Beneficial Insects
Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for the EcoBeneficial Gardener
1. Reduce or eliminate your lawn – it’s an ecological desert. 2. Focus on increasing the health of your soil – it’s filled with life! Compost is king for most soils, not fertilizer. 3. Eliminate synthetic pesticides, herbicides + fungicides. Use organic counterparts sparingly, if at all. 4. Support beneficial insects with appropriate native plantings. They are nature’s pest control.…
Read MoreLast Minute Gift Idea: Think Native Woody Plants!
Stuck trying to find a last minute holiday gift? Why not give an easy gift that keeps on giving to your loved one and the environment? A coupon for a native tree or shrub will do the trick! Make it simple by creating your own coupon on a holiday card: “Good for one native tree or shrub.” In the spring,…
Read MoreDeclining Species: A Huge Red Flag
The recent press on the dramatic decline in Monarch butterflies prompted me to write this letter just published in the “Community Views” section of The Journal News. Please read and share. We can make a tremendous positive impact through our own actions! http://www.lohud.com/article/20131219/OPINION/312190073/Declining-species-huge-red-flag from Kim Eierman at EcoBeneficial Photo: Monarch Butterfly on Milkweed Photo credit: Flickr_thoeflich
Read MoreUs vs. Them? Can We Afford to Remain Disconnected from Environmental Realities?
The population of Monarch butterflies has declined to the lowest level ever recorded, pollinators are in a well-reported nose dive, the 20 most common bird species have declined by 68% in the past 45 years. What does this all mean for us humans, the one species that all other species could exist without? It turns out that we need other…
Read MoreInterview with Dr. Doug Tallamy, Author of Bringing Nature Home
Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Doug Tallamy at his home. Doug is the author of Bringing Nature Home: How you Can Sustain Wildlife With Native Plants, a book which has sparked a new cycle of enthusiasm for native plants and ecological landscapes. Doug is Professor & Chair of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware,…
Read MoreTop 20 Ways to Create An EcoBeneficial Garden
Wondering how you can give a huge “eco-boost” to your garden? Look no further. Here are 20 of the best ways: 1) Reduce or eliminate the “Green Desert” (lawn/turf). It is an ecological wasteland. 2) Increase the health of your soil. Everything starts with the soil: healthy soil makes for healthy plants. Disturb your soil as little as possible. Leaves…
Read MoreMeadowscaping: A Perfect Alternative to Lawns
You might be thinking about doing some planting this fall. Why not consider planting a native meadowscape: a meadow or a meadow-like garden? Meadowscapes are fantastic ecological alternatives to lifeless lawns (“green deserts”). Whether you have a tiny yard or an expansive landscape, you can create a native meadowscape and give your landscape a big ecological boost. Bees, butterflies, other…
Read MoreHelping Pollinators & Improving Ecosystems: Inspirations from the UK
Just “across the pond” in the United Kingdom, there are some inspiring initiatives going on to help pollinators and create environmental improvements. In June of this year the British Government’s Minister for Environmental Science announced that a National Pollinator Strategy will soon be created. This is the only country I know of which has placed pollinators, and their critical role…
Read MoreBee City USA: Helping Bees, City by City
You may have heard about Tree City USA, a nationwide program for communities which have demonstrated a commitment to caring for and managing their public trees. Over 3,400 communities now have Tree City USA status. Borrowing from this idea there is a new, exciting program to help support bees across the country: Bee City USA. In 2011, Phyllis Stiles,…
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