In this fifth episode of Changehampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon welcomes renowned landscape designer Edwina von Gal, founder of the Perfect Earth Project, and ecologist Tim Wheeler, Perfect Earth’s Homeowner Educator. Together, they explore a transformative vision for land care—one rooted in nature-based practices, healthy habitats, and eliminating toxic chemicals. From closing the loop on your property to launching an Earth School for a new generation of “land carers,” Edwina and Tim challenge the cultural norms of traditional landscaping and offer exciting, practical alternatives to help listeners reconnect with the land and create thriving ecosystems in their own backyards.

👥 Guests:

• Edwina von Gal – Founder of Perfect Earth Project; internationally known landscape designer and ecological advocate.
• Tim Wheeler – Ecologist and educator with Perfect Earth’s Living Lands program, providing direct homeowner support.

🌱 Topics Covered:

• The origin story of Perfect Earth and its mission to promote chemical-free, nature-based land care.
• The Global Ground Rules: “Minimize Harm, Maximize Habitat.”
• What it means to “close the loop” in your yard.
• Challenges of transforming traditional landscaping culture—and why fear drives resistance.
• Why spraying for ticks is not the answer (and what to do instead).
• The rise of the Living Lands homeowner site visit program.
• The need for a new workforce: land carers, not landscapers.
• Launching Earth School and the Amber Waves “seed pod” kiosk.
• Water-wise gardening and why drip irrigation may not be ideal.
• DIY tips for eco-conscious yard design on a budget.
• Rewilding as a spiritual, cultural, and ecological act.

 Notable Quotes:

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• 🌍 Perfect Earth Project
• 🌱 @perfectearthproject on Instagram
• 🌾 Living Lands Free Site Visit Program (for South Fork homeowners)
• 🛍️ Native Plant Sale with Glover Perennials
• 📚 Paul Hawken’s “carbon flow” concept
• 🌸 Amber Waves Seed Pod Info Kiosk (Fridays in Amagansett)

💡 Practical Takeaways:

• ❌ Stop buying mulch — use your own leaves and branches to feed your soil.
• 🪴 Choose native plants grown without neonics or pesticides.
• 🐛 Don’t spray for ticks — protect yourself, not your landscape.
• 💧 Water seldom, but deeply. Avoid automated sprinklers and reconsider drip systems.
• 🌿 Make a habitat pile with fallen branches — perfect for birds, rabbits, and soil health.
• ✂️ Mow less and let some areas grow wild. Keep wide paths to reduce tick exposure.
• 📲 Get an app-based irrigation system to manage watering manually and more wisely.

📌 Call to Action:

Ready to start reimagining your yard? Sign up for a free one-hour Living Lands site visit or stop by the Amber Waves kiosk in Amagansett every Friday afternoon to speak directly with a Perfect Earth educator.

In this episode of Changehampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with two seasoned experts in sustainable lawn and yard care: landscapers Paul Munoz and Paul Wagner of Eastern Long Island.  Together, they explore how ecological landscaping can reverse environmental damage, enhance biodiversity, and create healthier communities. From organic lawn care to learning to work with leaves, to ecologically healthy ways to deal with ticks and other pests, this engaging conversation dives into practical strategies,for creating healthy eco-systems and human communities. 

In this inspiring third episode of *Changehampton Presents*, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with Leonard Green, co-founder of Changehampton, and actor/director/journalist Paul McIsaac about transforming traditional lawns into thriving, biodiverse ecosystems. They share their personal journeys of replacing grass with native plantings, the critical role of keystone species like oaks and blueberries, and the cultural resistance to eco-conscious landscaping. The conversation also introduces Changehampton's newest initiative: the 1,000 Healthy Yards Campaign, aiming to restore ecological balance, yard by yard.
 
