April ‘26 Shrewsbury Public Library Native Plant Display

This art by the Shrewsbury High School Art Honors Society portrays native plants that have thrived here since the glaciers retreated.

Beautiful and necessary for the web of life, native plants underlie all ecosystems. They improve air and water quality, absorb floods, cool neighborhoods, and sequester carbon. Without them, there are no native pollinators. And without pollinators for birds and animals to eat, they die off. Without pollinators, we ourselves cannot grow food.

Habitat loss is the primary driver of ecosystem collapse. In countless towns like ours, development and non-native lawns, trees, shrubs, and flowers from distant continents displace ecosystems that flourished here for eons.

Seemingly simple changes in landscape carry huge consequences for nature. Thousands of years will pass before local pollinators and animals adapt to these non-native plantings. Instead, insects are dying out, along with birds and ecosystems that depend on them.

We cannot flourish without native plants, and they can no longer flourish without our help.

Cultural expectations too often dictate what a good yard looks like. But we can change. Include native plants in your yard. They’re beautiful and hearty. Create a future where people and nature thrive together.

This art project was created in cooperation with Tipping Point 01545 Shrewsbury’s Volunteer Climate and Environmental Action Group.