Rewilding isn’t about neglect — it’s about making intentional choices that support the ecosystem. The result is a yard that’s not just beautiful, but teeming with life. It’s a space where fireflies return, butterflies thrive, and birds find shelter. A place where the hum of bees replaces the drone of lawnmowers…
— from GASANature.org
A few weeks back, I couldn’t get my lawn mower to start. I probably could have taken it to the shop and had it fixed, but the fact is, I didn’t feel like mowing the lawn.
And the fact that it wouldn’t start, provided a great excuse, in case my neighbor asked about my overgrown yard. Which he did, of course.
“Your grass is looking kinda long, Louis.”
“Yeah, I know. But my lawn mower is broken.”
“Would you like to borrow mine?”
“Thanks for the offer, Bob, but I really need to get mine fixed. Wouldn’t want to keep borrowing yours.”
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Just let me know if you change your mind.”
“I sure will. Thanks!”
So far, I haven’t changed my mind. About borrowing Bob’s lawn mower, I mean.
And I haven’t changed my mind about getting mine fixed. I plan on never getting it fixed.
Nevertheless, I wondered what would happen if I just allowed the grass to grow. I’d never done that before. It turns out that your grass gets, like, a foot tall, and grows seeds. Who knew?
In case Bob continued to bother me about my grass — knowing Bob as I do — I decided to fabricate a ‘defense strategy’. I had heard about people intentionally ‘rewilding’ their yards to benefit birds and pollinators and various other endangered species, and with a bit of hunting, I dug up a website called GASANuture.org.
“Give A Shit About Nature.”
The website is “run by a small team that actually spends time outside.” Sounded exactly like what I was looking for. Except for the “spending time outside” part.
For example:
Traditional lawns are one of the least environmentally friendly landscaping choices. They provide little to no habitat for wildlife, require frequent mowing, and demand water and fertilizers that contribute to pollution. Allowing sections of your lawn to grow naturally — or replacing grass with native plants — helps create habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Even a small patch of unmowed grass can become a refuge for pollinators, while taller grasses and wildflowers provide nesting spots and food sources for countless species.
Well, if a small patch of unmowed grass can become a refuge, then my entire yard — set free and allowed to go wild — would probably be even better for the planet.
The website also recommended that we “Leave the Leaves” and “Welcome the Weeds”.
Of course, the only time I typically spent outside was when I mowed the lawn. I realize I might have to cultivate some new and different outdoor activities. Washing my car? I’m sure something will come to mind. I don’t want Bob to think I’m just being lazy.
Media mogul and billionaire Ted Turner passed last month at the age of 87. After revolutionizing the news business with his around-the-clock CNN, he focused on preserving a few parts of the American West by assembling huge ranches in New Mexico, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, and the Dakotas. Actress Jane Fonda referred to him as her “favorite ex-husband” — partly, I suspect, because he allowed things to go wild.
After all, this used to be called the Wild West. And it can be, again.
Not being a billionaire myself, the best I can do is permit my yard to become a bit wilder.
At a campaign rally back in October 2024, just prior to the November election, Donald Trump mentioned an endorsement coming from former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and told his audience that he planned to let Kennedy “go wild” on health care in the country.
“I’m gonna let him go wild on health. I’m gonna let him go wild on the food. I’m gonna let him go wild on medicines.”
Sometimes it’s a good thing to let things go wild, for a change. You try to control everything, and you just end up frustrated, and with everybody paying higher gas prices.
I didn’t actually intend to mention the higher gas prices in this column, but I do have a gas-powered lawn mower, and now I no longer need to put gas in it. Because I have every intention of letting my yard go wild.
As wild as the health care industry! Or even wilder.
What’s good for the federal government is good for my lawn.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all. You can read more stories on his Substack account.