 ---
 
 ## 🌱 Show Notes — Episode 3: **Turning Turf Lawns to Healthy Yards; ChangeHampton Activists Describe the Process 

**Hosted by:** Francesca Rheannon 
 **Guests:** Leonard Green (Co-founder, Changehampton; Board Member, ReWild Long Island), Paul McIsaac (Actor, Director, Journalist)
 
 ### 🗣️ Episode Highlights
 
 - **The ecological importance of native plants**
   - Why "native" means more than just local—it means symbiotic, essential, and time-tested.
   - Native plants create healthy soil, purify groundwater, and support pollinators and wildlife.
 
 - **The role of keystone species**
   - Oaks support over 485 insect species and are fundamental to local ecosystems.
   - Other keystone plants include wild black cherry, river birch, and blueberries.
 
 - **Personal yard transformations**
   - Leonard and Paul share how their suburban lawns became pollinator-friendly habitats.
   - Tips for low-cost rewilding: from cardboard lawn removal to planting clover and native shrubs.
 
 - **Launching the 1,000 Healthy Yards Campaign**
   - A community-driven movement inspired by Bellport’s Healthy Yards model.
   - Aims to celebrate and document properties using sustainable, toxin-free landscaping.
 
 - **Overcoming cultural resistance**
   - The “chem-lawn” aesthetic is deeply embedded in suburban norms.
   - Shift begins with education, visible yard signs, and accessible local projects.
 
 - **Natural tick management**
   - Len and Paul share practical methods to avoid spraying harmful pesticides while staying safe.
 
 - **Landscaping as a social justice metaphor**
   - Biodiversity in nature parallels diversity in human communities—both are essential to resilience and beauty.
 
 Notable Quotes: 
### 💬 Notable Quotes
 
 > "We’ve essentially replaced very complex systems with very simplified systems—and the odd thing is, we have to keep these simplified systems on life support." – **Leonard Green**
 
 > "When people ask me what I do, I say, 'I’m a gardener—and I do other stuff.'" – **Paul McIsaac**
 
 > "If we just gave back a little of that 40 million acres of turf lawn in the U.S., we could give something back to nature." – **Leonard Green**
 
 > "The world we’re leaving for our children doesn’t look very attractive. I wouldn’t want to leave it to any children if I had any." – **Leonard Green**
 
 > "Diversity in ecology and society alike is not just about justice—it’s about strength, beauty, and resilience." – **Paul McIsaac**
 
 ---
 
 ### 🔗 Resources & Mentions
 
 - **Changehampton**: [https://www.changehampton.org](https://www.changehampton.org) 
- **ReWild Long Island**: [https://www.rewildlongisland.org](https://www.rewildlongisland.org) 
- **Paul McIsaac’s Video**: *Grass, Kick the Habit* (available via Changehampton’s site)
- **Nature Notes by Larry Penny** (East Hampton Star columnist)

---

### 🐝 Join the Movement

Learn how to transform your yard—and your community—by joining the **1,000 Healthy Yards Campaign**. Visit [Changehampton.org](https://www.changehampton.org) for how-to guides, native plant lists, and community success stories.

In this episode of Changehampton Presents: Save the Planet One Yard at a Time, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with Abby Lawless, designer of the East Hampton Town Hall Pollinator Garden, and Jason LaGarenne, owner of Whitney’s Landscaping. Together, they discuss the evolution, philosophy, and impact of East Hampton’s public pollinator garden and its upcoming expansion into native grassland meadows. This inspiring conversation explores how native plants, ecological landscaping, and community engagement can help combat biodiversity loss and build resilience to climate change—starting in our own backyards.

Detailed Show Notes

🌿 Segment 1: Designing for Pollinators and People

Guests:

• Abby Lawless, Landscape Designer, Farm Landscape Design
• Jason LaGarenne, Owner, Whitney's Landscaping

Highlights:

• The East Hampton Town Hall Pollinator Garden was designed with both ecological and aesthetic goals: 4,000 square feet of native-rich planting that welcomes people and wildlife.
• The design incorporates formal geometry to appeal to traditional tastes while championing native biodiversity.
• The garden includes about 79% native plants, with the remaining 21% non-native but non-invasive, like Russian sage, chosen for beauty and resilience.

