LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Written by: ELA Newsletter Editor-in-chief, Leslie Duthie The Ecological Landscape Alliance is growing, just like the field of ecological landscaping. Last month we introduced you to…
Gleanings from Headline News – August 2022
Migratory Monarch Butterfly Now Endangered- IUCN Red List-Press Release – IUCN A report published in late July shows that the migratory monarch butterfly – Danaus plexippus plexippus – has been…
ELA News – July 2022
In July 2022 we welcomed new support staff!
Read more about it here.
Gleanings from Headline News – July 2022
Enabling ecological change amid climate change is key to preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services, says study As the need to address climate change becomes increasingly urgent, so too does the…
Ecological Amenity or Weedy Pit?
By Kate Cholakis and Eliza Pennypacker
Rain gardens, a type of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), can provide habitat while reducing the amount of polluted stormwater runoff leaving a property. Why might a rain garden in the front yard be problematic? Acknowledging key differences between rain gardens and the residential “landscape norm” is key to changing perceptions.
The Northeast Native Plant Primer
By Uli Lorimer
Do you want a garden that makes a real difference? Choose plants native to our Northeast region. The rewards will benefit you, your yard, and the environment—from reducing maintenance tasks to attracting earth-friendly pollinators such as native birds, butterflies, and bees. We must envision a future in which wild creatures of all shapes and sizes are afforded space in our built environment.
Wild By Design
By Laura J. Martin
Native wildflower gardening is more popular than ever. But a century ago, this was not the case. Wildflowers persist in the numbers they do today because of the activism and research of a group of women ecologists who in 1901 defied gender norms and founded the discipline of ecological restoration.
Lawn to Meadow Season Three
By Leslie Duthie
This gardener decided to kill part of her lawn two years ago when we were encouraged to stay home due to the pandemic. Now in its third spring, follow the journey from surprises to successes to lessons learned. The barren lawn has been replaced with a shade and sun meadow with straightforward, easy steps that even a novice garden can copy.
Gleanings from Headline News – June 2022
We’ve scanned the media – in print and online – for items of interest to ELA’s ecologically focused audience:
- Living Tree Bridges
- The Dark Side of Light Pollution
- Best Mulching Practices
- How to Manage Weeds on Your Farm
- Efforts to Save North America’s Most Endangered Bird Species Are Succeeding
- A Difficult Site Becomes a Lovely Garden
- Amazon vs. Rusty Patch Bumblebee
- USDA Kills Thousands of Native Species
- Piet Oudolf Designs New Garden
- Olmstead’s 200th Birthday
- Iconic Wildflower in Peril
- Invasive Toxic Hammerhead Worm Found in Rhode Island
- Native Garden Tours MetroWest Boston
ELA News – June 2022
Learn about upcoming programs and find out what’s happening within the organization:
- Message from the Board of Directors
- Farewell with a Note of Appreciation
How and Why Trees Die After Planting
By Norm Helie
Many trees die during the first season at the new site. Watering transplanted trees is not the same as watering crops or a perennial garden. Small annual and perennial plant root systems require less oxygen than the delicate fine root systems of the tree.
A Community-Based Program for Management of Japanese Knotweed
By Mike Bald
Like a handful of other invasive plant species, Japanese knotweed is tenacious and persistent on the one hand but economically useful and often medicinally beneficial on the other. Landowners and town leaders know that invasive species are impressive colonizers, and without a comprehensive plan to manage large corridors on the landscape, re-infestation is virtually unavoidable.
