Mission Statement
"To transform urban spaces into thriving, biodiverse ecosystems by restoring soil health, planting native canopies, and empowering communities to co-create a wilder, greener future."
Everyone is so busy they forget to step outside, look around, and get some fresh air.
The problem is what’s immediately outside their door often isn’t worth stepping into. The typical residential yard is uninspiring: a patch of grass bordered by a white plastic fence. It’s hardly cause for excitement. Summers are getting hotter every year, and it’s become rare to see snow during the winter due to reduced precipitation.
We need to start thinking differently. Why do we only plant grass in our yards? Why were native trees, plants, and wildlife removed when neighborhoods were built and we don’t bother to put them back? Why are so many plants considered weeds? Why do we routinely spray chemicals to kill those plants, and we’re ok with the runoff killing the fish in our lakes?
The truth is the planet is in trouble. We condemn the loss of the Amazon Rainforest, yet accept low biodiversity in our own properties and cities. It’s time to reimagine what a healthy urban environment looks like. It’s time to set a better example for our children before we leave them an even bigger mess to clean up. We can no longer be ok with the idea that ignorance is bliss. As much as politics likes to own environmental issues, they don’t belong to them. They belong to us. We are the solution. We can’t put the responsibility on someone else to fix our mess anymore.
The Urban Rewild Project is dedicated to inspiring, educating, and working hard to bring nature and biodiversity back to urban environments. Property to property, city to city, we can have an incredible impact and create a better world. You and me together, a community. That is the legacy of The Urban Rewild Project, and we hope you decide to make it your own.
Taking Action - In a Nut Shell
Climate change
Reduced precipitation
Rising summer heat
Heat buildup in city concrete
Rising cost of heating and cooling your home
Carbon in the atmosphere
Water polluted by synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and chemicals
Inedible and dying fish
Reduced habitat for animals, birds, and pollinators - reduced bee populations
Top soil depletion
Reduction in crop health and nutrition
The Why
The Effect
Your soil becomes a carbon battery and begins to maintain more moisture
You have increase populations of earth worms and micro/macro organisms & nutrients
Your yard is cleaning the air around you and offsetting your carbon footprint by a large margin
You increase time outside because it becomes more comfortable without scorching overhead heat
If the neighborhood joins the effort with street trees, once they get tall enough the neighborhood enjoys 10-12 degree cooler temperatures during the summer days
The neighborhood spends more time outside and the community becomes tighter instead of bickering on social media about each other
Your garden provides nutritionally rich food due to your new composting and gardening practices, increasing the health of your family
You create wonder in your children (and adults) as they explore all the sights, sounds, and smells in your new micro nature preserve.
Lower utility bills (less cooling, less water on your lawn)
Your yard becomes more private and you can relax more without feeling like the whole neighborhood is your audience
You reap the psychological benefits of being more calm, peaceful, and happy from being surrounded by nature
You reap the benefits of grounding when your feet are in contact with that wonderful new nature oasis of yours.
You enjoy the company of like minded people on the same journey as you are on now
You are now part of the solution, not the problem (a few solutions to solve many problems)
The What
Build soil health
Provide habitat with trees and shrubs
Reduce monoculture grass as much as feasible
Stop using synthetic fertilizers, and replace them with organic or natural fertilizer
Compost your yard waste and kitchen scraps
Start home gardening
Convince your neighborhood to plant street trees (we will help)
The ‘what’ list is a much shorter than the ‘why’ and ‘effects’. I’m not promising all these things but there are plenty of studies out there to support them. These things reported by people who spend time in nature. We are all busy and feel the pressure of limited time. Most of which is spent at home or within the city or community we live in. This is another reason we should strive to transform where we live into a place of beauty and hope.
We’re not asking you to plant your whole yard. Most of us have kids that need enough room to play. The transformation to bring nature and the wild back will look different to all of us, but we all have some room for enough natural habitat to make a difference. Don’t worry if the cost is your concern. We can show you ways to get started for free and transform over time. We can tell you about trees that are resilient to wind and grow 6’ a year without getting overly tall. We can tell you what street trees to plant, and help you get your neighborhood involved. The sky is the limit, and the ground is the starting point.
To see more of the transformation preview below, read about it on our project page:
Transformed backyard
Before & After
A Nature Oasis, right at home.
6 years from clay soil & turf to a thriving biodiverse plot of land.
WHO ARE WE?
A community-driven organization working to restore ecosystems and accelerate climate action from property to property and city to city. We believe environmental change begins with ordinary people – and grows through collaboration, education, and measurable impact.
Around the world, vital conservation work is underway. But you don't need to travel across the globe to take meaningful action.
The Urban Rewild Project exists because our local landscapes urgently need transformation, too. By taking action where we live, work, and play, we create immediate, visible impact. Every dollar and hour of sweat equity directly enriches your own community.
We are a non-profit organization committed to hands-on urban environmental restoration - building healthier ecosystems and uplifting the psychological well-being of local families.
About The Founder
Dave Stock
My love of nature was inspired by my father, Bernie Stock. As I grew up, it didn’t take me long to realize being out in nature was the best medicine when life got overwhelming. As life moved on, I started to ponder why people had natural wonders on their screen savers, but surrounded themselves with blank lawns cordoned off with tall white plastic fences.
It all came together around 2021. While people were isolated from each other suffering psychological stress and not knowing what COVID really meant, I was in a soil genesis course at the University of Nebraska at Omaha as I was finishing off my Geography degree. I learned in depth, the answer to many problems was right under my feet.
My wife Jocelyn and I try to get out and enjoy nature when we can. But when life is busy, we don’t have to go far. Our yard is an oasis I refer to as a micro nature preserve, as you’ll see in pictures of our house. Our short term rental allows people to experience being surrounded by nature while at home.
Madagascar
In 2010 I had the opportunity to travel to Madagascar as a photographer for two conservation groups; The Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership and Conservation Fusion. This truly made me aware of ecological problems on a global level. All that time, I was figuring out what I wanted to do “when I grew up”. I didn’t realize how I could take the work of these amazing conservation groups and scale them to a local level.
Let’s Work Together
Whether it’s a self funded project at home, or a project you would like The Urban Rewild Project to fund, let us know what you have in mind. We’ll let you know what’s possible from our end, or help with ideas and planning.