My Nonprofit Reviews

Wild Ones is uniquely positioned to lead the next phase of the environmental movement. In the past we have focused on preserving grand spaces (Muir), understanding the connectednes (Leopold) and removing pollution. Now we need to focus on the efficiency of these existing and limited lands in their ability to support ecosystems. By focusing on adding native plants we are giving wildlife plantroots support in rebooting the food chain.

In my own case I have been able to bring back a small ecosystem on less than an eighth of an acre in a subdivision of 500 cookie cutter homes. Dragonflies, damselflies, toads and grasshoppers now make their home here My isolated yard is also an island of biodiversity in the midst of a sea of mowed grass, hosting several bird species and dozens of migrating monarch butterflies every year. Possums. owls, hawks and raccoons have visited as well.

Where land has been degraded with invasive monoculture plant species we as an organization are removing these and replacing them with varied native species which nourish the land continuously by alternating their flowering stages. We also educate many people about the greater ability of natives to sequester both carbon and water. Selecting site appropriate native species allows us to mitigate flooding with rain gardens or to select drought tolerant species which reduce the draw of water in parched areas. Whether arid or moist, our advocacy of native plants therefore knows no bounds.

And of course, we are preserving the biodiversity of the seedbank through the sharing of our seeds. In addition, our plant sales put these plants more widely into our communities.

All these efforts of ours work to improve the efficiency of the land by connecting yards to neighboring natural areas and providing nourishing islands for visiting animals. People are unaware that they too have a choice between providing for nature or not providing for nature on their own property. We are the organization that can guide them with our educational and local and personal support. There is no other organization that can accomplish this much.