Summary

Each fall, the beautiful, rich, purple blooms of ironweeds (Vernonia spp.) grace fields and open areas throughout much of the eastern U.S. They are an ecological powerhouse for pollinators and wildlife, including a specialist bee. Ironweeds can make amazing additions to our native plant gardens where they serve as biodiversity magnets. In this episode, we discuss Mt. Cuba Center’s Vernonia Report which includes information about how multiple ironweed species performed in the garden trials, the importance of garden soils and conditions to plant growth and health, how plant health can impact pollinator use, and potential management techniques.

 

Today’s guest

Sam Hoadley is the Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center where he evaluates native plant species, old and new cultivars, and hybrids in the Trial Garden.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode:

• Insights into the diversity and ecological value of ironweeds, including their ability to attract a specialist bee and other pollinators.
• The importance of selecting the right ironweed species for specific soil conditions, including some standout performers for average mid-Atlantic garden soils.
• Pros and potential cons of management techniques like the Chelsea Chop to control plant height.

Resources Sam mentioned:

• Vernonia trial report
• Previous trial reports
• Mt. Cuba Center

Other Backyard Ecology resources

• Butterfly Garden Ironweeds – Definitive Guide!
• 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.

Summary

While carpenter bees get a bad rap, they are also important pollinators and play a vital role in the ecosystem. Their bad reputation can also sometimes be overblown. So, let’s talk a little bit about carpenter bees, why they are important, and how to discourage them from nesting in places where you don’t want them.

 

3 things you’ll learn from this episode:

• Where you can find eastern carpenter bees and how to identify them.
• Why you need carpenter bees if you want gulf fritillary butterflies whose caterpillars host on purple passionflower vines.
• Simple, non-lethal ways to discourage carpenter bees from creating nesting tunnels where you don’t want them drilling into your wooden structures.

 

Other helpful Backyard Ecology™ resources:

• The Backyard Ecologist’s Newsletter
• The 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.

 

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/

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.

 

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/

 

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.

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/

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.

Summary

When someone decides they want to attract birds to their yard, often the first thing they do is put up a birdfeeder (or two). It’s what we did when I was a kid, and it’s what countless other people I know have done.

There’s nothing wrong with putting out a birdfeeder. They’re a great way to bring the birds to locations where it’s easy for us to watch them. 

But, if you want to attract more birds (and better care for the ones you are already attracting), then you need to take more of an ecosystem approach. As an added bonus, you’ll also attract and provide for other wildlife and pollinators – something bird feeders alone will never accomplish.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode

• How to provide a wide variety of food sources for your birds.
• How to easily provide different types of shelter for your birds.
• How to provide water for your birds to drink and bathe in.

Other Backyard Ecology resources

• Leave Standing Dead Trees (When Safe)
• Create a Brush Pile
• Plant Native Grasses
• Think About Layers

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 help

If you would like personalized help creating your own pollinator and wildlife habitat, then we encourage you to check out the Backyard Ecology™ Community.  Because there’s lots of great “big picture” information available about creating pollinator gardens or larger habitats for pollinators and wildlife. 

But, what’s lacking are 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/

Summary

Amanda shares the journey she and her husband have taken to transform their small, suburban yard into a vibrant habitat for birds and pollinators. We discuss the various projects they’ve undertaken, the challenges of DIY landscaping, the importance of community support, and the positive reactions from neighbors and family.

Their story shows how creating wildlife habitat can benefit both the environment and the property owners’ well-being. Amanda encourages others to start small, focus on native plants, and seek community support to achieve similar successes.

Today’s guest

Amanda is a mom, medical writer, former biomedical researcher, and nature enthusiast who lives in middle Tennessee on a small, suburban lot. I met Amanda about a year ago when she joined a small group coaching program we were offering in the Backyard Ecology™ Community. She dove right in and continued as community member after the coaching program was done. 

3 things you’ll learn from this episode

• The practical steps Amanda took and challenges she and her husband faced while transforming their small, suburban yard into a thriving ecosystem.
• How her involvement with supportive groups such as her local Wild Ones chapter and the Backyard Ecology™ Community were instrumental in her success.
• The positive impact creating backyard ecosystems can have on personal well-being, friends and family, and the local biodiversity.

Bonus content

• Amanda’s Checklist for Creating a Thriving Backyard Ecosystem

Resources Amanda mentioned

• Backyard Ecology Community 
• Wild Ones 
• The Habitat Connection 

Other Backyard Ecology resources

• Attract Backyard Birds with an Ecosystem Approach!  
• 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.

Summary I am so excited to be relaunching the Backyard Ecology™ podcast! New episodes will be released every other week, and we have some exciting guests already lined up. 

Going forward, in addition to the traditional audio version of the podcast episodes, there will also be a video version available for the episodes with guests. The video version will be available on the Backyard Ecology™ YouTube channel.

 

Links and Resources

• YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/backyardecology
• Website: https://backyardecology.net
• Newsletter: https://backyardecology.net/subscribe
• Support: https://backyardecology.net/support 

 

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.