
SARAH F. JAYNE
NATURE'S ACTION GUIDE
How to Support Biodiversity and Your Local Ecosystem
FOREWORD BY DOUGLAS W. TALLAMY
SPEAKING topics

Expanding the circle: Helping others to get started supporting biodiversity

Let's plant an ecological landscape! Five approaches to getting started

Your native plants are planted. Now what? Setting the stage for the wildlife that will come
Supporting biodiversity and our local ecosystems needs to be something everyone takes part in. There are the core members of the biodiversity movement: native plant enthusiasts, ecological landscaping and restoration professionals, environmental scientists, and so forth who are making invaluable contributions. But the urgency of the biodiversity crisis requires that we extend this circle way beyond its current circumference. How do we reach beyond the circle of garden, landscape, and outdoor enthusiasts? We’ll look at how to help others (and ourselves!) to make short work of 15 urgently needed actions to support biodiversity and abundance.
Ideal audience: General audience, including non-gardeners and people who are just starting to transition their spaces to more wildlife-friendly habitats along with experienced ecological gardeners and environmental advocates who want tools for encouraging others to act to support biodiversity and local ecosystems.
Are you eager to add ecologically beneficial native plants to your landscape to support wildlife, but you’re not sure where to begin? You are not alone. When asked "What is the biggest challenge you face in transitioning to an ecological landscape?" respondents to a recent informal survey reported lack of knowledge as being a top obstacle. On the other hand, if you’re an experienced gardener or ecological landscaper, helping new gardeners who are eager to create wildlife habitat but lack the know-how is an important way to help support the biodiversity movement. In this presentation, we’ll look at five different step-by-step DIY approaches to getting started with ecological planting along with tips for designing an ecological planting when just starting out.
Ideal audience: New gardeners and people interested in learning how to transition their landscapes to more ecologically beneficial plantings.
Individually and collectively, gardeners have begun to fill balconies, yards, and fields with ecologically beneficial plants. We are creating small parks rich in local biodiversity, contributing to the goal of an interconnected park that extends across our continent, a Homegrown National Park. Our individual park, the place we call home, is our shelter—our sanctuary. Our sanctuary becomes a sanctuary for the insects, birds, and other animals our plants attract. How can we maximize the beneficial impact of our plants and ensure that we truly are providing refuge and safety for the wildlife our native plants attract? How do we increase our landscape’s ability to provide ecological services that wildlife and people need for survival? Let’s explore resources and urgently needed actions that will help to support biodiversity in your own wildlife park.
Ideal audience: People transitioning their spaces to more wildlife-friendly habitats and gardeners of all levels who have planted ecologically beneficial plants or created wildlife habitats

Nature’s Action Guide: A la Carte
In addition to the presentation topics above, you may wish to customize a topic for your group by selecting one or more action chapters from Nature’s Action Guide as the focus of the presentation. These will be woven together into a talk tailored to the demographics of your group.
Join us for an insightful talk on "Supporting Biodiversity: Let's Plant an Ecological Landscape!" Discover how our yards and community spaces can play a crucial role in supporting local biodiversity. We guide you through a step-by-step approach to ecological planting, sharing resources on selecting the right plants, how to procure them, and tips for placement and to enhance their wildlife value. Together, we’ll explore additional actions needed to protect the wildlife that our gardens attract and create thriving ecosystems in our own backyards.