Gardening for Wildlife – Creating Healthy Habitats for All

How time flies being a birder, which sparked becoming a lover of native plants. Back in 2015 I helped to launch a new initiative from the National Audubon Society – Creating Bird-Friendly Communities. Audubon wanted to help educate us – native plants provide food for our beneficial insects, which provide food for birds. This was a great fit for me being a birder and someone who was already dug in deep with a passion of native plants. With my Audubon PowerPoint presentation in tow, adapted for our southern Maryland ecoregion, I gave the presentation to many garden clubs and community groups across southern MD. The awareness really took off!

Lovers of native plants and everything wild are always at it, and we do love to assist others. Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay can help to support your interest and to attract and sustain wildlife. Did you know the Town of La Plata has “got the bug” too? In 2019 they embraced the Bird City Maryland program whole heartedly, as well as now becoming a Bee City and Tree City. Of course – insects are at the heart of this. All of these programs help to support insect populations that birds need to flourish. Support our pollinators! We all benefit – what is good for wildlife, is good for us too.

Check out this recent YouTube video that Charles County Government prepared about the Town of La Plata becoming a more sustainable community – the FIRST Bird City Maryland!

^{Charles County Government (June 10, 2024) Did you know that La Plata was named the first Bird City in Maryland. Learn more about what a Bird City is and what the Town of La Plata is doing to help the birds.}

Listen as Lynne encourages local residents to plant native plants and introduces the Town of La Plata’s native plant list, which Lynne was instrumental in developing.

^{Town of La Plata (September 18, 2023) Native plants can significantly reduce water runoff and, consequently, flooding. They help reduce air pollution and native plantscapes do not require mowing. Here in the Town of LaPlata we encourage you to consider putting some native plants into your garden this fall. Lynn Wheeler from Keep LaPlata Beautiful explains.}

Written by Lynne Wheeler, an advocate for sustainable garden practices in Charles County, Maryland. Lynne is the Membership Chair of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay and Southern Maryland Audubon, past President, Vice-President, and Secretary of Southern Maryland Audubon, member of the Beautification Commission/Keep LaPlata Beautiful, and Secretary for the Port Tobacco River Conservancy. She is also a University of Maryland Extension Charles County Master Gardener. Her hobbies include gardening and propagating native plants, birding, reading, nature, cooking, fishing, and good wine. Lynne is “Deeply Rooted in Providing a Sustainable Garden Community”.