A Bad Naturalist's Journey to Restore a Mountaintop Meadow
Summary Paula Whyman shares her journey of trying to restore and manage a remnant prairie located on a Virginia mountaintop. Our conversation touches upon some of the challenges she faced, lessons she...
11 Sep 20251h 22min
Native Plants That Attract Hummingbirds to Eastern U.S. Gardens
Summary Hummingbirds are probably one of the most beloved groups of birds that people want to attract to their yards. In this episode, I share 10 of my favorite native plants for attracting hummingbir...
28 Aug 202513min
Gardening for Moths: Why It's Important for Backyard Conservation
Summary In this episode, we focus on the fascinating world of moths and why gardening for moths is so im-portant for any backyard ecologist. We also talk about specific native plants grow to attract m...
7 Aug 20251h 11min
9 Native Blueberries You Can Grow in the Home Landscape
Summary Our native Vacciniums, what we commonly call the blueberries, are keystone plants which support tons of pollinators and wildlife. They also produce yummy berries which we can eat. In this epis...
10 Juli 202514min
Choose the Best Native Milkweed for Your Eastern U.S. Garden
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 l...
26 Juni 202519min
Laurel Wilt: How Tiny Beetles Can Kill Huge Trees
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 histor...
12 Juni 20251h 17min
Virginia strawberry: A Beautiful, Tasty, and Underutilized Native Groundcover
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 amazin...
29 Maj 20256min
Ironweed's Beauty and Ecological Value in Your Garden: Mt. Cuba's Vernonia Trial
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...
15 Maj 202557min
