Choose the Best Native Milkweed for Your Eastern U.S. Garden
Backyard Ecology™
Summary Milkweeds are a common component of butterfly and pollinator gardens. Not only are they important for monarch caterpillars, but they are also used by a wide variety of pollinators. There are lots of different species of milkweed that are native to the eastern U.S. and have the potential to work really well in home gardens. In this episode we discuss 10 species that are native to most of the eastern U.S. and responsible ways to obtain those species. 3 things you’ll learn from this episode: Why it is important to choose milkweed species that are native to where you live. Responsible...
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Laurel Wilt: How Tiny Beetles Can Kill Huge Trees
Backyard Ecology™
Summary In this episode, we dive deep into Laurel Wilt Disease which is a vascular wilt disease affecting trees in the Lauraceae family, such as sassafras, spicebush, and redbay. We discuss its history, how it spreads, ecological and cultural impacts of the disease, current management options, and challenges associated with managing the disease. We also explore potential future research directions and highlight the important role that each of us can play in monitoring for the disease and slowing its spread. Today’s guest Dr. Albert, Bud, Mayfield is a Research Entomologist with the...
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Virginia strawberry: A Beautiful, Tasty, and Underutilized Native Groundcover
Backyard Ecology™
Summary The Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) is our most widespread native wild strawberry in the eastern U.S. It supports a wide range of pollinators and wildlife. It can also make an amazing groundcover in a native plant garden. However, this is not the wild strawberry that most people find growing in their yards and garden beds. 3 things you’ll learn from this episode How to tell the Virginia strawberry from the other native wild strawberry in the eastern U.S. and from the invasive mock strawberry that is found in many people’s yards and gardens. How to incorporate the...
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Ironweed’s Beauty and Ecological Value in Your Garden: Mt. Cuba’s Vernonia Trial
Backyard Ecology™
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...
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Eastern Carpenter Bees: How to Peacefully Co-exist and Why They Are Important
Backyard Ecology™
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...
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Doug Tallamy’s Habitat Restoration Story and How You Can Help Save Nature
Backyard Ecology™
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...
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Darkness Matters: Light Pollution’s Threats and Simple Ways to Help
Backyard Ecology™
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...
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BirdCast: Revealing the Mysteries of Bird Migration
Backyard Ecology™
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...
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How to Do Spring Garden Cleanup for Pollinators and Wildlife
Backyard Ecology™
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...
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Exploring the Fascinating World of Ground Nesting Bees
Backyard Ecology™
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...
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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:
Other Backyard Ecology resources:
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