This fall, Green Hudson kicked off its Climate Cafe series with two presentations on what are called nature based solutions. Alexi Dart-Padover talked about native plants and Pam Helenik discussed Wetlands protection as part of climate change mitigation and adaptation. If you haven't had the opportunity to check them out, they are posted here.



Conversations like these often bring me to thinking about our place in the natural world. Genesis 1:28 says that God gave us the instruction to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Interpretations vary based on one’s reading of the passage. My view— effectively this verse presents a dual mandate to embrace the struggle with nature, and also treat nature with the loving kindness of a benevolent ruler, in other words, to be “good stewards” of the Earth.



Douglas Tallamy's book "Nature's Best Hope" well understands our singular ability not only to subdue the earth, but to demolish it. Not only have we forgotten the second part of the mandate, to be “good stewards” but we have also forgotten that we remain dependent on the fruits of the Earth. Our treatment of creation is causing a mass extinction that if left unmitigated will be our undoing.



Tallamy does not over emphasize the negative, but uses it to frame an uplifting narrative reminding us that we all have a part to play as stewards. He notes that 83% of the land in the U.S. is privately owned and if we planted native plants on just 50%, we could stabilize the biodiversity. Not only that, but no government intervention or regulatory framework is needed. Instead we can rely on local land and native plant trusts to showcase the beauty and diversity of native plants and animals.



In his book and blog post, Tallamy highlights "10 Things to Get You Started." Key among his points are:

• Remove invasive species. These plants thrive because they are not eaten by local insects and spread rapidly. By removing them, and replacing them with native species, we stabilize the local food web.
• Replace lawns with native meadows, native trees, and shrubs. Green lawns are no better than desert sand at sustaining our native habitats.
• Leave the leaves, especially under trees. Insects are the basis of the food web that sustains us. Leaves provide natural protection for overwintering insects  as well as food to nourish the trees in future seasons.
• Spread the word. Network with neighbors, towns, and civic organizations to create a "Homegrown National Park"
• Plant an oak tree. Tallamy states, "The 'new luxury landscape' is one of meadows and formal native planted gardens—it is no longer rolling green lawns." and "If you can plant one tree, make it a native oak."

Native plants clean our water and support native insects. Native insects pollinate our gardens and feed native birds. Benefits cascade back to us as song birds and butterflies bring us joy; pollinators bring us honey and summer vegetables; trees give us shade in the summer, buffer us from wind in the winter, prevent erosion, and store carbon in their branches and roots. Once established, native plants can support themselves. They are easier to maintain because they don't need to be watered or mowed. They can be an individual expression of artistic visual interest and bring the antics of birds and other wildlife back into our lives reconnecting us with the abundance and natural beauty of the creation that we are called to steward. Read Nature’s Best Hope. You will be both inspired and instructed in the why and how of becoming the good steward Nature requires of us.



Natures Best Hope is available via bookshop.org; local, independent bookstores; or the Hudson Public Library.