In a time of climate change and mass extinction, who we garden for
matters more than ever
Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our
genetically-programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back
into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from
other species?
Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers
how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to
explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter, and not
just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities.
Author Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why
we urgently need wildness in our daily lives -- lives sequestered in
buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that
significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the
psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way
to understand how we are short circuiting our response to global crises,
especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put,
environmentalism is not political, it's social justice for all species
marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow.
By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can
create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to
nature and to one another.
