If you enjoy growing things, it’s time you turn your hobby into a super power.
Gardening is therapeutic. But did you know that it can also help protect the planet and build a sustainable future for all?
Global warming and climate change are very real threats to our existence. In a joint editorial released by the top 200 medical journals, scientists state that increasing temperatures and “the continued loss of biodiversity risk catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse.”
Not only does climate change trigger extreme weather events, it also creates conditions that increase the spread of viruses and disease.
To mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change, it is important to protect ecosystems.
Here’s where gardening comes in.
You can help keep ecosystems healthy by raising a sustainable garden. How? By choosing native plants over imported or exotic plants.
Native species of bees, butterflies, beetles, birds, and other insects and animals will thrive in the presence of native plants. By growing native plants, your garden can actually help native species survive.
Consider it a first step towards urban rewilding, which is the process of restoring native habitats in urban spaces. A number of countries are now engaged in urban rewilding to facilitate the coexistence of humans and nature as well as increase biodiversity and counter climate change.
So, plan your garden around plants native to your area such as the Kris plant (Alocasia sanderiana), the Hydrangeaceae (Hydrangea scandens), or the Euphorbiaceae (Homalanthus populneus) which are indigenous to Mindanao. Native plants are beautiful as well as hardy. Plus, they keep our culture and heritage alive.
You might think that your garden is too small to make a difference, but your actions can cause a ripple that will impact the whole planet’s ecological balance. Besides, from the perspective of a ladybug, your small garden can be its whole world, and in it, you are the super hero.
