Saving Nature

It Starts With You

“In short, we no longer have the right to ignore the stewardship responsibilities attached to land ownership,” wrote Doug Tallamy in his book, Nature’s Best Hope. A professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware for the past 40 years, Tallamy is the author of 106 research publications, as well as the author/co-author of seven best-selling books. He visited Lancaster in March at the invitation of Bright Side Baptist Church, which is home to the initiative, Care for Creation.

Because of the magazine’s late garden writer, Dr. Richard Bitner, I was familiar with Doug Tallamy. Richard could wax on and on about Tallamy and his books, especially The Nature of Oaks. Richard, who was a devotee of conifers and wrote two books about the topic, just loved Tallamy’s ode to oaks. When I saw that Tallamy was going to be speaking in Lancaster, I had to go in honor of Richard. It was obvious that Tallamy’s name is a well-known commodity. Incredibly, the church was filled to capacity on a Saturday afternoon with not only people from Lancaster in attendance, but also with visitors from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Ohio and other areas of Pennsylvania. “This gives me hope,” Tallamy said as he scanned the size of the audience.

Care for Creation

The fact that a church was hosting such an event seemed a bit odd but Bright Side’s pastor, Rev. John A. Knight, explained the connection as he prepared to introduce Tallamy. Bright Side’s campus is located on Hershey Avenue in the city, not far from the Conestoga River, which flows into the Susquehanna and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. Lancaster County’s agricultural and stormwater runoffs negatively impact the quality of those waters, especially the bay’s. The church’s property provided unmistakable evidence of that, as heavy rains would wash over the grounds and parking lot and into the storm drains and sewer system.

According to an article written by Ad Crable that appeared in The Bay Journal last fall, Covid helped to get Care for Creation off the ground. Because attendance at church services had plummeted, member Francine Harley thought it would be nice to greet those who did attend services with planters filled with flowers. Besides, the project gave Harley and her team something to do.

Soon, Isiah Perry and other church members saw the advantage of expanding Bright Side’s green footprint outdoors and even beyond the campus. As for Harley, she was devouring books about creating wildlife habitats. “I just went a little nutty,” she told Crable.

The concerns of Perry, Harley and other church members prompted the formation of Care for Creation, through which Bright Side has become an active steward of the church’s little slice of the city. The name, Care for Creation, is inspired by God imploring Adam to care for the Earth (Genesis). Its members wear T-shirts emblazoned with Team 24, which relates to Psalm 24: The earth belongs to the Lord. Everything in it is his own.

Church members have fully embraced their mission. A rain garden was installed, and another is in the works that will replace four frequently flooded parking spaces that allow for pollutants to flow into storm drains. Team 24 also took responsibility for maintaining a nearby rain garden that had been installed by the city. Rain barrels were also put into place to provide raised gardens with moisture. Another project centered on removing nearly three dozen burning bushes (considered invasives) and replacing them with native shrubs and flowering plants. “That upset a few people,” Rev. Knight admitted to the audience.

Children and teens who attend Bright Side Opportunity Center’s STEM-based summer camps have also gotten into the spirit of saving the Earth one property at a time. Church members also venture to Lancaster County’s natural areas to enjoy hiking or a day in the woods. Last year, Bright Side played an active role in Lancaster Conservancy’s Water Week activities.

Because of their devotion to Care for Creation and with project grants provided by organizations such as Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake and the Center for Watershed Protection, Bright Side was able to earn the distinction of being a certified wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

Meanwhile, in Oxford …

About 25 years ago, Tallamy and his wife, Cindy, who is also an entomologist, built a house on a 10-acre tract in Oxford, Chester County. A hayfield at one time, the acreage hadn’t been maintained in years and was overgrown with invasives, making it inhospitable to birds and other wildlife. Insects (which Tallamy refers to as “the little things that run the world”), butterflies and moths were also nonexistent. “Life as we know it depends on insects,” he said of his goal to do his part for nature. Still, Tallamy questioned whether life could be reestablished on the acreage since 90% of insects need specific plants to survive and thrive.

