Redditors responded with excitement and disbelief after a user posted a photo of a hedgehog in their urban garden. The image highlighted one of the many benefits of creating spaces for local wildlife, even in areas where you might not expect such animals to be.
"We have a city garden," explained the original poster in the comments. "He visited us for the first time last year."
"I love hedgehogs!" exclaimed one excited commenter.
"That's so amazing!" added another. "I hope to have that experience one day."
As the OP's hedgehog pic showed, helping local wildlife can be as easy as creating green areas for them to inhabit and forage in. By planting a native lawn or rewilding your yard, you give everything from pollinating insects to small mammals to birds a place to thrive.
Rewilding your yard and using native plants also reduces water consumption along with the time and expense of landscape maintenance. Because native plants evolved to thrive in your local area, they require very little upkeep.
"Native plants are considered the best choice because of their abundance of nectar and pollen in addition to being low maintenance, generally pest free, drought tolerant, and ability to control erosion," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"They are good sources of food and shelter for wildlife, and are naturally beautiful," the USDA continued.
According to the National Audubon Society, pollution from gas-powered lawn mowers accounts for 40% of all landscaping-related pollution, but native lawns require little or no mowing. This reduces planet-warming pollution while saving on fuel costs. You might even be able to make some money by selling that old lawn mower you no longer need.
Some municipalities offer financial incentives for homeowners to switch from monoculture grass lawns to native plants. For example, property owners in the San Francisco Bay Area can receive between $2 and $4 per square foot to replace grass lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping.
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If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
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Making it look better 🌱 The OP's hedgehog photo showed living proof that creating green spaces and natural habitats for local wildlife works.
"I think stuff like this is why we exist," said one Redditor. "To see a little hedgehog in the sun by some daisies."
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