Native species and the habitats they comprise are in steep decline. Estimates indicate that oak woodlands and savannas have been reduced by 80%, wetlands by 87%, bottomland hardwood forests by 70%, and native prairie by over 98%. Overgrazing, residential and commercial development, mining, and other human activities have adversely impacted many native plant communities through habitat degradation or loss.

When native plants and habitats disappear, so does the wildlife that depends upon them. For example, 96% of birds rely on insects for their main food source, and 90% of insects rely on very specific native plants. Without the right plants, insects decline, birds decline, and on and on across the food web.

If half of American lawns were replaced with native plants, we would create the equivalent of a 20 million acre national park – nine times bigger than Yellowstone!” -Douglas Tallamy, Nature’s Best Hope

But there’s hope! Even a small native habitat can make a big difference for wildlife. By replacing lawn, weeds, or other low-value areas with native plants, you’re restoring food and shelter where none existed. And the more of us who restore native habitats, the more we can connected fragmented habitats and help offset habitat loss.