Gardener to Guardian, Rewilding the Nature Around You | WILD HOPE

Amid collapsing biodiversity worldwide, Mary Reynolds of Ireland is building a movement to turn gardeners into guardians of the planet by returning our own patch of land to nature, and by restoring hope that individual action can create lasting change.
As agricultural practices consume more land, and contribute to habitat losses globally, Mary stresses the importance of taking action on an individual basis. Nowhere is that easier to do than with your own land, by creating an ARK - Acts of Restorative Kindness. Mary reveals how to create one quickly and to let nature reap the rewards, something seen first-hand by former farmer-turned-nature preservationists Anita and Will Wheeler, who now host a plethora of native animals that thrive on their ARK.
The movement is growing, as Mary reaches a global community who want to rid themselves of the pristine expectations that gardens demand and bring in more life. It’s even taking root with younger generations. A visit to the Loreto school in Wexford County proves how even a small patch of land can not only restore a native community of plants, but also become a safe haven for students. “Patch by patch, we’ll get there” - Mary assures, “make a patchwork quilt of hope.”
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[@tennesseenana4838]

Please PBS - More videos like this one! If each person can leave a small corner of their property alone, stop using chemicals on the lawns and let the so called 'weeds' grow, that's a start. Even a little bit can make a big difference and will also help the pollinators who are becoming extinct.

[@magesalmanac6424]

I live in a city surrounded by concrete, but there are plants on the balcony. Even among those few plants there is a tiny ecosystem of a few dozen bugs. I love them all!

[@cathyburrows8162]

The happiest memories of my childhood was exploring abandoned lots full of thicket and tall grasses and watching wildlife.

[@Pou1gie1]

But ppl need to be careful of ticks, snakes, etc. I think back on being a kid and doing that, and now it seems reckless. I came in the house once with a scorpion on the thigh part of my pant leg!

[@cathyburrows8162]

Did you keep it for an pet? When I was an kindergartener, an boy bought in an live rattlesnake in an baby food jar for show and tell.

[@deedsterdoo1603]

Most of what people think are weeds, are food or medicine. Nettles, dandelion tea, oat-straw... it goes on and on. This is a beautiful video! The boring water wasting green manicured lawns that surround me should be a thing of the past.

[@jessicajaerosenbaum115]

i cried the whole video. its beautiful. i have a small ark i will make it much bigger and guilt my neighbors into it next spring. beautiful

[@cdybft9050]

I’ve done the same. My neighbors hate it though

[@jessicajaerosenbaum115]

Yeah they hate just the small little part I've done but I broke my lawn mower a couple weeks ago so Ark here we come! I'm thinking of making the medium (between the sidewalk and road) a rock garden with a couple small bushes. My neighbors are going to give me an even worse evil eye. I wear jewelry to fend it off lol.... I'm an old school hippie. I can't help it if I care about the earth and animals and almost easily more than people. And that they care what people think more than what the earth needs. I should be giving them dirty looks. I was thinking about offering to pay for and plant some wild flowers in whoever's yard will do the same. Hmmm

[@RealBradMiller]

Ive seen people keep every appliance, decor, and piece of furniture they have ever owned in their yard and no one bats an eye, but I had vegetables growing out front and the police were called. 😂 Now I live on an eighty acre peninsula in Ohio.... I get to help the native species grow... Been managing the river cane, had a stand flower and die last year, and now there are half a dozen brand new ones popping up all around.

[@katherineweber8955]

This! All of this! I had tossed some wildflower seeds around a couple of years ago and they grew like crazy. At first I wanted to control them. Then, last summer, I decided to let my yard go just to see what grew and what happened. Most of it, I didn't know what the plants were. Some that I used to pull out turned out to be beautiful! One morning, I walked out my front door, and there were all kinds of butterflies EVERYwhere. And bees! I started crying it was SO beautiful. My yard was a "mess" but it was amazing. Next year trying to minimally organize it a little better but I'm not going back.

[@tonysmith7632]

A terrific example of how small changes make big impacts. This is a great clip. Thanks PBS.

[@pauldonohue5157]

Thank you for putting this beautifully produced piece together. Mary is such an inspiration to so many of us, all over this wonderful planet.

[@NSGca]

Man if this didn't warm your soul, from your head to your toes. Ty❤😊

[@tracesmith4966]

When I was very young....out at our camp,I thought I was the only person ever to be in love with trees...65 now and have alway lived the Ark life. And what Mary has done and is doing is THEE GREATEST movement to have our beautiful earth survive. I'm so touched by her brilliant vision and dedicated work to help others realize how to contribute...to what we all want. The most beautiful place in any of the thousands of galaxies is worth saving .

