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Rebuilding our national ecology is everyone’s job, that’s the message of Douglas Tallamy’s two best-selling books, Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope. As a researcher in insect ecology at the University of Delaware, Dr. Tallamy had noted that garden plants of foreign origin supported very few of our native insects. That in turn means our gardens are supporting very few birds and other kinds of wildlife that depend on the insects for food.
Tallamy’s solution? Plant native species that do foster insects. If all American homeowners converted half of their lawns to landscapes of native plants, the resulting “homegrown national park,” would total almost ten times the size of Yellowstone Park, and go a long way toward reversing our national ecological decline.
Now he has teamed up with entrepreneur and business development strategist Michelle Alfandari to spread this message on the internet and social media. At homegrownnationalpark.org, Tallamy and Alfandari have posted easy tips on converting lawn to wildlife habitat, links to on-line tools for selecting the most effective, locally adapted plants, and an interactive map that allows the user to see where their yard fits into the national landscape.
Join me today for a conversation with Douglas Tallamy exploring his new on-line venture, and how it can help you turn your yard into a wild-life friendly element of our greatest, “homegrown,” national park.