Key Quote:

“We had two clients: humans and nature.” — Abby Lawless

Key Topics:

• Designing with deer-resistance and low maintenance in mind
• Using formal design to increase native plant garden acceptance
• Why it's not “all or nothing” with native plants

Keywords:
East Hampton Pollinator Garden, native plant design, sustainable landscaping, deer-resistant plants, low-maintenance gardens, Abby Lawless, Jason LaGarenne

🌱 Segment 2: From Static Lawns to Dynamic Landscapes

Highlights:

• Ecological landscaping challenges the outdated “mow-and-blow” model of lawn care.
• Jason emphasizes “management over maintenance”—creating evolving, healthy ecosystems instead of static yards.
• Native plant communities are more resilient and better adapted to local climate, reducing the need for chemical inputs.

Key Quote:

“Maintenance implies something static. Management implies life.” — Jason LaGarenne

Key Topics:

• Building living landscapes rather than static scenery
• Overcoming resistance from conventional landscapers and clients
• Combatting landscape myths: disease prevention, fertilization, pest control

Keywords:
ecological landscaping, organic lawn care, sustainable horticulture, plant community dynamics, lawn alternatives, living landscapes, regenerative design

🌾 Segment 3: Grassland Meadows and Climate Resilience

Highlights:

• A new native grassland meadow is being installed on the East Hampton Town Hall campus as a model of non-toxic, biodiverse land management.
• The meadow avoids synthetic chemicals like Roundup and uses closed-loop soil regeneration practices.
• Changehampton provides DIY resources, including plug planting guides and designs for homeowners on a budget.

Key Quote:

“If it’s not modeled, it can’t be replicated.” — Abby Lawless

Key Topics:

• Pollinator meadows as climate adaptation tools
• Affordable native landscaping through plug planting
• Closed-loop composting and microbial soil health
• Connecting soil health to water quality and human health

Keywords:
native grassland meadow, climate change landscaping, closed-loop composting, regenerative gardening, plug plants, meadow installation, non-toxic gardening

🐝 Segment 4: Hope in the Garden—Why This Work Matters

Highlights:

• Even small native plantings can become “islands of biodiversity” that support pollinators, birds, and soil life.
• Changing how we view landscapes—from ornamental to ecological—can shift public behavior and policy.
• Both guests emphasize the power of joyful experimentation and the importance of modeling success at every scale.

Key Quote:

“We’re building hope plot by plot.” — Abby Lawless

Key Topics:

• Creating backyard biodiversity oases
• Inspiration from natural meadows and native ecosystems
• The importance of visible, tangible success stories
• Fighting climate despair with hands-on action

Keywords:
backyard biodiversity, climate hope, native bees, pollinator habitat, ecological education, homeowner landscaping, Changehampton, Save the Planet One Yard at a Time

📚 Resources Mentioned

• Changehampton.org: Designs, plant lists, and guides for starting your own pollinator garden
• Doug Tallamy’s Bringing Nature Home
• Perfect Earth Project: Organic landscaping support
• Pete Oudolf & New Perennial Movement (design inspiration)

Change Hampton is an organization founded by Gail Pellett and Stephan Van Dam, aiming to promote restorative landscaping and a new land ethic focused on native plants and reduced chemical use. Their mission involves educating the community about the ecological benefits of native species and the negative impacts of conventional lawn care practices. They established a model pollinator garden at East Hampton Town Hall and are developing native meadows to showcase beautiful, sustainable alternatives. Inspired by the Homegrown National Park movement, Change Hampton encourages individuals to transform their yards into habitats, offering resources like a native plant selector on their website to aid in this process and foster a community dedicated to ecological health.