[@anandsharma7430]

What a lovely inspiring story full of gentle kindness and patience. This movement needs to get on mainstream media, like prime time TV shows across Asia and the Americas.

[@martemacdougall1985]

I can't believe that I had not heard of this great project before. And I like to think that I'm aware. I am truly humbled by your passion and dedication to LIFE. My goodness. I live beside a small suburban park and forest with a stream and I walk there pretty much every day. Now that spring is in the air and I am busy gardening on my apartment balcony, I am looking everywhere for "natural improvements " I have planted some herbs, flowers and a few vegetables on the penthouse of my building as well. Attracting bees and birds is often a challenge up there at 16 stories high. So excited to hear about "This is an Ark" I will let you know of my progress in establishing an ark here on the West Coast of Canada on the North Shore of Vancouver. Thank you for the wonderful service and direction you are giving us. ✨️🌎🌲💖

[@Derekhave2024]

If we stopped focusing on what others are doing and become the expert of our own lives when it comes to the land we can create so much beauty.. sharing knowledge and caring will help us to benefit.. my neighbor to me has an idea of how to live that is non of my business unless they are hurting the environment animals children elderly. Thank you for shows like this that teach me to see how nature evolves. ❤❤ I love this nature calls me and my heart to help the world for the future. We are the solution for the next generation.

[@MrTmiket0007]

Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful video 👍🤗

[@oakmaiden2133]

That’s the kind of work they should do! They have plenty to give back! My yard is poor, but I am going permaculture. Replaced water sucking trees with fruit n nut trees. A berm along the low end of my garden to catch and hold water. Let the rich show off their great works. You and I can do our own little corner.

[@facitenonvictimarum174]

My little corner? I've planned more trees and protected more animals than you could do in 10 lifetimes, dear maiden.

[@jacobv3396]

​@@facitenonvictimarum174What's got you triggered?

[@facitenonvictimarum174]

@@jacobv3396 The KZbin answer to everything, "What got you triggered." Can't you sheep think for yourselves? (Now you'll probably say, " I know you are but what am I" )

[@adampurcell7119]

Absolutely wonderful. Ive been watching a lot of these "types" of videos lately and this this one really touched me. Well done 👏

[@Youcanttouchmyhandle]

#foodsecurity #worldpeace Thank you PBS For teaching how to protect and care for our wildlife 🌜🌛🌏🌍🌎⚕️

[@varuntipnis]

Excellent initiative. In western India our elders would reserve a patch of their land and label it “Devrai” “देवराई” - which means Gods’ wood and would contain only native trees, shrubs and weeds. Men were not allowed to interfere with these however we have lost the concept due to changing times where each piece of land is weighed in gold. Great to see a resonance of this philosophy

[@mmps18]

Rewilding my little yard too. We have so many more fireflies and songbirds now.

[@bemusedbandersnatch2069]

This past Saturday was the Global Big Day for the Cornell eBird site. Basically a day of civilian science where you birdwatch for however long you want and report your findings to give conservation scientists data. I'm lucky enough to have a friend whose family home is basically an ark because they have a lot of large, mature trees and aren't really big on yardwork for the most part. I saw so many birds at their birdfeeders! It was a pretty magical morning watching them dart and squabble. And of course the two different squirrels and a chipmunk that had snuck over to get seeds off the ground were cute too.

[@elizabethyow1165]

That’s awesome! 🐦

[@karenzeidan789]

Thank you! I am so happy to hear you say that this hard to do within neighborhoods. My front is a more subdued but my backyard is wild. I have ladybugs galore! I also native pollinators everywhere! Birds !Thank you confirming my gut feeling of “ I need to not manipulate my little postage stamp of earth.It’s perfect as it is! ❤

[@jeanmuller4577]

Thank you for this movie! There is another Ark in Georgia (Country) about 25 kms outside of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. You find us under the name of 'Mirabela' and 'Georgia' . Nature works together with us. I am truly amazed how nature responds and love more and more animals and plants settle in. I am greeting all of the Guardians of Mother Earth.

[@KaiHonsou]

For what it's worth, and it would be cool if anyone who helped produced this knew about this, but it's inspired me to grow lavander on my tiny apartment balcony next year when the climate is better for it.

[@sasjasmin]

I LOVE this!!!! can't wait to make my own ARK and share this idea to help create the quilt of hope :D

[@humblewell]

Very inspiring. I'm excited to give this a bit of space in my backyard here in northwest Missouri.😊 #gardening #homeimprovement #naturelover

[@slashingbison2503]

So sad to hear that story but great to see what action has been taken. Gardens make up a massive wild space across the Uk and beyond, people (particularly my parents generation) need to understand our link to nature and stop this crazy idea of mowed grass and tight trimmed corners and margins, plant native hedges and trees and let the grass grow long back to meadows and watch nature come.

