May 1, 2018

May- Creation Friendly Yards

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this. In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being.”

Job 12:7-10

 

May’s ACTION is Creating CREATION FRIENDLY YARDS . Commit to one Action each week this month.  Contact  zerowastechurch@gmail.com  for more information.


Let’s ACT together this year to restore the fullness of God’s earth. 

In Genesis we learn first that God created all the living creatures and later God created humankind giving us dominion over all the creatures and instructing us to keep all of their kind alive. Today, scientists tell us we are doing a poor job. In fact, the earth is losing species at a rate 1000 times the normal extinction rate, and humankind is responsible. We can all be part of reversing that trend in our own backyards, and this month we will provide suggestions on how to do that.
 

For more information on creation friendly yards, see below!

Are you a Church leader looking to initiate this program as part of a zero waste campaign?  We will have PDF posters from each of our Monthly Actions, that can be downloaded from our “For Leaders” Resource Page. 

Week 1

  •  Plant dill or butterfly weed, both excellent host plant for butterflies. 

  • Replace grass with mulch and avoid using harmful chemicals in your yard.

 Week 2

  • Replace non-native plants with native plants. Clump them for a better habitat.

  • Plant an oak tree, an great habitat for birds, or a spicebush that produces berries migratory birds love. 

Week 3

  • Build a nest block for native Mason Bees, excellent early season pollinators.

  • Host a beekeeper at your home or church.

 

Week 4

  • Build a brush pile in your yard to provide shelter for wildlife.

  • Build a bird house or  install bird bath in your yard.

Bonus Action! 

Plant a creation friendly garden at your church!

Resources 

Web Resources:


Articles: 

  • Chris D. Thomas, et al., Extinction risk from climate change, Nature, 427, 2004.
  • Vincent Devictor, et al., Birds are tracking climate warming, but not fast enough, Proc. R. Soc. B, 275, 2743, 2008.
  • Tim Newbold, et al., Global effects of land use on local terrestrial biodiversity, Nature, 520, 45, 2015.
  • Michela Pacifici, et al., Assessing species vulnerability to climate change, Nature Climate Change, 5, 215, 2015.

 Books:

  • Larry Mellichamp, Native Plants of the Southeast, A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 460 Species for the Garden, Timber Press, Portland, 2014.
  • Douglas W, Tallamy, Bringing Home Nature, How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, Timber Press, Portland, 2007.
  • John M. Marzluff, Welcome to Subirdia, Sharing Our Neighborhoods with Wrens, Robins, Woodpeckers, and Other Wildlife, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2014.
  • Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy, The Living Landscape, Designing for beauty and biodiversity in the home garden, Timber Press, Portland, 2014.

 

This is part of our RESTORING GOD’S EARTH, A YEAR OF PERSONAL ACTION program;  A monthly guide to help individuals learn the many ways they can help care for God’s creation.

 

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Filed Under: Bird & Pollinator Friendly Garden, May, Uncategorized