But today , rather than having lost two-thirds of its wildlife , our 10 acres has increased the number of its resident species by at least that much . The depleted agricultural wasteland of two decades ago has become a hotspot for local wildlife . How did this happen ?
The astounding rebound in species on our property was neither extraordinary nor accidental . It was a predictable response by the natural world to our purposefully restoring nature ’ s foundation : native plants . The moths I am counting have returned because the native plants they require are here as well . And those plants are thriving on our property because , along with the wind and the local blue jays , we have planted them . We also have removed the tangle of invasive plants so our native plants have enough space , light , and water to grow . The birds and other vertebrates that live on our land can do so , not just because of the moths our plants produce , but also because of the fruits and nuts our oaks , black walnuts , hickories , filberts , blackberries , serviceberries , dogwoods , persimmons , black cherries , pawpaws , chokeberries , viburnums , and black gums make each year . Winter birds like juncos and white-throated sparrows migrate to our yard because of the copious amounts of seeds produced by our native grasses , sweetgums , sycamores , evening primroses , asters , wild lettuce , black-eyed Susan ’ s , and goldenrods . Red-shouldered hawks , Cooper ’ s hawks , and sharp-shinned hawks regularly hunt here because their prey is so abundant . And it is hard to walk anywhere without encountering the cutest little gray tree frogs imaginable .
We have planted native plants because 90 percent of the caterpillar species that transfer the sun ’ s energy from plants to other animals cannot develop on non-native plants : those Asian ornamentals we habitually decorate our yards with . Most insects can use plants only after they have evolved adaptations that counter the plant ’ s chemical and
Winterberry .
Phlox divericata .
physical defenses . Such transformations take eons to appear , eliminating the chance that decorative plants from other continents can serve as viable host plants for our insects . They simply have not been here long enough for North American insects to adapt to them . When we allow non-native plants to replace native plant communities , caterpillar populations decline by up to 96 percent .
Will our 10-acre restoration alone be able to reverse global declines in wildlife ? Of course not . But if homeowners , land managers , and municipalities everywhere made consistent ecologically appropriate plant choices , the habitat value of all non-agricultural land would be measurably enhanced . Aided by groups like the National Wildlife Federation , National Audubon , Wild Ones , Grow Native , the Missouri Prairie Foundation , and the California Native Plant Society , such transformations are well underway across the country . Just as on our property , the results are beginning to defy global wildlife trends . Returning native plants to our landscapes provides essential energy for species-rich food webs on any scale , be it 10-acre parcels like ours in Pennsylvania , half-acre suburban lots like Margy and Dan Terpstra ’ s near St Louis (
https :// hummerhavenunltd . com / blog ? first = 289339031 ), 1 / 10th-acre city lots like Pam Karlson ’ s in Chicago (
https :// www . nachicago . com / 2020 / 05 / 29 / 316242 / bird-friendly-gardens ), or even the three-foot-wide strip of nature along Manhattan ’ s High Line (
https :// www . thehighline . org / blog / 2019 / 04 / 23 / habitat-in-thesky-studying-wild-bees-on-the-high-line-with-the-americanmuseum-of-natural-history /).
Our yard ’ s message is loud and clear : most wildlife losses are reversible ! Not only can humans coexist with the natural world ( yes , at the same time , in the same place ), but the simple act of planting the native species essential to the life around us is something that empowers each one of us to become longoverdue stewards of the ecosystems that support us . NK
20 Naturally Kiawah