Plant It & They’ll Come: Creating Bird-Friendly Landscapes

AN AUDUBON AT HOME LECTURE

Plant It & They’ll Come: Creating Bird-Friendly Landscapes

Saturday, June 30 ~ 3:00-4:00 pm ~ At Audubon Greenwich

Are Cedar Waxwings passing you by? No Eastern Towhees stopping in your yard?  You can do a lot in your own landscape to help our many declining bird species.  Learn how to support our native birds and neo-tropical migrants with ecological design and proper plant selection.  Kim Eierman, Native Landscape Expert, will share helpful tips on successful bird-friendly gardening and some of the best choices of native plants.  A native plant is one that occurs naturally in a particular habitat, ecosystem or region without human introduction. It is well adapted to that regions soil, moisture and weather conditions. Native plants are crucial to native wildlife. They have spent many years evolving to provide certain benefits to each other. 

Native plants provide food and shelter for 10-15 times more species of birds, butterflies and other local wildlife than non-native plants.  They also keep each other in check. Don’t forget that native plants, especially flowering varieties are beautiful additions to any garden or home. Using native plants in your landscaping will save you time and money. Since native plants are adapted to our region’s soil and moisture conditions they need to be watered less often. Once established they are usually low maintenance. They have natural defenses to and can better resist pest infestations so they seldom require harmful pesticides and fertilizers. There are a great variety of native plants that you can use in any type of garden design from residential to large commercial landscapes.

Kim Eierman is a Certified Horticulturist through the American Society for Horticultural Science, an instructor at New York Botanical Garden, an adjunct professor at “Go Native U”, an accredited organic land care professional with NOFA, a Master Gardener, a Master Naturalist, a Steering Committee member of the Native Plant Center, and a Board member of Friends of Lasdon Park & Arboretum.  Kim earned a certificate in Horticulture at NYBG, and has studied at Rutgers and New England Wildflower Society.

RSVPs are appreciated. $10/suggested donation per adult and youth & students are free. Contact Jeff Cordulack at 203-869-5272 x239 or jcordulack@audubon.org

This program is an “Audubon At Home” themed event and hopes to insprire new landscaping ideas that create refuges for migratory bird and wildlife populations. To learn more about Audubon At Home, visit: http://ct.audubon.org/audubon-home-8or contact the Audubon At Home Coordinator, Taralynn Reynolds 203-869-5272 x236 or treynolds@audubon.org.