How one American couple ditched their lawn and created a wildlife haven – and you could too
A suburban couple in Illinois successfully transformed their traditional turf lawn into a native plant ecosystem to support local wildlife. Their journey highlights the growing trend of 'rewilding' residential spaces to combat environmental degradation.
Why it matters
It provides a practical example of individual environmental action and the benefits of native landscaping for biodiversity.
Novice gardeners James Reed McGuire and Crystal Fritz wanted to try something new when they moved out to the suburbs. Little did they know they were joining a nationwide movement
About this content Thu 20 Aug 2026 07.00 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google W hen James Reed McGuire and Crystal Fritz first decided to replace their lawn with native plants, they did not really know what they were doing. As former city-dwellers who had moved from Chicago out to the suburb of Highland Park, Illinois, they had never done much gardening together beyond growing some planters of herbs and flowers on their balcony.
But for McGuire, an avid birder who did not want to live with a sea of turf that does “absolutely nothing for the environment”, figuring out an alternative to the suburban status quo was imperative.
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