Fixing Climate Change in Your Backyard (and Frontyard)

About our topic

A lot of us are pretty unhappy about the direction in which our planet’s environment is headed.Unfortunately, many people also think there’s nothing we can do about it. That’s not exactly true. The decisions we make in our yards and our homes—especially if done en masse—can make a huge difference in saving plant and animal species and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mike walks you through the basics—native plants (especially oaks), harvesting rainwater, reducing lawn area, composting and other gardening decisions—all designed to help your yard conserve rather than deplete natural resources. Knowing you’re doing something positive will also give you some peace of mind, which, after the past few years, is near the top of everyone’s list.

About the speaker

In 2025 Mike Nowak celebrates 28 years talking about gardening, the environment and green living. Before going “strictly internet,”Mike hosted programs on WGN Radio, WCPT 820AM, Que4 Radio, and WCGO1590 AM. For two seasons, he was co-host of the local gardening and food TV program Dig In Chicago. His award-winning column was on the inside back page of Chicagoland Gardening Magazine for sixteen years before that publication’s unfortunate demise. In 2014, Around the Block Press published his first book, Attack of the Killer Asparagus and Other Lessons Not Learned in the Garden.

Natural Habitat Evanston, a program of Climate Action Evanston, is an all-volunteer community group of about 1,300 members, spreading the word on creating habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife. We aim to change the culture of lawns: leaving your leaves is the simplest first step; the second step is adding a native shrub or tree to shrink your lawn. We show how to transition from turf with low-cost cardboard methods, which keystone native plants to choose for year-round forage, that insects chewing on leaves is a ‘win’ (rather than cause to reach for pesticide), how turning off unnecessary lights saves insect and birds (and human health), and how to make your windows bird-friendly (because if you are going to invite birds to your yard, let them visit safely). We plant a lot of native trees and shrubs, especially at schools and in the 5th Ward.

We encourage people to think outside the lawn with No Mow May. Our Pollinator Pledge is a central focus of all our outreach and education, and a great way to spread the word to your neighbors.

We encourage people to think outside the lawn with No Mow May. Our Pollinator Pledge is a central focus of all our outreach and education, and a great way to spread the word to your neighbors.