A Letter to Future Generations | Written by Megan Banich
- Megan Banich
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 14 hours ago
Written by Megan Banich
I write this blog as a letter to you, to future generations, and to myself years from now.
I hope that when I look back on these words, I can say I did my part. More importantly, I hope that together we got our act together before it was too late.
As I write this in June of 2026, Colorado is facing drought conditions, farmers are struggling, food prices continue to rise, and people all over the world are asking the same question:
"What can we actually do about climate change?"
To be honest, I don't think anyone has 'all' the answers. But I do think we know enough to start moving in the right direction.
For thousands of years, healthy soil helped civilizations grow food, raise animals, and build communities. When people took care of the soil, the soil took care of them. When people abused the land, civilizations often suffered the consequences and, in some cases, collapsed.
Today, we are facing many of those same challenges. Our food system depends on healthy soil. Our water depends on healthy soil. Our ecosystems depend on healthy soil. And whether we realize it or not, our future depends on healthy soil too.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have felt connected to nature. I've always loved animals, plants, insects, forests, rivers, and the outdoors. I became a vegetarian in 2008 because of my love for animals, and over the years that love grew into a passion for protecting the environment.
Being a landscape designer and soil advocate isn't just a job for me.
It's a way of life.
I spend many hours of my days thinking about how we can build healthier ecosystems, support pollinators, improve soil health, conserve water, and create landscapes that benefit both people and nature.
When people talk about climate solutions, they often talk about things like renewable energy, electric vehicles, direct air capture, algae farming, and international agreements like the Paris Climate Agreement. All of those things have an important role to play.
But I believe one of the most overlooked climate solutions is sitting right beneath our feet: soil. Healthy soil stores carbon, holds water, grows nutrient-dense food, supports wildlife, and creates resilient ecosystems. Once I understood that, choosing regenerative landscaping as my contribution to the world became an easy decision.
Regenerative Landscaping (noun): A landscaping approach that works with nature to improve soil health, increase biodiversity, conserve water, support pollinators and wildlife, capture carbon, and leave the land healthier and more resilient than it was before.
At Next Generation Landscapers, we use plants, trees, compost, mulch, and ecological design to create living systems that work with nature instead of against it. Every tree we plant captures carbon. Every pollinator garden supports bees and butterflies. Every healthy landscape improves the environment in its own small way. And trust me—it all adds up. Real change doesn't happen overnight. It happens one garden, one tree, one patch of healthy soil, and one person at a time. That's how we can collectivly build a better future.
In 2024, we made the switch to primarily battery-powered lithium-ion equipment. Thanks to assistance from Boulder County's PACE program, we were able to invest in new equipment that helped reduce our emissions, lower noise pollution, and lessen our environmental impact.
Will any one of these things solve climate change by themselves?
No.
And that's okay...
I don't think the future will be saved by one invention, one politician, or one company.
I think it will be shaped by millions of ordinary people making better choices every day.
The good news is that you don't need to own a landscaping company to make a difference. There are countless ways to help, no matter where you live or what you do. You can plant native flowers, support local farmers, compost food scraps, reduce food waste, grow herbs on your patio, plant a tree, create habitat for pollinators, support environmentally conscious businesses, learn where your food comes from, and teach future generations to love and respect nature. None of these actions seem very big on their own, but neither does a single raindrop. Yet enough raindrops can fill a river. I believe the same is true for positive change. Every garden matters. Every tree matters. Every healthy patch of soil matters. Most importantly, every action matters.
At the end of the day, I can't control the actions of billions of people. I can't control governments, corporations, or world leaders. What I can control is myself.
I can choose how I run my business. I can choose how I care for the land. I can choose to purchase from companies where sustainable when theres Ian option. can choose to leave the world a little better than I found it. That's the choice I've made.
My hope is that you find your own way to do the same.
Whether it's through gardening, farming, teaching, conservation, volunteering, creating art, raising animals, helping your community, or simply being kind to the world around you, your actions matter.
If future generations are reading this, I hope we made good decisions and pulled ourselves out of the mess we created.
And if I'm reading this years from now, I hope you never stopped trying. I hope you kept planting trees, building healthy soil, and creating ecosystems through Next Generation Landscapers. I hope you gave horses affected by neglect and trafficking a second chance through Lily's Ranch & Rescue. I hope you continued reducing waste and giving new life to clothing through Boulder Babe. And I hope you never forgot why you started any of it in the first place—to leave the world a little better than you found it.
The future isn't something we inherit.
It's something we create together.
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