How Planting Grasslands Fights Climate Change | PBS North Carolina

by Michelle Lotker; Published on April 3, 2023 • Last modified on May 11, 2023

Science & Nature

Grasslands help to combat climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When grasslands are replanted, they can help to restore this natural carbon sink and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the air. Additionally, grasslands provide habitat for wildlife and help to protect water quality.

Grasslands, Not Just for the Midwest 

“This is my favorite plant,” Tara Mei Smith exclaims to Justin Robinson while standing in a parking lot median at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro, North Carolina. “It’s like little stars,” she says, pointing out the silvery seed tufts of splitbeard bluestem grass that reflect the setting sun.

This plant isn’t something you’d normally find in a parking lot, but it turns out it’s uniquely adapted to thrive in this kind of exposed, sunny environment. The plants in these parking lot medians are cultivated by Chatham County Agricultural Extension Agent Debbie Roos as the Chatham Mills “Pollinator Paradise” Garden and include a variety of native species. But the ones Tara Mei and Justin are most excited about are the ones native to grassland ecosystems.

Tara Mei and Justin are part of the not-for-profit organization Extra Terrestrial Projects. One of their current missions is to help people realize the benefits of planting native grassland species (coneflowers, milkweed, asters) in commercial landscaping, roadside areas and residential yards where they’ll thrive. Doing so will help mitigate a major component of what’s causing our changing climate: excess atmospheric carbon.

Read more at How Planting Grasslands Fights Climate Change | PBS North Carolina