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International Day of Biological Diversity: How can we promote biodiversity in our own backyard?

This United Nations  sanctioned day of observance, on May 22nd, is meant to inspire recognition and gratitude for ecosystems and all of the plants and animals that inhabit them. It is also meant to call attention to our heavy dependence on these natural habitats for every facet of our daily lives. This reliance has caused some to abuse our natural world. The United Nations aims to focus on restoration and sustainable development in this next decade to improve our relationship with nature. How can we support this movement as well as foster a balanced and healthy local ecosystem?

Supporting organizations like The Escondido Creek Conservancy is one way. When the Conservancy purchases land, the next step is restoration, so damaged areas can be enhanced to support native wildlife. When you donate to the Conservancy, you are supporting ecosystem enhancement in your own backyard! Aid the Conservancy today and help protect thousands of acres bursting with native biodiversity.

The California Native Plant Society’s San Diego (CNPS) chapter is doing incredible work to promote biodiversity in San Diego, one garden at a time. They have created thirty private and public gardens throughout the county that contain drought-resistant, native plants to bring vitality to our community. CNPS is providing a small grant to support to the Conservancy’s native plant garden we will install at our new Hidden Meadows office at the Mountain Meadow Preserve. Thank you CNPS! More funds are needed to build and install the Conservancy’s garden–see design above. If you’d like to contribute to our garden donate here.

How can you build your own native garden? The CNPS San Diego chapter–in collaboration with the California Native Plant Society–has created a Native Landscape Planting Guide to make your planting endeavors effortless. This guide has fifty native California plants that are easy to grow and flourish in our local ecosystems. Start small with a succulent garden, or re-landscape your grassy lawns with an array of native gems. Any step towards prioritizing biodiversity, is a step towards a prosperous future for all life forms.

Sources: 

https://www.cnpssd.org/native-garden-tour-2023 

https://www.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/planting_guide-san_diego_chapter-web.pdf 

https://www.un.org/en/observances/biological-diversity-day