The Powerful Potential Of Tiny Conservation Plots
August 29, 2024 at 09:57PMJoanna Thompson writes about the interdependence of life on planet Earth and the importance of fostering biodiversity in our urban gardening efforts. Today I learned that small plots can be carbon intensive if we’re not careful. When we’re trying to grow food to feed ourselves and cool urban spaces to aid climate change, we need to remember the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators we depend on to grow food. Nurturing biodiversity can mean leaving just a small space in the garden or on the balcony for native plants and perennials that feed and provide habitat for the insects we share the plant with.
Humans constantly spawn new habitats in our wake. When we build skyscrapers, pile up garbage or plant gardens, we inadvertently create space for other species. Pigeons thrive in cities because our building edifices mimic the rocky cliffs where they naturally nest. Likewise, our trash heaps, with their snug nooks and smorgasbords of food scraps, make beautiful habitats for rats.
City living is all about embracing diversity and doing the most with whatever sliver of space you can carve out. Perhaps conservation efforts in urban spaces should adopt a similar scrappy mindset. Each new garden is the opening up of a microhabitat for a rich tapestry of organisms — insects and birds, small mammals, reptiles, a host of microbes and fungi.
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2024/08/29/the-powerful-potential-of-tiny-conservation-plots/
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