Yards are out. Habitats are in. One mother-daughter duo proved this when their backyard transformation was featured on Homegrown National Park (@HomegrownNationalPark), a TikTok account and nonprofit dedicated to encouraging people to turn their yards into habitats for native species.
The video highlights Kelly and Matilda's habitat project, which transformed their regular grass-covered back lawn into a thriving habitat flourishing with native plants like swamp milkweed, blue wild indigo, eastern bluestar, and more.
"They saw a return of native wildlife right away after planting native and now use their yard for citizen science, finding new species every year," the video explains.
@homegrownnationalpark Using their ̶y̶a̶r̶d̶ HABITAT to regenerate biodiversity! 💚 We can ALL create habitat by planting native wherever we have soil. 💚 Add your new or existing native plantings to our map to join the largest conservation movement ever attempted. #homegrownnationalpark #garden #gardening #conservation #nature #citizenscience #greenscreen #grosspointepark #grosspointe #detroit #michigan ♬ original sound - Homegrown National Park
But Kelly and Matilda didn't stop there. Kelly loved the project so much that she took up nature education, highlighting ways that people can create a return of biodiversity in their communities.
Ditching classic grass yards for native species has gained massive popularity online recently, with TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram overrun with breathtaking transformations.
Getting in on the trend could mean bringing local pollinators, like bees, butterflies, insects, birds, and other animals to your yard — helping to bolster local populations. But native yardscapes don't just benefit the wildlife — they benefit you, too.
Planting a native yard can save you money in the long run, since upkeep costs significantly less than maintaining a grass yard. Native flowers or covers like clover require less fertilizer, pesticides, and water than traditional yards.
Matilda and Kelly's backyard was no exception to the hype.
"This is what I want to do," one user wrote.
Homegrown National Park reminded people that they can also transform their lawns, especially with the nonprofit's helpful resources, like a curated list of native plant finders. What are you waiting for?
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