'I had my yard certified as a National Wildlife Habitat to spite a busybody neighbor.' AITA?
"I had my yard certified as a National Wildlife Habitat to spite a busybody neighbor."
Our yard is wild. I mean that in the real definition of "living or growing in the natural environment". We have no "lawn". We aggressively remove and prevent invasive and noxious species of plants and ensure that what grows is native to our area and drought resistant.
The wildflowers that grow are things like Lupine, Blue Flax, Spiderwort, Black eyed Susan, and Sunflowers, among others. We have natural elements like driftwood logs to retain water and we even have an elk skull in the yard to act as a shelter for critters.
There are a plethora of birds, bees, bunnies, and other wildlife. More wildlife than any yard in the area, as far as I can tell. It's beautiful and alive, but definitely not a manicured lawn with perfectly cut grass and landscaping.
Last summer, we got a notice from the county that our yard was in violation of some county ordinance. My husband called the number on the notice and got a very "over it" employee who let out a big sigh and said he had gotten like 30 complaints from one person for the entire strip of road that we live on.
Keep in mind, you can't "batch" report an area. You have to file reports house by house. So someone had the time and energy to pull up Google maps and file a report for about 30 houses for "overgrown weeds."
I checked the county ordinance and made sure everything we had in our yard was in compliance. Things like "purposely cultivated," which our wildflowers definitely were. We planted specific species of seeds and we remove whatever's not native. None of the wild plants block any sidewalks nor do they hang over onto any other properties.
Now knowing that it was someone with way too much time on their hands, I did some reading and learned that my yard has everything needed and then some to qualify as a National Wildlife Habitat. So, I filled out the form, paid the fee, and got my certificate.
My husband called the county employee back who said "Send me that certificate." He looked it over, thanked my husband for the new information he can use in the future, and closed our case. I now have signs on my yard that announce the property as a wildlife habitat and the birds and bees get to keep living happily in the wild.
Here is what readers had to say in response to the OP’s post:
NPR ran a story years ago about a woman in Arizona who pulled up her grass and return her yard to a native desert condition. She was told by the county to "remove that trash" and plant a green lawn. She took her fight to city hall and eventually won.
I feel like I know where you live and I'm happy every time I bike by there.
Yo you can't just say how cool your yard is and get a certificate and then not show us. Lemme see all the cool stuff you have!!
Good for you! Both the malicious compliance specifically, and for maintaining a wildlife habitat in general. Those look better than any flat plot of grass any day of the week.
I triple certified my yard as a wildlife habitat, a TN Smart Yard, and pollinator habitat. I'm in an older neighborhood where some houses get in a perfect green lawn competition and some get their yards toxic sprayed regularly with little pesticide-applied signs here and there.
All the wildlife has come to my house to hang out, so I've got deer that mow the front yard and critters everywhere. It's a nice happy space, and convenient to have signs and plaques to point to when the lawn service salesmen come knocking wanting to spray.
I would love to have you as a neighbor as I have beehives. I ripped up about a little over a third of my front lawn last year to remake it into a pollinator garden. I think lawns are stupid. What’s left is literally probably 10 feet long and 4 feet wide lol.
But other neighbors around us are doing the same thing. They’re sick of taking care of a lawn, they love our bees, we pass honey out to them each year, and they are planting pollinator gardens all over the neighborhood! So honestly, you’re just ahead of your time.
Malicious compliance aside, I wish everyone would replace their useless green lawns with meadows and similar habitats. If anyone wants to follow the OP's lead: Create & certify wildlife habitats
Love this! Wild meadow lawns are the way to go! Plus, what a loser neighbor! I hope they get diarrhea for a week straight at inopportune times, in white pants, in front of people.
Very similar thing happened to us a couple of years ago. We grow daisies through the whole front yard and we do have the habitat cert as well. Someone unnamed complained to the city and the city sent us a notice. I called the city and we are fully in compliance with city ordinances.
They have a law about grass height that this person was trying to nail us on. Daisies aren't grass. City planner came over for coffee (small township that's part of a larger suburb of Minneapolis) and we decided together that what we have in the front yard is a 'prairie garden'.
Now that he's got something to tell the whiner we haven't had a problem again. People need to calm down. The daisies look awesome until the bloom is over and then we mow them down.
OP, you're awesome! I have two questions: How do the driftwood logs act to retain water? Do you have any other water feature installed?
Thanks, and I wish you many pleasurable years of wildlife observation!
tawnyfritz (OP)
Anything that dirt can get washed up against will retain a small amount of water, enough for the native flowers in our area to flourish. Swales can be created with just dirt to do the same. We have a bubbling bird bath that definitely helps attract wildlife but it's a pain to keep clean. Worth it tho, if you have the time.