More than three dozen Cambridge residents gathered Saturday morning to plant Cambridge’s first ever residential Miyawaki garden. Volunteers planted more than 40 species of plants native to New England in a single front yard to guard against biodiversity loss.

By Frank S. Zhou

More than three dozen organizers, volunteers, and block party attendees gather to survey the 40 species of plants planted as a part of the Miyawaki garden. “We’re in a biodiversity crisis,” said Tori Antonino, an organizer of the event. “It’s just a matter of what we choose to plant in our landscapes that are going to determine whether or not creatures exist.”

By Frank S. Zhou

By Frank S. Zhou

Volunteers lay down lengths of pink ribbon to mark the garden’s borders.

By Frank S. Zhou

Musician Jordan F. Mudd serenades a plant. “I’m building a relationship with this plant by singing to it,” he said.

By Frank S. Zhou

“We’re in the age of the Anthropocene, and planting for ourselves and our own aesthetic has brought us into this crisis,” Antonino said. “This could be a game changer.”

“Move over, humans,” Antonino said. “We’re not number one anymore.”

By Frank S. Zhou

Amid the planting, Cambridge resident Susan Filene teaches children how to feed the chickens in her backyard.

By Frank S. Zhou

Cambridge resident Julia G. Mason picks out a rock while planting spotted cranesbill in the front lawn.

By Frank S. Zhou