Landscape Information

For your home

We are finding information that can be helpful to people trying to make their own living spaces more sustainable and ecologically friendly. See below links for information.

Less Lawn, More Life

A great program that you can join to create a very lively and vibrant yard to encourage more thriving creatures, including you.

How to make your lawn more native

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has wonderful information on how to transition from a chemical-enhanced turf lawn to one that is intentionally managed.

The NWF has a great newsletter and website. Check them out if you are seeking information on changing your personal space to be more wildlife friendly.

Buying Bee Safe Plants

The Xerces Society has produced this PDF document “Buying Bee-Safe Plants”

Native Plant List

Serviceberry photo by Dan Mullen

Check out this link for local native plants and the birds they support.

Source: Audubon
Native plants – Best results page | Audubon

Native Trees

Are you looking at planting a new tree? (please). Here is a reference for trees that are indigenous to our area and help to strengthen the biosystem of our region.

The link is from the Natural Wildlife Federation.

Invasives

Ugh, invasives. We all have them, and some are even beautiful and fairly benign. Check out this site on the ones that are harmful to our area, and how to control them. The Midwest Invasive Plant Network has great information and recommendations.

Certify your yard

Apply here to become a Certified Wildlife Habitat® with the National Wildlife Federation. Make your impact in supporting local wildlife. It’s fun and rewarding!

Source: Certified Wildlife Habitat®

Local Resources

Please let us know if you have any local businesses that you think should be here.

Burlington Garden Center has added true natives to their extensive offerings.

Wild Ones is a national organization, with a local chapter that has great tours and a plant sale that is amazing. Find the Kettle Moraine Chapter site here.

And more...

Light can be harnessed

These pieces were a part of this presentation by Geneva Lake Astrophysics and Steam (GLAS) to the Lake Geneva Council. Here is a link to the video of the full meeting of June 12, 2023 Committee of the Whole.

Here are the materials presented:

Dark Skies_ Light Pollution & What We Can Do About It- pwrpt to COW 6.12.2023

Light Pollution Fact Sheet – GLAS

Five Lighting Principals – GLAS

Retiring Golf Courses

We’re not the first community to let a golf course go back to a natural state. There are several examples in this article from CNN. The title is “Abandoned golf courses are being reclaimed by nature”

Eau Claire is doing it right

The city is transforming 93 acres of land into pollinator-friendly landscapes. The project, set to begin on May 19, 2025, will target areas that are difficult to mow or not regularly used by the public. See the report on WQOW.