Native Gardening: More Beauty, More Fun, More Life

Declining pollinators and birds need more food on the landscape —more wildflowers, more wild leaves.

For wildlife and ourselves, we can do better than grass
—Let’s get gardening!

Courses

Why Native Gardens Matter

It’s estimated that since 1970, North America has lost an estimated 3 billion birds —about 30% of the total population. And where we have data, it seems insect abundance has also declined by about 45% in the last 40 years.

In Vermont, five of the state’s 17 bumblebee species have disappeared, and roughly 30% of wild solitary bee species are considered imperiled.

These numbers are startling, but there’s a lot we can do!

What You Plant at Home Makes a Difference

The good news is that home gardens are a big part of the solution. Research has shown that landscapes designed with native plants can:

  • Support significantly more caterpillars (bird food)

  • Increase bird abundance, diversity, and breeding success

  • Host 8 times more birds of conservation concern compared to traditional yards!

Native Gardens = More Flowers, More Leaves, More Insects,
More Beauty, More Fun, More Life!

The Role of Native Plants

For both birds and pollinators, having enough habitat and food resources is directly connected to having enough native plants and flowers on the landscape. 

Research from Doug Tallamy’s lab at the University of Delaware has raised awareness of the link between native plants, insects, and birds:

  • During breeding season, 96% of birds feed their young mostly insects —especially caterpillars, which are soft and rich in protein.

  • About 90% of herbivorous insects (including caterpillars) are specialists, meaning they can only eat the specific native plants they evolved with.

In recent years, it’s become clear that native plants and the insects who eat them form the base of food webs and are fundamental to healthy ecosystems.

References

  1. Rosenberg, Kenneth V., et al. Decline of the North American avifauna. Science, 366.6461 (2019): 120–124. https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10133018

  2. Wagner, David L., et al. Insect decline in the Anthropocene: Death by a thousand cuts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118.2 (2021). https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2023989118

  3. McFarland, K.P., Richardson, L., & Zahendra, S. Vermont Bumble Bee Atlas. Vermont Center for Ecostudies – Vermont Atlas of Life, 2015. http://val.vtecostudies.org

  4. Hardy, S., Hallworth, M. T., Ferguson, M., et al. The State of Vermont’s Wild Bees 2022. Vermont Center for Ecostudies – Vermont Atlas of Life, 2022. https://stateofbees.vtatlasoflife.org

  5. Tallamy, Doug. Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens. Timber Press, 2007.

  6. U.S. Department of the Interior. Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful, 2021. https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/report-conserving-and-restoring-america-the-beautiful-2021.pdf

  7. Wilson, E. O. Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life. Liveright, 2016.

  8. Dinerstein, Eric, et al. A Global Deal for Nature: Guiding Principles, Milestones, and Targets. Science Advances, 5.4 (2019): eaaw2869. https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.aaw2869

  9. Burghardt, Karin T., Tallamy, D. W., & Shriver, W. G. Impact of native plants on bird and butterfly biodiversity in suburban landscapes. Conservation Biology, 23.1 (2009): 219–224. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01076.x