‘Re-Wilding’ Your Property May Help the Environment

 

This week, a group of environmental activist¹ groups, including the World Wildlife Fund², called on European Union leaders to support re-wilding efforts.

"Re-wilding" is a conservation effort aimed at returning land to its more natural, uncultivated state. This movement is growing in popularity³ around the world, especially in cities and towns where short grass covers most areas, also called lawns⁵, around houses and other buildings.

Replacing grass lawns with a diverse⁶ group of native plants that flower and fruit can help support wildlife, including bees and other insects.

American Dan Jaffe is a plant scientist with the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary⁷ in Wales, Massachusetts. He spoke⁸ to the Associated Press about the process of re-wilding.

"The great thing about working with native plants is that these are plants that will grow in any conditions you can think of," he said. "There is no need to bring in problem plants when there are so many other options."

Part of the process of re-wilding means changing the way most people attend to their green spaces. For example, it is not a good idea to clean up your garden immediately at the end of the growing season. It is better to leave dead plants as they are.

"Birds who eat seeds appreciate it when you don't deadhead flowers," said Theresa Badurek, a horticulture agent with University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. She added that less cutting of plants and grass lets pollinators get to flowers.

Badurek says fallen leaf collection should be limited too. The remains⁹ of the garden and lawn⁴ provide food and shelter for important insect life.

No area is too small, she added. "Every space we can provide for nature to blossom¹⁰ is valuable."

Jaffe says it is a good idea to tell neighbors about your re-wilding project or they might misunderstand your effort as simple laziness.

"The early stages of the work can look like a mess," he said. It can take a few years before it looks good he adds.

Jaffe also said people should only use chemicals on their green spaces if they are absolutely necessary.

"Chemicals are a tool in the toolbox," he said. In some situations, invasive plant species¹¹ require the use of herbicides. It can mean the difference between a re-wilding project succeeding or failing, Jaffee said.

Words in This Story

uncultivated – adj. not prepared or used for growing crops or plants

diverse – adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other

option(s) - n. a choice or possibility

appreciate – v. to be thankful for something

deadhead – v. to remove dead flowers from (a plant

pollinator(s) – n. a creature that gives a plant the very fine usually yellow dust that is produced by other plants of the same kind so that the plants can produce seeds

blossom – v. to change, grow, and develop fully¹²

laziness – n. the condition of not liking to work hard or to be active

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

3 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

4 lawn   

n.草地，草坪，上等细麻布

参考例句：

• The lawn was crawling with ants.草坪上爬满了蚂蚁。
• They are lying on a grassy lawn.他们躺在绿草如茵的草坪上。

5 lawns   

n.草地，草坪( lawn的名词复数 )；上等细棉布（或麻布）

参考例句：

• carefully tended lawns set in a girdle of trees 树木环绕、精心修整的草坪
• Every one was moving their lawns. 大家都在割自家草坪上的草。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 diverse   

adj.不同的；相异的；多种多样的；形形色色的

参考例句：

• Spain is a composite of diverse traditions and people.西班牙是一个汇集了多种传统和民族的国家。
• Society is now much more diverse than ever before.当今社会较之以往任何时候都要丰富多彩得多。

7 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 blossom   

n.花，开花；vi.开花，发展

参考例句：

• The blossom on the trees looks lovely in springtime.春天树上的花很漂亮。
• Let a hundred flowers blossom,let a hundred schools of thought contend.百花齐放，百家争鸣。

11 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。