Gardening in a Changing Climate

Our Earth is a self-regulating system. If one element breaks, it affects all, but the reverse is true also. Regenerative actions focus on rebuilding broken ecosystems for a healthier, more stable climate.   

See these resources on how to work with nature to combat floods and droughts and weather extremes.

Stormwater Solutions for Homeowners (Mass.gov)

Rain Gardens: A Way to Improve Water Quality (UMass) 

Low and No-Till Gardening
(University of New Hampshire Extension)

Soil Health
(Natural Resources Conservation Service USDA)

Drought Tolerant Plans for Massachusetts
(UMass)

Boston's Tree Canopy
(Speak For The Trees Boston)

By working with natural processes, you can transform any landscape into islands of habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife. Some key principles of ecological gardening:

• Choose Native Plants

• Avoid Chemicals

• Reduce your lawn

See these resources for more on Ecological Gardening.

How to be an Ecological Gardener
(Wild Seed Project)

Climate Friendly Gardener
(Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners)

The Carbon Sequestering Garden
(NOFA Mass)

Nurseries and Seed Sources
(Grow Native Massachusetts)

We can thank pollinators for about one in every three bites of food we consume.  Wildlife too depends on biodiverse plant communities for food and habitat resiliency.  But pollinator populations, on which 80% of flowering plants depend, are in significant decline due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change,  

See these resources for how we can help.

Buy Bee-Safe Nursery Plants and Understanding Neonics (Xerces Society)

Rethinking Weed Management at Home
(Xerces Society)

Create Habitat by Leaving Leaves and Stems
(Xerces Society) 

Create Soft Landings Under Trees
(Heather Holm)

How to Start a Pollinator Garden
(National Plant Trust)

The global impacts of some 3,500 harmful invasive species play a key role in 60% of recorded plant and animal extinctions and cost humans $423 billion each year (2023 IPBES report).  It is important to be aware and find ways to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive and potentially invasive pests, including plants, insects, and pathogens.

Massachusetts Prohibited Plants and Alternatives (UMass)

Massachusetts Invasive Plants
(Mass Audubon)

Massachusetts Introduced Pests Project
(Mass Natural Resource Collaborations)

Research to Practice
(Northeast RISCC Management Network)