Native plants are adapted to the local climate and soils, are drought tolerant, disease resistant, and have deep root systems that help infiltrate rain water. Once established, native plants are aesthetically pleasing and require little watering, fertilizing and mowing. The reduced maintenance can lead to significant cost savings when compared to labor-intensive turf grass. They also provide important ecosystem services such as improved water quality and habitat and food for local wildlife, including numerous pollinator species.
Dane County programs and initiatives are listed below.
The Dane County Park System has over 17,000 acres of land that staff, volunteers and partner organizations work to protect, improve and restore. Some of these restoration efforts include seed collection and controlled burning. Learn more about these efforts on our Land Restoration page:
Dane County and the Madison Area Municipal Stormwater Partnership have partnered together to encourage and access resources to help residents, schools and community groups increase native plantings in our county. These resources include:
In 2014, over concerns about declining pollinator populations, honeybee health issues and the future of honey and crop production, the Dane County Board of Supervisors initiated the Dane County Pollinator Protection Task Force. Its charge was to collect information on the local status of pollinators and develop recommendations for future
pollinator protection efforts in the county. Their final report and resulting initiatives are available on the Pollinator Protection website.
