Few things are better than watching great egrets return to their nocturnal nests above Lake Greenfield, a daily natural phenomenon that I take for granted as an ornithologist. However, in the 19th century, the great egret was nearly exterminated because its fur adorned women's hats. With increased conservation awareness, this decline in waterfowl numbers led to the first of several bird protection laws and in 1905 the National Audubon Society was founded, an environmental organization that continues to protect birds today.
Fortunately, most birds are now protected from direct hunting. However, today a decrease in the number of more dangerous birds awaits us. According to conservationist Ben Vogt, today there are 50% fewer birds in North America than there were 40 years ago, and more than 230 bird species in North America are threatened with extinction in the coming decades. This decline occurs as a result of habitat loss and changes in land use patterns, as a result of human development leaving the environment. As forests and grasslands are replaced by parking lots, monocultures, lawns treated with synthetic chemicals, and the proliferation of non-native invasive plants, landscapes are increasingly becoming dead zones for wildlife, especially caterpillars, the backbone of the food web. .
Larvae are the primary means of converting plant tissues into protein, which is available to vertebrates such as birds. In fact, 96% of songbirds feed their young only insects, and the larvae are the main source of food, as they are rich in proteins and carotenoids. Also, 90% of plant-eating insects are specialists, which means that they need certain types of plants to raise their young. For example, the monarch butterfly (listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature this summer) can only lay eggs on milkweed plants because that's the only leaf tissue the caterpillar digests. Native plants support insects 35 times more than non-native plants, and like sculptures in the landscape, they do not give way to native wildlife, but take up valuable possessions. The difference between these native and non-native plants is a matter of survival, as one parent has to collect 6,000 to 9,000 larvae on their first flight to produce offspring.
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Even if you don't care about insects and birds, there is still a need for insect pollination to pollinate the fruits and vegetables that humans eat. Native plants support insect predators, parasites, and natural enemies that help control plant and garden pests. Pollination and biological control are just two of the many ecosystem services that native plants provide. Native plants can make our landscapes more resilient to climate change by building soil, creating cooling plates, cleaning the air, sequestering carbon, and reducing storm runoff.
With the realization that today's kids will see half as many birds and 35% fewer butterflies and moths than they did in 1983 (the year you were born), it's time to ask yourself: Why do we plant gardens? We must thrive in a way that contributes to the preservation of natural biodiversity and does not damage the structure of our ecosystems. Fortunately, there are practical steps residents can take to reverse habitat loss.
Through a partnership between the Cape Fear Audubon Society and New Hanover County Volunteer Gardeners, a new program called Nature at Home will be launched this fall to educate and inform residents about how to transform landscapes of any size into more productive habitats. Implement sustainable landscape design practices. New Hanover County applicants applying for the $25 fee will receive a home visit from a trained horticultural volunteer who will assess the quality of the residents' living environment and make suggestions for space improvement.
For more information about the program, including how to register for a sustainable landscape practice and free resources, visit https://newhanover.ces.ncsu.edu/horticulture-4/. Participants will receive a small Nature House badge to celebrate their landscape.
With nature in the house, anyone with a backyard, patio or balcony has a real chance to make a difference in the growth of their wildlife habitat. We hope that schools, businesses, and government agencies will adopt this practice as well. In addition to wildlife habitats, well-designed landscapes can increase property value, encourage community participation, and improve people's mental and physical health.
For questions about the program, contact the Cooperative Extension Botanical Clinic at New Hanover County Arboretum, 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington; 910-798-7674. Factory clinic hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 16:00.
Matthew Cologan is a consumer gardening agent for the North Carolina Co-op Extension - New Hanover County Center.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Duta teaches how to grow native plants to help wildlife.
