering in there.<\/p>\n<p>Enjoy! Diaz has gardened with native plants for more than a decade and five of her neighbors have followed suit.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s always a bird that&#8217;s singing or frogs that are croaking,&#8221; she says. &#8220;Being able to go outside and just walk around and see life that happened because you planted what you planted \u2014 it helps your heart.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Celia Llopis-Jepsen is host of the environmental podcast <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/\/www.kcur.org\/up-from-dust__;!!Iwwt!Wc0JqGXSMeqp0caIJUbdlFkCA5n9Xp-lJkR4fTuNRqQdv9KnndBszapqaA4eeRUBSrHQx8PsiqSNqt0YDXYMag%24\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Up From Dust<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> and a reporter for Harvest Public Media.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"hr\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>The podcast episode was produced by Sylvie Douglis. This story was edited by Shahla Farzan, Malaka Gharib and Neela Banerjee. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>We&#8217;d love to hear from you. Email us at LifeKit@npr.org. Listen to Life Kit on<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/n.pr\/3LdRb0X\" target=\"_blank\"><em>\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0and<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/n.pr\/3K3xVln\" target=\"_blank\"><em>\u00a0Spotify<\/em><\/a><em>, or sign up for our<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/n.pr\/3xN1tB9\" target=\"_blank\"><em>\u00a0newsletter<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/797045400\/life-kit-life-skills\">Life Kit: Life Skills<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"TAGS\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"share-tools share-tools--secondary\" aria-label=\"Share tools\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--facebook\"><button class=\"fbStorynx-s1-5821165\" data-share-facebook='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5821165\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"facebook\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Facebook<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--flipboard\"><button class=\"storynx-s1-5821165\" data-share-flipboard='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5821165\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"flipboard\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Flipboard<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--email\"><button class=\"share-tools__email-link\" data-story-id=\"nx-s1-5821165\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"email\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Email<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"SHARE-TOOLS SHARE-TOOLS-SECONDARY\" ARIA-LABEL=\"SHARE TOOLS\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"NEWSLETTER-ACQUISITION-CALLOUT-DATA\" DATA-NEWSLETTER=\"{&amp;QUOT;NEWSLETTERID&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;LIFE-KIT&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;TITLE&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;LIFE KIT&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;MARKETINGHEADER&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;SIGN UP FOR NPR LIFE KIT&#039;S NEWSLETTER&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;FREQUENCY&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;EVERY WEEK&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;SHORTDESCRIPTION&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;GET EXPERT ADVICE ON LIFESTYLE TOPICS LIKE HEALTH, MONEY, RELATIONSHIPS AND MORE. 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