And the great thing about native plants is that you can have an impact on climate change directly.

and how you directly impact climate change when you're growing native plants in your yard is that you convert part of your lawn.

So we want to be clear that this is not just allowing your lawn to become overgrown.

This is actually removing that lawn and then establishing basically what are many meadows, with a range of different native plant species.

One of the things that that does when many people are doing it, it is it reduces the amount of CO2 emissions because you're reducing the amount of lawn that's being mowed.

One lawn mower can actually put, running one hour puts the same amount of carbon dioxide as seven cars running, for an hour.

Mesker Park Zoo is also a botanic garden.

and while some people think that is some specific place inside the zoo, for us, that's the entire zoo is a botanic garden.

So right now, we're in the family garden.

And while the zoo has many gardens throughout the park, tropical gardens, Amazonia, pollinator gardens.

This is where we kind of focus on what you can do in your own backyard to help bring in not only natural plants, native plants, but also pollinators to help attract hummingbirds and butterflies and bees.

What this garden does is really focuses on these types of plants that you can plant in your own backyard that are, drought resistant.

They're they're native, so they're more tolerant to our climate and you're not having to put, non-native species with heavy watering and heavy.

They survive and they do well.

And so really, they're a lower impact.

And they're actually the plants that the birds and the bees and the butterflies are used to seeing.

And they want to see.

So when you plant these types of areas in and around your house, they're not only are beautiful, but they also have a purpose for the native habitat around it.

the Southwest Indiana master Gardeners Association maintains the space for us.

but they've got lots of great educational pieces inside the zoo, in this garden to talk about, really, how to make your backyard a friendly habitat for native wildlife.

the idea that part of establishing a really healthy pollinator garden is, is taking a moment and looking to see what kind of plants that you have to assess if you have any invasive species.

That's a really easy step to take if you have any invasive species like Japanese barberry.

the state has actually passed a law.

It's called the terrestrial plant rule that has outlawed the sale of particularly invasive species.

So it’s important actually to be aware of that.

we have this is a family garden.

We also have native pollinator gardens.

And we also have insect hotels.

and so we have these little pockets around the entire zoo, that we manage and have a message around them.

So they really integrate into our botanic garden.

Pollinators are essential, for the, good habitat to thrive.

And they come in so many forms.

we have pollinators that are birds.

We have pollinators that are hummingbirds and butterflies.

Monarchs, obviously are great pollinators.

And then, of course, bees.

Several bees that use these areas, to pollinate not only our food supply but also the plants around us.

So, these are critical to the environment.

and so when you help put them in your yard or in your planters, if they're annuals and they're natives and they're also flowering, you’re only helping to add to those native species getting what they need.