Earth Day native plant push

Green Bay used Earth Day to launch a yard-by-yard native planting push, handing out free plant kits through a new city program. (wbay.com) The program, called Neighbors for Nature, is run by the Green Bay Conservation Corps and the city’s Sustainability Commission. City materials say 600 residents applied for 300 kits, and each kit includes 15 native plants, an educational packet and a yard sign. (greenbaywi.gov) Green Bay’s city website says residents could register between March 23 and April 19, with winners announced on Earth Day, April 22. The city said the launch was funded with support from the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin and partnerships with the Green Bay Botanical Garden and Stone Silo Prairie Nursery. (greenbaywi.gov) The push reflects a broader Earth Day message from local governments and conservation groups: plant species that already belong where you live. In Texas, conservation experts told Fox stations that “ecoregion-specific” native plants do more for pollinators and wildlife than generic landscaping choices. (fox4news.com) Texas A&M AgriLife’s Texas Superstar program uses a different label for a related idea: plants tested for strong performance in Texas conditions. AgriLife says the program highlights ornamentals judged to handle the state’s heat and other tough growing conditions. (agrilifeextension.tamu.edu) That does not mean there is a national Earth Day rebate for homeowners to redo their yards. In Austin, the public incentive highlighted this month was a local Zero Waste Business Rebate, and the city says eligible businesses can receive up to $3,000 for waste-reduction steps beyond minimum recycling rules. (statesman.com) Austin Resource Recovery says that rebate is for commercial, food-permitted and multifamily properties and businesses, not a nationwide homeowner program. The city’s rebate page says applicants can apply across multiple rebate options tied to waste reduction and diversion. (austintexas.gov) The common thread across these April campaigns is local targeting: Green Bay distributed native plant kits to residents, while Texas experts urged gardeners to match plants to their ecoregion. The practical advice was less about one-off Earth Day giveaways than about changing what goes into yards and landscapes after April 22. (wbay.com)