How "dumping" harms wildlife

Dumping your weeds or lawn clippings in forested areas or roadsides may seem harmless, but it's actually deadly to wildlife such as hummingbirds, endangered monarch butterflies, and even entire forests!  Why?

                                 Many of our yards  don't just feature grass and the plants we love;  they also have invasive plants that threaten entire forests. We may keep these plants under control on our own property, but no one is weeding the roadsides or conservation land!  That means that the invasive plants and seeds quickly spread like wildfire, killing off native plants that hummingbirds need to survive, such as jewelweed, shown above. 

Some of the invasive plants, like garlic mustard, can wipe out centuries worth of "hummingbird food" in a year or two, and over a generation can even kill an entire forest. 

If you're seeing this sign, someone has dumped lawn debris here and accidentally infected this land with 

invasive plants like garlic mustard.  Please don't starve wildlife by dumping clippings on empty lots or over your fence.  

Birds, butterflies and other wildlife  need our help.  Thank you!