This Scientist Built a Wildlife Paradise in His Backyard for Only $100

Doug Tallamy didn’t set out to create one of the most biodiverse properties in Pennsylvania. He just started planting. Over 26 years, the University of Delaware entomologist replaced the invasive plants on his 10-acre property with native species, gathering seeds himself and planting them by hand. The total cost? About $100. The result? Over 1,380 moth species and 62 breeding bird species now thrive on his land, a level of biodiversity that rivals much larger protected areas.

Tallamy’s bigger mission is captured in his nonprofit, Homegrown National Park, which has registered over 52,000 participants tending more than 187,000 acres across the country. The premise is straightforward: nearly 80 percent of land east of the Mississippi is privately owned, and 135 million acres of it is residential. That means the fate of pollinators, birds, and entire ecosystems depends on what ordinary people do with their yards, balconies, and community spaces. He estimates that if just 10 to 20 percent of landowners planted natives, we’d create habitat larger than 10 Yellowstones.

His latest book,“How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard,”makes the case that conservation isn’t just for national parks and distant wilderness. It’s for your patch of Earth, however small. The barriers are lower than you think, and the payoff is bigger than you imagine.

What’s one native plant you’d be willing to try in your yard or on your balcony this season?