Community Activities

Perfect for community workshops, neighborhood events, or educational programs, the mosquito bucket challenge encourages participants to create their own DIY cost effective mosquito buckets instead of spraying or fogging their property to manage mosquitoes. Free printable stickers with QR codes linking to step-by-step instructions are available to help spread the word. (Photo from Barrington Green Team | Barrington, New Jersey)

Walking through a real native garden does more to convince a curious neighbor than any brochure. A garden tour invites people to see thriving native spaces up close, from a small pollinator patch to a full yard conversion to a rain garden, and picture what’s possible in their own yard. (Photo from Elizabeth S. | Oakwood, Ohio)

Over 98% of the living world on Earth is smaller than a bee. Yet humans view the planet as a world centered around themselves. Landscapes are deconstructed to suit human needs, often with little regard for the natural systems that sustain the food web. The Extraordinary Caterpillar follows the scientists and community activists with this peek into the dazzling world of nature’s tiniest superheroes. Host a watch party in your community and inspire your friends and neighbors to create habitat for these extraordinary creatures, right at home.

Looking to inspire your community to take action for biodiversity? Gather your community for a free viewing of one of Doug Tallamy’s engaging recorded talks. These talks dive into the importance of native plants and how individual efforts can collectively restore ecosystems. Perfect for garden clubs, neighborhood gatherings, or educational events, each talk comes with a free event kit that includes promotional materials and hosting tips to make your event a success.

Bring native plants and habitat restoration to your community. An HNP speaker can inspire your group to take action right where you live—whether that’s planting native species, removing invasives, or creating biodiverse spaces. Our speakers share practical, science-backed strategies that work in real yards and neighborhoods, not just in theory. When your community plants native, you’re building habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife while strengthening the local ecosystem. Every conversation sparks change. Let’s start one in your neighborhood.

Garden clubs, HOAs, faith communities, and neighborhood groups can claim their own presence on the Map with a Map Organization. Showcase your collective habitat, link to your website and socials, and invite members to add their own plantings to your shared effort. It’s a powerful way to make your community’s impact visible, and to grow it.

Our collaboration with WonderGrove Kids, offers a series of educational videos tailored for children in grades K–2. Through fun and informative episodes, kids learn about creating bird-friendly habitats right in their own backyards, fostering a love for nature and an understanding of their role in preserving it. Explore the world of native plants, discover the wonders of bird nests, and find out how simple actions can make a big difference. Join us in nurturing the next generation of conservationists!

Homegrown National Park partners with companies to introduce employees to biodiversity restoration through talks, community programs, and workplace habitat initiatives. Companies can register corporate grounds and employee landscapes on the Biodiversity Map to track and share their collective impact. (Photo from Sara Bolan | Ludington, Michigan)

Hosting a table at an event is a great way to engage new community members and educate folks about native plants. You can set up a table at local markets, festivals, planting events, etc. The goal is to connect your community to HNP and the native plant movement. (Photo from Barrington Green Team | Barrington, New Jersey)

Thank you for helping expand the HNP Resource Directory! Your efforts will connect more people with the native nurseries and landscape professionals they need to create thriving native plant habitats in their own yards and communities. (Photo from Brandon R.)

Put up a simple board and let it do the work. In a spot where people already gather, like a breakroom, lobby, or community center, post our photos of neighbors’ native gardens along with our printable flyer explaining how to join in. Low effort, but seeing someone you know already planting native makes it feel normal, doable, and worth trying.

A fun, community-based event where gardeners and plant lovers gather to exchange seeds, seedlings, and plants. It promotes biodiversity, sustainable gardening, and community connections. (Photo from Echo Railton| Tkaronto, Canada)

You’ve heard of the popular “Little Free Libraries”; now we’re bringing you Seed Libraries. Native plants can get costly, and often price is a barrier for folks planting native. Seed Libraries are a great way to promote native plants in a budget-friendly way. (Photo from Amanda G. | Texas)

A demonstration garden is one of the most effective tools for shifting how people think about landscaping. Much like a native plant garden tour, it allows neighbors to see what is possible rather than simply hearing about it. These gardens create “aha moments” by showing how native plants support birds, pollinators, and biodiversity while still being beautiful, intentional, and welcoming. (Photo from Jeff H. | Lake Villa, Illinois)

No yard? No problem. A container garden party is a hands-on way to show renters, apartment dwellers, and anyone without a yard that native plants can thrive on a patio, balcony, or windowsill, and that everyone can take part. (Photo from Maddy W. | Marshfield, Massachusetts)

A fun, hands-on community activity where participants create simple “mini-greenhouses” from recycled containers and plant native seeds that will sprout naturally in spring. Many native seeds require a period of cold stratification to germinate, making winter the perfect time to start them. It’s low-cost, beginner-friendly, and a great way to help people bring nature home during the colder months. (Photo from Liz Myers Chamberlain | Pinehurst, North Carolina)