[@garlandstyle5797]

Fantastic! Its SO heartwarming and encouraging to see the future leaders of our planet involved. Hats off to you all. If ONLY I were 20 yrs younger. 😀

[@feefawfern8240]

I have no land, I am a renter with no yard, but I see this as something I would like to do, if I am ever able to have land.

[@itcouldbeanyone]

This is one reason why I don’t over mow my lawn and I am sure the neighbours hate it in my urban home

[@cobococreek1224]

Very shareworthy, thanks!!

[@SC-fk9nc]

Bravo!

[@bugsalmudafar2973]

This is exactly what I wanted on my yard..I let wild/weeds grow for the pollinators..incorporated with my fruit trees and veggies. My yard is not big but managed to have some wild animals and insects have a small habitat. Lucky enough to not have HOA.

[@jturtle5318]

I love this so much! I watch Colette O'Neal at Bealtaine Cottage, she practices "Goddess permaculture". I'm planting trees in a 1 acre former horse paddock. That requires an 8 foot high fence around the nursery, because the white-tail deer can jump 7 feet.

[@robyndavis3043]

Thank you-very knowledgeable!😊

[@mistercuriousmind]

Great grassroots movement! As soon as we buy our land we join the group!

[@Mulberry792]

I love this!

[@mmps18]

Thank you for this.

[@clarecollins2547]

I love this so much! Our garden is very small. But I put in a small pond using a storage box. We already were getting frogs. I am putting in native plants as much as I can. We get hedgehogs which are fed and watered and even hibernate here under the shed. We’ve had foxes too! The birds are encouraged because they are fed and watered everyday. We need more good insects, moths and butterflies but, are hopeful by planting native plants. We have three fruit trees and two hazel trees that were left in flower pots by squirrels. I’m definitely going to make a sign saying This is an Ark as there are those who think I’m just creating a mess! Taking out the footprint of the house and the front garden which is sadly tarmaced although there are two slim flower beds our ark is about a third of what is ours. Better than nothing I hope.

[@jamesgrant7201]

Love what you're doing.I'm doing something v similar in my garden. "Shame" thats its not tidy though? Shows what a messed up world we live in when helping nature is shameful!! The shame belongs with those who dont

[@TroyTheCatFish]

Thank You 🙏

[@Matty002]

ive seen the ark a few times online but im more familiar with micro forests which are essentially the same. europeans not only tore out ecosystems but replaced them with invasive grasses that are functionally useless. the most important thing is for people to choose local native plants. here in los angeles people plant lots of succulents from africa thinking theyre native, and that la is a desert, which its not. its actually one of the few biodiversity hot spots in the country. la used to be full of wetlands and trees

[@earthmamma85]

So a amazingly beautiful.

[@crimson4066]

"If you want to help nature, you're going to have to start with your own patch of it. Start at home."

[@seth2854]

ha, I've been doing same thing on my balcony without even knowing about this 😂

[@TheWildShotsPodcast]

IRELLLLLLAAAAANNNNNDDD

[@dinicti]

I teared up a bit, thank you!

[@vivalaleta]

Jesus, this is my heart. I cry alone for every dream house built in the woods. Humans are heedless of other species.

[@Natureneedsus]

I am doing what you ask. It breaks my heart, I have built ponds and all sorts! Poor wildife. People MUST WAKE UP

[@violetgilkes3625]

I live in a Brooklyn apartment in New York City, can a windowsill be used to allow apartment dwellers to become guardians?

[@centurione6489]

I manage half acre like an Ark. Everybody is welcome even the occasional buzzards who apparently "like" my chickens quite a bit. Foxes not so welcome, though: it's healthier for them to steer clear ...🤣

[@brucetomecko3734]

What if you live on the third floor with seven windows, but no balconies?

[@Wildmarymary]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5aadqyqmZJpa80

[@indianshen2508]

I will make this as govt policy in india soon😊

[@annemiura7767]

I think this is absolutely wonderful. But it’s a lot more work in other places,like where I live in Hawaii. Man has introduced most of the invasive weeds, there are few native “weeds “ and except for the endangered hoary bat we have no native land mammals. Man has introduced, pigs, cattle etc and in the 1970s on my island, axis deer were introduced. My property, along with everyone else’s, has been destroyed. The poor animals devour everything in sight. They have no predators so the population has exploded. Europeans are luckier than they know.

[@matthewp5472]

you can be the predator... deer tastes great

[@jessicajaerosenbaum115]

Im going to try to guilt trip people i know into doing this. Ill offer to plant wild flowers for whoever will do it!

[@recreationalplutonium]

defund pbs

[@feefawfern8240]

Are you suffering because of PBS?