About the garden
In 2022, the Natomas Garden and Arts Collective received a SMUD Shine Award to create a quarter acre of pollinator habitat along Ninos Parkway in the South Natomas neighborhood of Sacramento. Bringing this garden to life was a true community effort, with support from the SMUD Shine Program, Sacramento Valley California Native Plant Society, Miridae, Natomas Rotary Club, City of Sacramento Youth Parks and Community Enrichment Department, Councilman Jeff Harris, and the The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
The Grassland Garden provides vital habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators, as well as birds and other wildlife. It features drought-tolerant native plants that can be found in California’s native grasslands. Many of the plants were chosen because they are valuable to pollinators and other wildlife. For example, the garden contains two species of milkweed, the plant that monarch caterpillars need to feed on to mature into adults.
Why a grassland garden?
California’s native grasslands are teeming with life—birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, and other animals depend on grasslands. Grassland ecosystems consist of grasses, grass-like plants, shrubs, and forbs, and support about 40% of California’s native plant species. Development, agriculture, and invasion by exotic species have reduced California native grasslands by 99%. Grasslands are important for carbon sequestration, flood reduction, erosion prevention, and food production.
Restoring grassland habitat can help address climate change, because as grasses grow they take in carbon dioxide from the air and store it underground via their long fibrous roots. This process is called carbon sequestration, and it helps reduce the heating of our atmosphere. In fact, grasslands are just as (if not more) important for locking away carbon as forests!
Planting California native plants, like those you see in this garden, is a great way to create drought-tolerant landscapes. These plants were chosen because they provide food, shelter, and nesting material for many birds and pollinators. Flowering perennials such as Phacelia and Coyote Mint are favorites of bees and butterflies, while shrubs like Coffeeberry and bunchgrasses like Purple Needlegrass provide fruits and seeds for birds.
The Grassland Garden provides many benefits for humans too. It adds beauty to the parkway, creating a tranquil place for neighbors to walk, exercise, and observe nature. We also hope it becomes an outdoor educational space for nearby schools and community groups. For regular volunteers, it provides an opportunity to slow down and learn about plants and wildlife together.