Healthy Yards

Healthy Yards Program - For Pollinators, For People

Healthy Yards is a program of the City of Clarksville's Sustainability Board with assistance from the APSU Center of Excellence for Field Biology. The goal is to help Clarksville residents provide habitat for pollinators and native plants. We all rely on pollinating insects for the production of healthy fruits and vegetables and for healthy ecosystems. A yard with less lawn and more native plants can reduce the need for chemical use, providing a healthier environment for children and pets.

How to Join the Healthy Yards Program:

1. Plant and maintain three or more plants native to Clarksville that are food sources for adult or immature pollinators (caterpillars).
2. Get help selecting and sourcing plants links below.
3. Commit to avoid use of pesticides or herbicides.
4. Chemicals can kill pollinators and the plants they rely on. They can be harmful to children and pets.
5. Certify your yard. Register online.
6. You will receive a high resolution image of the Healthy Yards sign to print.
7. Proudly display your "Healthy Yards" sign to show your neighbors you care.
8. Keep in touch! You can follow the City of Clarksville on FB to see announcements of upcoming events related to Healthy Yards and Sustainability.
9. Visit a native pollinator garden on the APSU campus: Projects on Campus.

If you have additional questions about this program, contact [email protected]. 

Choosing and Sourcing Native Plants For Pollinators

• Selecting Plants for Pollinators, Eastern Broadleaf Forest, Pollinator Partnership booklet
• Native Plants for Tennessee, TN Smart Yards
• Xerces Society Pollinator Plants: Southeast Region
• TDOT Pollinator Database & Map Tool

Where to Purchase Native Plants and Seeds

• Tennessee Smart Yards list of vendors

More Ideas and Allies For Making Your Yard Healthy

• Sierra Club Clarksville-Montgomery County
• Clarksville Montgomery County Beekeeping Association
• Montgomery County Master Gardeners
• Sierra Club Middle Tennessee
• Tennessee Noxious Weed list – plants to avoid or remove

Visit a Native Pollinator Garden on the APSU Campus

• Projects on Campus

About Pesticides and Chemicals

• Ditch the weed-and-feed!  Low-growing flowers, like white clover (a beneficial non-native), can provide nectar to bees and butterflies. And, unlike grass, white clover returns nitrogen to the soil, improving soil quality without the addition of fertilizer. 
• Pesticides kill pollinators and can be toxic to pets and people! Pollinator Pathway pesticide information for safe control of ticks, mosquitoes and grubs.
• Mosquito management at home from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
• Glyphosate, the world’s most common weed killer, may be harming bees worldwide, Science.org