Your Climate Stories: Judith Hance Plants Her Own Forest

This is part of a regular series on Planet Change called “Your Climate Stories,” where we share reader stories about changes that they’re seeing and actions that they’re taking in their daily lives to help reduce carbon pollution and respond to the impacts of our changing planet.

If you have a climate story, please send it, along with any of your photos and videos, to us here. 

Name: Judith Hance

Location: Seattle, Washington

Everywhere I have lived for the past 50 years I have planted trees and native plants. I moved into my current home eleven years ago, attracted partly by the big trees in my neighborhood. I removed 3/4 of the grass, replacing it with trees and natives that shade the house in summer and hardy enough for most winters.

As the years have passed, several of the big trees around me have been removed, making me want to plant them in my own garden.  Now that climate change is a proven reality, I am grateful for the choices I have made on my 9,000 square foot lot. When I lose a plant, I am now taking time to reconsider replacements, especially in this most unusual year.

I have created a small forest at the north end of the property and a food garden at the south end. I live in a lovely small neighborhood where others care well for their landscaping, even if not everyone has removed their grass!  I continue to work on and develop the property, sometimes with the help of my grown children.

I have loved the outdoors all my life.  It served as escape and solace during my childhood and useful work and source of recreation and inspiration during my adult years. Now living alone at the age of 76, it remains to be of paramount importance. For this reason I support, as much as I am able, The Nature Conservancy and other organizations that strive to protect the land, the waters, and the creatures of the world while providing education and sustainable recreation for the humans.

I have lived in different climates, and traveled to others, most recently to Panama with TNC.  My hopes were raised through learning of the cooperative ventures of some Central American countries to protect and preserve their ecosystems into the future.

Photo by Flickr user Glenn E. Davis via a Creative Commons license. (House and Tree.)