Little Ways to Make a Big Impact on World Environment Day
Emily Ellis
World Environment Day, an annual awareness day falling on June 5, is particularly special this year: to kick off the holiday, the United Nations launched their #DecadeofRestoration initiative – a 10-year global effort to restore damaged ecosystems, support biodiversity, and ensure a better future for all life on earth.
Wetlands are some of our planet’s most diverse and vital ecosystems. OSGF is home to two significant wetland areas: one on the Oak Spring side, and one on Rokeby, which are carefully protected and monitored by Our Arboriculture, Conservation, and Landscapes team. So far, the ACL team has begun restoring 5 acres of our wetlands, a process which involved surveying for native vegetation, removing invasive species (which takes many treatments over a period of several years) and planting native shrubs and herbaceous plants including rushes, sedges, and perennials. Photo by Sarah Causey.
Ecosystem restoration is also a significant part of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s work. We have the privilege of stewarding a variety of environments: our 700-acre property encompasses wetland areas, old and new forest, grasslands, and close to a mile of Goose Creek. The Oak Spring side of the property alone is home to forty-five native species of trees and shrubs - more tree diversity than in Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks combined.
All of our staff members work hard to conserve our precious site for future generations. Our farm and gardening teams support soil health and pollinators in cultivated areas of the property, and our Arboriculture, Conservation, and Landscapes team’s long-term projects include native grassland restoration, reforestation with native hardwood trees, wetland restoration, and invasive species removal and management - efforts aimed to increase biodiversity on the property and ensure that it remains healthy and resilient well into the future, particularly as we face the enormous challenge of climate change.
However, you certainly don’t need 700 acres and a team of conservationists to help restore ecosystems. Even if your home doesn’t have much land (or any), there are plenty of ways you can contribute to the restoration of local ecosystems and the benefit of our planet. Scroll down to read about several little ways you can make a big impact on our planet’s wellbeing.
Restore the soil. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: soil is much more than a layer of dirt! It is a living, breathing community of organisms, and healthy soil is essential to a healthy ecosystem. Soil grows food for animals and people alike, helps maintain water supply and quality, and supports animal biodiversity under and above the ground, among many other benefits.
Lovely dirt in our formal garden.
The application of mulch and compost are the best ways to restore beneficial microorganisms to the soil; other methods include planting a diverse variety of plants, including many native species, and planting nitrogen-fixing cover crops like cowpeas - things practiced across our horticulture departments at OSGF. Soil restoration is also an important aspect of permaculture, or permanent agriculture. We’re hosting a 72-hour Permaculture Certification Course this September for those interested in learning more about this nature-first approach to landscape design - visit the event page to learn more and apply.
Pollinators love alliums, like this gladiator growing in the formal garden!
Nick Sette planting a Corral berry bush at the BCCF.
Plant for pollinators. Pollinating insects and other animals are essential for a balanced and resilient ecosystem. They facilitate the reproduction of over 90% of the world’s flowering plants, including the majority of the crops humans rely on for food and fiber. Unfortunately, many of these vitally important creatures are declining around the world due to pesticide use, habitat degradation, and other factors.
If you want to help your local pollinators, planting a diverse buffet of colorful, fragrant plants - especially native species - is a great place to start. Our ACL and BCCF teams have recently installed two large pollinator plots on the Rokeby side of the property, packed with native grasses, bushes, and flowers, to support wild pollinators as well as Oak Spring’s new honeybee hives. Click on the button below to see for a list of many of the native plants they put in the plot, selected by Head of Integrated Pest Management Nick Sette.
Don’t have a farm or a backyard? No problem! Urban pollinators need food and shelter too, which you can provide by filling a window box full of colorful and fragrant plants - even if it’s a tiny space, it can still help out your local bees and butterflies. Herbs like basil, lavender and chives tend to do well in window boxes, and are pollinator favorites. Native seed company Openseed also sells a handy pollinator mix designed for window boxes in metropolitan areas in the U.S.
Get a handle on invasive species. Invasive species are a massive pain in the neck for landowners and ecosystems alike, spreading rapidly through environments, outcompeting native organisms for space and nutrients, and sickening native plants and animals. Their damage can be catastrophic, wiping out entire species - such as in the case of the American chestnut blight, a fungus introduced from Asia.
While eradicating invasive species entirely is next to impossible, controlling them through measures such as manual removal, controlled burns, spot-spraying, and encouraging the growth of native species that are able to compete with them can help keep these pesky plants and animals at bay. Learn more about the methods our Arboriculture, Conservation, and Landscapes team uses to battle invasive species on the property here.
Grassland birds like the redwing blackbird will thank you!
Go easy on yard maintenance. Long grass, brush piles, fallen logs, and even dead trees (if they’re not in danger of falling on a nearby structure) all provide shelter for native wildlife. Allowing your backyard to get a little scraggly will benefit a range of beneficial critters, and will make things easier on your wallet and schedule as well. In the Virginia piedmont, many threatened bird species require tall grass ecosystems for nesting, feeding, and protection - a type of environment that is in rapid decline due to being targeted for development.
At the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, we work hard to manage our grasslands sustainably. In addition to replacing some of our gas-powered vehicles and tools with electric ones, we’ve reduced the number of grass acres we keep manicured by over 40 percent in the past few years – the result of which has been a marked increase in grassland bird sightings around the property, including declining species like the bobolink.
A beautiful recent CSA share from the BCCF. Photo by Caitlyn Lovely.
Eat local. Large-scale agriculture is a major contributor to ecosystem degradation. Livestock farming in particular can cause soil and water contamination, overproduction of waste and deforestation, contributes to global warming, and can be particularly harmful to fragile wetland ecosystems. Industrial agriculture was responsible for 10% of the U.S.’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, according a report from the Environmental Protection Agency.
So what can you do about it? Get some of your groceries from small, local farms that engage in sustainable agricultural practices. Not only will you be supporting small businesses and reducing your carbon footprint, you’ll be getting far tastier ingredients! Many local farms, including our Biocultural Conservation Farm, also offer weekly Community Supported Agriculture shares, which are a great way to try a variety of seasonal produce.
Reforestation underway at Oak Spring (photo by Sarah Causey). The foundation’s Arboriculture, Conservation, and Landscapes team has planted thousands of native hardwoods across the property over the past few years.
Plant a tree - or many trees! Trees - particularly large, old ones - are an essential part of many ecosystems. In addition to trapping carbon and helping in the fight against climate change, they create vital habitats for wildlife, support sustainable agricultural practices, reduce erosion, and provide shade that cools down environments. Planting native trees on your property - or supporting organizations that do reforestation work - is a great way to help strengthen your local ecosystem. The Arbor Day Foundation has a handy guide to help find the right tree for your property and region.
Support organizations working to restore ecosystems. Whether you’re able to make a monetary donation, or donate your time by participating in citizen scientist species counts, clean-ups of local watersheds, and other volunteer projects, many wonderful environment organizations are looking for help. Virginia Working Landscapes, the Clifton Institute, the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation are just a few of the great local organizations that strive to protect our beautiful wild spaces and educate others about them. Find a great list of environmental organizations in Virginia here.
Interested in learning more about the diverse ecosystems of the Virginia piedmont, and how to protect them? Check out our upcoming courses on permaculture design, the care and conservation on ancient trees, and landscape interpretation.
Banner image: Oak Spring’s wildflower meadow.