How Homeowners Can Protect Biodiversity in Arizona
Like many biomes across the United States, Arizona faces major challenges in protecting native habitats. These include water shortages, urbanization, and non-native plants. Thankfully, homeowners can do plenty to support this fragile ecosystem.
Homeownership is not just about having a safe place to live and more freedom; it also gives you an opportunity to make a better world by supporting sustainable initiatives on your land. Today, we’ll investigate how you can help Arizona thrive.
Use Grants and Tax Rebates for Eco-Friendly Upgrades
If you’re moving to Arizona or purchasing a new home, you’re aware of the many ways you can get upfront funding for this expensive investment. For example, using Arizona VA loans helps veterans afford housing with no down payment, competitive interest rates, and lower fees. Other programs, like the USDA loan program, can help those who want to live in a more rural area, and they have many of the same benefits as VA loans.
However, you may not be aware of the many programs that help homeowners upgrade their homes with solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and more. These are typically provided by state and local governments, such as rebates for installing solar panels.
Efficiency Arizona is one such program that provides tax rebates for those who help combat climate change and improve energy efficiency. The first phase, which offers rebates for air conditioning upgrades, was launched in 2024. During the first quarter of 2025, Arizonans statewide can get rebates for retrofitting their homes with energy efficiency updates.
Xeriscape Your Lawn
Like many Southwestern states, Arizona has an acute water shortage due to dwindling supplies in the Colorado River basin. Non-native plants, such as grass lawns, simply do not thrive in this hot, dry climate, but many homeowners still insist on watering their lawns. This wastes precious water and damages the ecosystem, especially due to soil erosion.
Instead, you should work with a qualified landscaper on xeriscaping, which uses drought-resistant native plants that can tolerate long dry spells. Another benefit of xeriscaping is that your lawn will be much more low maintenance, as these hardy plants won’t require fertilizing or watering.
Consider native succulents, renowned for their minimal water needs and incredible beauty. Aloe and prickly pear cacti are very easy to care for and will quickly propagate across your lawn. They also secure the soil and provide essential habitats for native animals.
Those who want even more exotic options could try organ pipe or golden barrel cactuses. These are very slow-growing, but they make a dramatic statement while supporting wildlife.
However, it’s important to consider the local microbiome and not import plants from other Arizona ecosystems. A good local landscaper will be familiar with what will thrive best in your specific area.
Make a Bee Hotel
It might surprise you to learn that Arizona has over 1,300 native bee species. Some, like the Sonoran bumblebee, are found only in the Sonoran desert, and others, like cactus bees, have evolved for millennia in a symbiotic relationship with the native flora.
Many of Arizona’s native species are solitary, meaning that they do not build hives or have complex social systems. Instead, they make small nests in organic material, like cactuses or trees. With the destruction of local habitats, they have fewer options for housing, which is where bee hotels come into play.
These structures allow multiple species of solitary bees to share space, with small tubes or cylinders placed in the structure for them to build their nests. For the best results, create numerous options, ranging from small paper straws to larger tubes, depending on the bee’s specific needs.
You can purchase these pre-made or make them yourself. Place the bee hotel in a quiet, shaded place near a food source, such as a flower garden. To help the bees even more, offer shallow bowls of water nearby so that they can rest and hydrate.
Advocate for Green Spaces With Local Activism Groups
Green spaces are essential, both for the health of the planet and for a vibrant urban environment. They offer a tranquil space to relax for commuters, absorb heat to reduce surface temperatures, and support biodiversity in notoriously eco-hostile areas like downtowns.
However, green spaces require both community initiative and ongoing support to thrive. This includes contacting local representatives to suggest the change, showing up at planning meetings and discussing the benefits of green spaces, actually installing the project, and tending to it as the years pass.
Find a local earth activism group in your area and learn about their communitive initiatives to build more green spaces in your area, then join in by making phone calls to representatives, going to local council meetings, and sharing the research you’ve found about Arizona green spaces.
Most importantly, be prepared to consistently advocate for green space with your neighbors, local leaders, and friends. Once there is demonstrable support for the initiative, you can help by helping with the landscaping or donating to keep the initiative going.
Every little bit helps when it comes to protecting Arizona’s beautiful wild spaces. Use tax rebates, landscape with native plants, and get involved in the community to ensure the future of this stunning desert ecosystem.