Doug Tallamy, an entomologist, ecologist and conservationist at the University of Delaware, has become the de facto leader of the modern conservation movement. He advocates bringing nature to all of our homes and businesses, not just confining it to parks and preserves. Check out Homegrown National Park at homegrownnationalpark.org for more information.
His credo is fairly simple … plant mostly native plants, remove invasive plants and reduce your lawn. His research indicates that yards that are planted with 70 percent native plants can support local wildlife.
That leaves us 30 percent to indulge ourselves with some non-natives (as long as they’re not invasive). Non-native nectaring plants make a good addition.
Fortunately, Tallamy is not a native plant purist. He wants to create as big a tent as he can so as many people as possible start planting native plants.
His new book, How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard is a compendium of answers to questions that he’s collected over the years. The subject matter is divided into easily digestible chapters. I went through it fairly quickly the first time because I read the chapters I was most interested in first.
There’s a lot of knowledge and wisdom contained in this book. It’s a must if you’re interested in helping native flora and fauna.
– Will Rowlands
How Can I Help? Serving Nature with Your Yard
376 pages – 6-3⁄8” × 9-1⁄2”
Hardcover $30 – ebook $15.99
Audiobook Download $31.99
ISBN-13 9781643264714
Published by Timber Press
(hachettebookgroup.com)
