From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Suburban and Urban Landscape

Much of the suburban and urban landscape is managed in ways that quietly undermine soil health, water systems, biodiversity, and long term resilience. Forests are cleared, grasslands are replaced with lawns, soil is stripped of life, and chemicals are used to maintain systems that require constant effort but offer little return.  In this Wild Ones National Webinar, Basil Camu shares a hopeful and practical alternative. Drawing on two decades of hands on experience and real world work through Leaf & Limb, Basil shows how working with natural systems instead of against them can help heal land, reduce maintenance, and create healthier, more resilient landscapes.

This presentation begins with a clear explanation of how photosynthesis and soil formation work together to regulate water, carbon, and life on land, and how common landscaping practices disrupt these systems. From there, Basil walks through practical strategies that anyone can implement, starting with simple actions and moving toward more transformative approaches.