Determined to create a diverse biosystem, the cleanup began with the removal of the invasives (much of it carried out by Cindy). Once they had a clean slate, the Tallamys began restoring the land, with plans in place to include meadows, wetland environments and woodlands. They began the restoration by planting meadow rue, which attracted moths and butterflies. Trees such as American elm and oaks (which he considers to be “the most powerful plant alive”) were installed. Native plants and shrubs began to thrive. A meadow took shape at the front of the house. The plan worked. Wildlife began to frequent the property. “It didn’t take long, and it wasn’t hard to do,” he commented, announcing that 62 species of birds now visit the property, as do more than 1,300 species of moths, as well as butterflies and insects, not to mention wildlife.

As if he was reading the minds of audience members, Tallamy assured them that you don’t need 10 acres to create a biodiverse environment. He went on to share a visual of a garden in Chicago that measures 1/10 of an acre. “It’s home to 60 different native plants, a water feature and 127 bird species,” he reported.

Keys to Success

Brace yourself! Doug Tallamy wants us to do something that suburbanites would consider to be a sacrilege: shrink our lawns! What! After all, vistas of green, perfectly manicured lawns are a status symbol in the USA. “I know it’s a hard sell,” he told the audience. “But nature needs to thrive in human-dominated landscapes.”

He proceeded to explain that half of the 40 million acres that are privately owned in this country is dedicated to lawns. He would like to see portions of them become meadows filled with wildflowers. He wants to see them become dotted with native species of trees, as well as inundated with islands and beds that are filled with native shrubs and plants. Water features would also make for nice additions. Such a strategy will help the land better support food webs, sequester carbon, clean and manage waterways and most importantly, support pollinators.

As far as plantings are concerned, Tallamy recommends that you utilize what he calls “Keystone Plants” that serve as a smorgasbord for pollinators. (According to Tallamy, 14% of native plant varieties sustain 90% of the caterpillar population.) The list is extensive and includes plants such as goldenrod, sunflowers, Joe-pye weed, lupines, woodland strawberries, hibiscus, false indigo, flax, yarrow, penstemon and the list goes on. If you can only choose one, invest in milkweed, which serves as a host for monarch butterflies, as they lay their eggs on the leaves of the plants and feed off the nectar of its blooms. A full list of pollinator-friendly plants can be found on the National Wildlife Federation’s website.

Native trees are also essential to a bio-friendly landscape. Again, he points to oaks as being super spreaders due to the fact that squirrels move and bury their acorns (many of which go unclaimed and therefore produce new trees), as do birds such as blue jays (a single blue jay can transport 4,500 acorns during the fall).

Trees, of course, serve the bird population in various ways. (Tallamy shared that in the last 50 years, 3 billion breeding birds have been lost.) He suggested that layered landscaping be practiced under or near a tree. Why? A nest full of baby birds requires constant feeding and most parents scavenge for food no farther than 50 yards from the nest. Having food available nearby is helpful to the survival of newborn birds that rely primarily on insects and caterpillars, which Tallamy calls the “meat and potatoes” of their diets.

What constitutes an invasive? Those posing a severe threat to biosystems include tree of heaven (a lanternfly magnet), Japanese honeysuckle, purple loosestrife, garlic mustard, Japanese angelica tree, Japanese and European barberry, Oriental bittersweet, kudzu, common buckthorn, multiflora rose, Japanese spirea and the list goes on. Of note are goatsrue and giant hogweed, which are considered noxious weeds on both the federal and state levels. For more information about plants/trees that pose severe, significant and lesser threats, visit the website of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “Plant choices matter,” Tallamy stressed. “Gardens can be both pretty and ecologically responsible.”

