My Minneapolis lawn is in terrible shape after years of drought and animal activity. I'm looking for ways to prevent further harm to my yard and rebuild it better. I have two big questions. First, about the aforementioned animal activity. For years now I have been seeing lots of small holes being dug in my yard, evidently by animals. They are not deep and are usually 1-2 inches across, though some larger sections of turf have been destroyed, especially as it weakened due to the drought. I've attached several pictures of these holes. What could be making them? I suspected squirrels since they are the main animals I see in my yard, but others have suggested it could be raccoons digging for grubs at night. Walking around my neighborhood, no other yards seem to be suffering from animal digging as badly as mine, and I'm wondering why. Second, about rebuilding the plant life in my yard. I believe in planting species that can survive our increasingly hot and dry climate without needing supplementary watering once they're established, which I consider wasteful. I'm considering either a drought-resistant grass like fine fescue or cultivating some restored prairie. I'm not sure how legal this is in Minneapolis, though--do you know much about the legality of "wild" lawns, or how I can check? My other concern is that I live on a small urban lot, 1/8 of an acre. Is there a recommended minimum area for prairie restoration projects? Would I need some kind of buffer zone between the restored prairie and sidewalks/neighbors' lawns?