District 65 schools are lawn-heavy, often unshaded and, for kids on playgrounds, often extremely hot. NHE plantings engage classes of students to learn about the many benefits of trees. NHE also helps organize adult volunteers for plantings. Find the tree request form below.
Natural Habitat also provides fencing and mulch.
Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis
Pagoda Dogwood, Cornus alternifolia
Tupelo, Nyssa sylvatica
Ironwood, Ostrya virginiana
White Oak, Quercus alba
Red Oak or Black Oak, Quercus spp.
Basswood, Tilia americana
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)
Oaks are the top tree for wildlife, acorns feed diverse birds, mammals and insects, and oaks are larval host to more than 500 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars. Larval host means these hundreds of species of pollinators require oak leaves to develop to adults, just as monarch caterpillars need milkweed in order to develop to butterflies. Twigs and other tree parts also feed wildlife.
Yard Maintenance Brochure in English and Spanish, NHE
Sign up for the NHE Newsletter
Presentation on Transitioning from Turf (Powerpoint), January 2023. Touches on the issues with turf, why native plants, why leave leaves, concerns about neonicotinoids and outdoor lighting.
Transitioning from Turf presentation to FLOW (Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed, Columbus, Ohio) lead by Leslie Shad, NHE Lead. DIscusses the issues with turf, why native plants and why leave leaves, the concern about neonicotinoids, and how to navigate outdoor lighting.
Gardening that Matters. Get Started or Enhance your Native Garden. March 2023 presentation to North Shore Senior Center's Tuesday Club. A simple way to take action for climate, community healthand biodiversity: Swap out your lawn for native plants. Reconsidering theculture of lawns. Why it matters, steps to prioritize, how to get started, andhow to amplify the change. Leslie Shad of Natural Habitat Evanston presents.
District 65 Process for New Trees and Native Plants at Schools
D65 Process to Request Mulch, Compost and for Debris Pickup
Evanston requires a permit to remove trees.
Website database: search your zip code for plants ranked by Tallamy
Audubon Plants for Birds Database
Chicago Audubon Society Plants for Birds
Plants measured as host plants for US caterpillar species from Doug Tallamy, Univ of Delaware
From Saving you Money to the Air you Breathe: Tree Benefits
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - search native plants by state
Donating to Climate Action Evanston and earmarking your donation for Natural Habitat Evanston. You can further earmark your donation to one of our initiatives.
Join our Pollinator Pledge and let the city and landscapers know we care about sustainable yards. Take an optional yard sign to spread the word.
$25/bag to local residents (pickup; no shipping). We also have some $5 seed packets of bottlebrush and little bluestem grass. While supplies last. Emails should include your phone number and which species you are requesting. Pay by check payable to Citizens’ Greener Evanston at pickup.
Help at outdoor workdays
Rethink how you Lawn
Northwestern students Petition for Bird-Friendly Films at Mudd Library. Mudd Library accounts for over 14% of bird deaths and injuries on campus each year. Applying patterned window film to a portion of the building would dramatically reduce collisions that are fatal to birds.
Get updates and share your thoughts on our FB Group. You can also check out our FB page here https://www.facebook.com/NaturalHabitatEvanston
Just want to spread the word on certain steps? Mow Less-Leave Leaves (2-sided yard sign) or Leafblowers sign
Get news the next time there is a threat to Isabella Woods. (Only sent when there is news.)
Provide Food, Water, Shelter, Places to Raise Young and Sustainable Steps for wildlife. It helps Evanston maintain its NWF Community-wide Wildlife Habitat certification.
