Elmhurst University’s native prairie gardens will be one of six stops on the Start In Your Yard Native Garden Tour on Saturday, July 24.
Sponsored by the Elmhurst Cool Cities Coalition, the tour of six native gardens (three public and three residential) throughout Elmhurst is part of the group’s Start In Your Yard initiative to empower homeowners to turn their yards into conservation corridors and wildlife habitats.
In Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts In Your Yard, author Douglas W. Tallamy urges homeowners to take environmental action into their own hands, one yard at a time, to restore critical ecosystems.
“Re-wilding” and restoring property with native plants, shrubs and trees can help:
- Increase biodiversity and ecosystems
- Beautify landscape
- Provide stormwater solutions
- Reduce overall maintenance
Tour participants can visit some or all six of the native gardens on their own, or can join the Elmhurst Bike Club on a safe bike route to all six gardens. Each garden will feature a knowledgeable host who will be available to tell visitors more about the garden, individual plants, garden features and additional resources.
The free Start In Your Yard Native Garden Tour runs from 9:00 a.m. through noon on Saturday, July 24. Register for the tour at nativegardentour.eventbrite.com. The route map will be shared with registrants via email on Wednesday, July 21.
The Native Garden Tour is the first of many Start In Your Yard educational programs and events. Others include a One Book, One Community read of Nature’s Best Hope by the Elmhurst Public Library; and a Douglas Tallamy author visit sponsored by Friends of the Library.