Doug Tallamy’s Habitat Restoration Story and How You Can Help Save Nature
Summary Dr. Doug Tallamy shares the story of how he and his wife transformed their newly built home located on a former hayfield into a thriving forest ecosystem. We talk about how they got started, their struggles along the way, the habitat wins they’ve celebrated, and what his next steps are for his property. He also shares what he’s most excited about, his thoughts on creating habitat that you can maintain as you get older, information about his newest book, and much more. Today’s guest Dr. Doug Tallamy has been an entomologist at the University of Delaware for 44 years and is the author of such well-known books as Bringing Nature Home, Nature’s Best Hope, and The Nature of Oaks. His newest book is How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard. He is also the co-founder of Homegrown National Parks. 3 things you’ll learn from this episode: Doug Tallamy’s personal story of how he and his wife transformed their newly built home located on a former hayfield into a thriving forest ecosystem. Answers to some of the most common questions he is asked. His thoughts on how climate change should influence which native plants we plant on our properties. Resources Doug mentioned: Bringing Nature Home * Nature’s Best Hope * The Nature of Oaks * How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard * Homegrown National Parks Native Plants for Container Gardens * affiliate links – We receive a small commission for purchases made through these links, but it comes at no extra cost to you. All commissions that we receive through these links goes toward producing Backyard Ecology™ content. We appreciate your support. Other Backyard Ecology resources: Backyard Ecology Community Thank you Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
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49:08
Darkness Matters: Light Pollution’s Threats and Simple Ways to Help
Summary Darkness is a vital, and often overlooked, component of our ecosystems. Unfortunately, we’re losing it to light pollution. Decreasing the light pollution around your home will not only benefit the environment but will also benefit you because you’ll be able to see better without all the excess glare and will save money because you aren’t paying to light up the sky. 3 things you’ll learn from this episode: Why darkness is so important. What light pollution is and how prevalent it is. 4 simple ways you can combat light pollution around your home. Studies mentioned in this episode: Light pollution wastes energy and money and damages the climate The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness Citizen scientists report global rapid reductions in the visibility of stars from 2011 to 2022 Other Backyard Ecology resources: BirdCast: Revealing the Mysteries of Bird Migration Light Pollution and Its Impacts on Birds and Other Wildlife Thank you Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from. Opportunity for ongoing coaching and support If you would like personalized help creating your own pollinator and wildlife habitat, then we invite you to join the Backyard Ecology™ Community. Because while there’s lots of great “big picture” information available about creating pollinator gardens or larger habitats for pollinators and wildlife. There are far fewer opportunities to say, “This is what I want to do. This is what I’m struggling with. How do I make it work on my property?” That’s part of what the Backyard Ecology™ Community offers its members every day. Learn more: https://www.backyardecology.net/community/
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10:42
BirdCast: Revealing the Mysteries of Bird Migration
Summary Twice a year billions of birds migrate across the U.S. We’ve only recently discovered just how large that number really is. Being able to quantify that number is thanks to a large degree to a program called BirdCast which anyone from backyard birders to scientists to emergency managers can use. Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of bird migration. Today’s guest Dr. Andrew Farnsworth is a visiting scientist at Cornell Lab of Ornithology and a member of the BirdCast Team, which is using radar to track and study bird migrations over the U.S. 3 things you’ll learn from this episode: About bird migration including when they migrate, why they migrate, impacts of both human induced and natural climate change, and much more. The importance of making natural history observations and how technology can enhance, but not replace, those observations. The many ways in which BirdCast is being used by birds and by scientists, starting with giving us concrete data on the mind-blowingly large numbers of birds that migrate over the U.S. each year. Resources Andrew mentioned: BirdCast eBird Other Backyard Ecology resources: The Backyard Ecologist’s Newsletter Thank you Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
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1:14:25
How to Do Spring Garden Cleanup for Pollinators and Wildlife
Summary As gardeners, it’s common to get the gardening itch in late winter and early spring. The temptation to finish cleaning up our gardens during this time is a natural temptation. However, when doing your spring garden cleanup, it’s important to remember why you didn’t do those activities in the fall. Remembering that can help you choose what to do and when so that you can best support the pollinators and wildlife that visit your property. 3 things you’ll learn from this episode: When and how to deal with the leaves that you left from the fall. When and how to cutback any standing dead vegetation that you left in the fall. Creative ways to balance your needs with those of the pollinators and wildlife when doing your spring garden cleanup. Other Backyard Ecology resources: Fall Cleanup in the Pollinator and Wildlife Garden: A Comprehensive Guide to What You Need to Know and Do 2 SIMPLE Solutions for Fall Pollinator Garden Care! Should I Mow My Yard in May? The No Mow May Debate Thank you Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from. Get customized help There are lots of great “big picture” information available about creating pollinator gardens or larger habitats for pollinators and wildlife. But, there are far fewer opportunities to say, “This is what I want to do. This is what I’m struggling with. How do I make it work on my property?” That’s part of what the Backyard Ecology™ Community offers its members every day. If you live in the eastern U.S. and would like personalized help creating your own pollinator and wildlife habitat, then we invite you to join the Backyard Ecology™ Community. Learn more: https://www.backyardecology.net/community/
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10:46
Exploring the Fascinating World of Ground Nesting Bees
Summary Ground nesting bees represent a significant portion of our native bee population, yet they often go unnoticed due to their solitary nature and unique nesting habits. In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of ground nesting bees and how we can get involved in their study and conservation. Today’s guest Dr. Jordan Kueneman is a research associate in the Danforth lab of Entomology at Cornell University. He is also the creator of the Ground Nesting Bee project on iNaturalist where he is collecting observations of ground-nesting bee aggregations. 3 things you’ll learn from this episode: An overview of ground nesting bee biology, their behaviors, and their importance in the environment and potentially to some of our agricultural crops. An introduction into how much we still don’t know about ground nesting bees, including the answers to what would seem like fairly basic questions. How individuals like you and I can help researchers learn more about ground nesting bees and where they can be found. Bonus content: Tips on how to identify ground nesting bees Resources Jordan mentioned: Ground Nesting Bees iNaturalist Project Project GNBee website Instagram Other Backyard Ecology resources: 3 Tree Groups That Provide Early Season Bee Food! Discover Your Next Steps Thank you Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
Nature isn’t just “out there” in some pristine, far-off location. It’s all around us, including right outside our doors.
Hi, my name is Shannon Trimboli and I’m here to help busy homeowners in the eastern U.S. create thriving backyard ecosystems they can enjoy and be proud of.
Join us as we ignite our curiosity and natural wonder, explore our yards and communities, and improve our local pollinator and wildlife habitat.
Learn more at: https://www.backyardecology.net/podcast
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