When we first met Jim Scott, a Fraser Valley resident and retired professor, at our Native Plant Sale in 2024, we quickly discovered he was much more than a passionate gardener. Jim is a champion of the Homegrown National Park (HNP) grassroots movement. This growing initiative aims to address the biodiversity crisis by inspiring millions of people across North America to plant native plants and remove invasive plants. 

When a heat wave devastated his grass lawn in the summer of 2001, Jim’s journey to help restore habitats began. Seemingly overnight, his once-vibrant greenspace became a brown and barren wasteland. Rather than accepting this as the new normal, Jim was motivated to research drought-resistant alternatives. He discovered Bee Turf, a lawn alternative from West Coast Seeds composed of clovers and small wildflowers. Jim planted this seed blend and watched as his property underwent a second transformation—this time, one that was markedly more positive and sustainable. 

The precarious nature of traditional grass lawns is familiar to many Fraser Valley residents. Animals such as crows, raccoons, and skunks have been tearing up lawns in search of invasive European Chafer Beetles since 2001. 

Beyond welcoming invasive species, grass lawns have many other downsides. For example, they fall short in performing the ecological functions we need from our green spaces, such as supporting food webs, sequestering carbon, cleaning and managing water, and providing habitat for pollinators. Though the prevalence of grass lawns paints a bleak picture for the health of our environment, not all hope is lost. Jim believes that everyday people can make a big difference by planting native plants and responsibly stewarding the land they call home. 

“The more that we do this kind of thing in our urban areas, the more that we’re able to provide corridors for wildlife between other places that are already working on their behalf—for example, our city parks, our provincial parks, our national parks, our conservation areas.” – Jim Scott 

Jim’s quest to create a more resilient lawn, led him to discover the Homegrown National Park website. A key feature the website is its interactive Biodiversity Map were he added his property. Anyone can join for free and mark the area they commit to stewarding. Importantly, you don’t need to own property to contribute. People living in apartments, for example, can make a difference by planting native plants in containers on patios or balconies. 

Once an area is registered on the map, it lights up with a firefly. HNP’s goal is to get enough people registered so that all of North America lights up. This is no easy feat, but Jim believes it’s achievable if we can make a cultural shift to truly valuing plants and all the life-sustaining ecological functions they provide for us. 

“I had a neighbour say to me, ‘It’s not my backyard.’ In other words, only what happens in his yard is important to him. But we need to have the perspective that what’s happening in all the backyards affects all of us. I’m convinced that as we have a stronger sense of place, we’ll have a stronger sense of who we are together.” – Jim Scott 

The HNP is a fun way to record your involvement of adding native plants to your garden and contributing to a collective effort to create habitat.

“Join us and plant native to rebuild the ecosystems that support all life, and restore the vital connections between plants and animals for a healthier, thriving planet.” – Doug Tallamy, co-founder of Homegrown National Park 

The HNP only recently added Canada to its map so it doesn’t yet reflect all the work that is being done in the Fraser Valley. Such large scale projects are important but may not always have locally-specific resources.

Jim recommends the following three beginner-friendly resources for Fraser Valley residents: our Gardening with Native Plants guide, the Grow Me Instead guide by the Invasive Species Council of BC, and the iNaturalist app. 

Finally, Jim urges everyone who has supported our FVC native plant sales to take the next step—register your new plantings on the HNP Biodiversity Map! Each firefly added helps build momentum, inspire others, and showcase our region’s commitment to biodiversity.