Our properties are also having a negative impact on the natural world due to light pollution. Lights that are aglow well into the evening or all night – especially those with yellow bulbs – have a profound impact on nocturnal insects and animals. In areas such as Bald Head Island in North Carolina – where sea turtles reign supreme – residents are restricted from having outdoor lights on at night from May through October. It’s also requested that indoor lighting be minimized.

Tallamy also added that mosquito control also has a negative impact on the natural world.

A Call to Action

The turnaround of the Tallamys’ property prompted neighbors to take notice. One utilized seven of their 10 acres to create a similar biosystem. Tallamy is encouraged by programs that states such as Minnesota, Virginia and North Carolina have initiated to provide homeowners with assistance in removing problem trees and replacing them with native varieties. Homeowner’s associations in places as diverse as Florida and Illinois have relaxed their landscaping “rules” and instead are establishing eco-friendly guidelines.

All this prompted Tallamy and Michelle Alfandari, an entrepreneur and biodiversity champion, to establish Homegrown National Park, which is regarded as the largest cooperative conservation project ever attempted. “We have to rebuild nature in as many places as possible,” Tallamy said. Their goal is to convert 20 million of those 40 million acres of privately owned property into individual biosystems.

That means saving nature starts right in your own backyard. “By turning your yard into a biosystem, you will be able to experience Mother Nature one-on-one,” Tallamy commented. “You won’t have to travel to a national park to experience nature; you’ll be able to enjoy it in your own backyard.” He sees it as a win-win, as nature and younger generations will benefit. “Kids need to be educated,” he stressed.

Homegrown National Park’s website provides advice on choosing native plants and includes plant lists, resources, kid’s activities and a Doug Tallamy section that features articles written by him, as well as podcasts and more. Lastly, nature lovers can register their properties on Homegrown National Park’s website. By adding your space, you will be contributing to a growing movement that will serve to regenerate biodiversity, strengthen local ecosystems and create meaningful change.

“I’ve been talking about this for 20 years,” Tallamy concluded. “I feel it’s my obligation … we are nature’s last hope.”

For information about Bright Side Baptist Church, visit Brightsidebc.org

For information about Homegrown National Park, visit Homegrownnationalpark.org

Planting or Remodeling Outdoor Spaces This Spring?

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recommends that you refrain from buying the following plants – aka The Dirty Dozen – for your property. If any listed varieties are found in your yard, consider replacing them.

Japanese Barberry
Bradford Pear
Chinese Privet
Heavenly Bamboo
Burning Bush
Norway Maple
Japanese and Chinese Wisteria
English Ivy
Common Periwinkle
Butterfly Bush
Orange Daylily
Japanese Pachysandra

On the other hand, the Appalachian Audubon Society recommends that you include the following plants, shrubs and trees, which they refer to as The Birdy Dozen.

Anise Hyssop
Cutleaf Coneflower
Common Golden-Alexanders
Eastern Gray Goldenrod
Little Bluestem
Wild Bergamot
Gray Dogwood
Northern Witch-Hazel
Red Chokeberry
Eastern White Pine
Scarlet Oak
Sugar Maple

Take Part Locally

There are plenty of organizations through which you can learn, collaborate and volunteer.

Susquehanna National Heritage Area

Information: Susqnha.org

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay/PA Office (Lancaster)

Information: Allianceforthebay.org

Lancaster Clean Water Partners

Information: Lancastercleanwaterpartners.com

Lancaster County Watersheds

Information: Lancastercountywatersheds.org

Lancaster County Garden Club

Information: Lancastergardenclub.org

Women’s Garden Club of Lancaster County

Information: Womensgardencluboflancastercounty.com

Town and Country Garden Club of Lancaster

Information: Townandcountrygardenclub.net

Local Sources of Native Plants

Native has become the buzzword among gardeners. Fortunately, garden centers are making it easy to add these important plants, shrubs and trees to our landscapes. Plus, more and more native plant sales are popping up on the calendar. Some we are aware of include: