This season is shaping up to be particularly hot, following trends over the past few years of increasingly warm summers.
To combat some of the side effects of extreme heat, such as water shortages and scorched lawns, the city of Phoenix is incentivizing residents to replace their grass lawns with landscaping that requires minimal water use.
According to Climate Central, summers are heating up across the United States, but especially in the Southwest and Northwest. The first heat wave of the summer in the United States broke multiple records.
Warm temperatures can lead to drought conditions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted that drought conditions are likely to continue in the Western United States through most of July.
In drought conditions, using precious water to care for a thirsty lawn is not always feasible. Alternatives to the typical American green grass lawn can be much more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient.
Phoenix is offering residents $2 per square foot of grass removed, with a minimum total of 250 square feet. The city's Water Services department stated that replacing grass with native desert plants "can lower outdoor water use by 85% compared to grass. It can also reduce landscape maintenance."
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In the face of added effort and cost to maintain a traditional lawn, many are turning to "rewilding." This refers to filling the yard with native plants that have evolved over time to thrive in the local conditions, and it can save time and money.
Giving these native plants space to grow on your property is also beneficial for pollinator systems. Just as the plants have evolved to survive in the landscape, local pollinators have evolved alongside them.
Healthy pollinator ecosystems support the local food supply by ensuring that plants can reproduce and generate fruits, vegetables, and food for both humans and animals.
If you're interested in learning about the types of plants native to the desert, the city of Phoenix has resources to help. Additionally, other areas of Arizona have implemented similar rebate programs to transition lawns away from grass and to native plants.
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Any readers in the Phoenix area interested in the program can learn more on the city of Phoenix's website. At the time of this writing, only 18% of the funding remained.
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