NEWS
Why It ’ s Worth Rewilding on a Domestic Scale
It doesn ' t take much to add some wildness to your garden at home .
Elizabeth Waddington
Rewilding will be crucial for tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss . Most often , we talk about rewilding on a grand scale — on farms and large tracts of land , and in wider bioregions . But rewilding in gardens can be just as important .
There are many reasons why we should rewild on a domestic scale . It ' s useful to think small , in addition to taking the broader view since even small steps taken at home can help improve our environments . Thinking more " wildly " can help us find solutions for the major challenges we face .
Carbon Drawdown and Climate Change Mitigation
By replacing formal lawns , annual flower beds , and hard paving with trees , shrubs , and herbaceous perennials , we maximize photosynthesis and sequester more carbon in our gardens .
We should think about our gardens not plant by plant , but as living ecosystems where every element works holistically for the benefit of the whole , as in natu-
Figure 1 . Rewilding in your own garden is just as important as rewilding on a grand scale to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss .
Grassroots Vol 21 No 4 December 2021 26