Realizing Resilience Podcast
Realizing Resilience is a podcast about building strength across every layer of life: physical, psychological, financial, and ecological. The show is hosted by Nate Fournier, founder of Reimagined Roots - an ecological landscape design/build company transforming grass lawns into abundant ecosystems full of food, medicine, and native plants. Each episode explores practical ways to move beyond fragile systems and build ones that last. Grounded, actionable, and based on real experience. Sponsored by Reimagined Roots.
Episode 2: Don’t Do Spring Cleanup Yet: The 50° Rule (When to Start Instead)
Most homeowners start spring cleanup too early, especially in New England, and it can do more harm than good. In this episode, we break down the 50° rule for spring cleanup, what’s actually happening in your landscape in early spring, and why waiting protects pollinators, beneficial insects, and long-term soil health.
We also explore how common yard practices disrupt local ecosystems, what “clean” should really look like, and how to approach your landscape as a living system rather than something to control. If you’re in Central Massachusetts or a similar climate, this episode will help you make better decisions this season and build a more resilient, ecologically functional yard.
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Hello and welcome to the Realizing Resilience podcast. I’m your host, Nate Fornier.
This podcast is brought to you by Reimagined Roots. We started this company with a mission to revolutionize the American grass lawn for a more resilient future.
And this word—resilience—keeps coming up everywhere in my life.
Right now it’s March. We’re just a few days past the spring equinox. The weather is warming up, and it’s an exciting time of year. But it’s also a time where people start to feel a little anxious to get outside and “clean everything up.”
And that’s what I want to talk about today.
Don’t Rush Your Spring Cleanup
As soon as the weather breaks, people head outside to:
Blow away leaves
Cut down perennials
Clear everything out
And I want to offer a simple pause:
Don’t rush it.
Especially here in New England, timing matters more than people realize.
There’s a growing body of research showing that we should wait until we have consistent 50-degree days before doing a full spring cleanup.
Because if we don’t, we’re disrupting something much bigger than yard debris.
What You’re Actually Removing
When you clear leaves and cut down stems too early, you’re not just cleaning your yard.
You’re removing habitat.
Many insects overwinter in:
Leaf litter
Hollow plant stems
Soil surface layers
These include:
Native bees
Butterflies
Moths
Countless beneficial insects
When we leave these materials in place just a little longer, we allow those insects to complete their life cycle and emerge naturally.
That matters.
Because those insects:
Pollinate plants
Feed birds
Support the entire food chain
They are the foundation of the ecosystem.
The Bigger Problem
We’ve been taught to see insects as pests.
But that perspective is outdated.
Insects are essential to life on this planet. And right now, we are in what scientists call a massive decline in insect populations.
A big part of that is due to:
Chemical use
Habitat destruction
Over-management of landscapes
It’s a large, complex issue.
But there is something simple you can do right now:
Be patient.
Rethinking What “Clean” Means
There’s a common belief that ecological landscapes are messy.
And yes, they can look different.
But the real question is:
What does “healthy” actually look like?
Is it:
A perfectly manicured lawn that requires constant inputs and maintenance
Or:
A space that’s alive, diverse, and functioning as an ecosystem
When you start to look at your landscape through that lens, things shift.
Ecology is the balance between habitat and the life it supports.
And your yard plays a role in that.
A Different Role: Stewardship
Most people approach their yard as something to control.
Something to manage, clean, and maintain.
But there’s another way to look at it.
As stewardship.
Not controlling nature.
Not cleaning it into submission.But working with it.
You own a piece of land. And with that comes responsibility.
That responsibility isn’t just to aesthetics.
It’s to the living systems that exist there.Because without those systems, we don’t exist either.
What to Do Instead
Right now, the most important thing you can do is simple:
Wait until consistent 50-degree days before doing a full cleanup
Leave leaf litter and plant stems in place a little longer
Accept a short period of “messiness” in exchange for long-term health
It’s a small shift, but it has a real impact.
Final Thought
You don’t need to overhaul everything.
But you do need to start paying attention.
Take a breath.
Slow down.
Let the season unfold the way it’s supposed to.And start seeing your landscape not as something to clean up—
but as something to care for.
Be a steward of your landscape.
That’s how we build resilience.Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next week.