Free talk by Doug Tallamy Saturday April 7 at 10am in Newbury, Massachusetts

[bridget1964]

He is really a cool guy and so interesting to listen to! He does this thing where he quickly flashes photo after photo after photo of all these cool species of caterpillars--all of which were taken on the native plants in his yard! Then he shares photos of dozens of birds he gets in his yard on the native plants. Many of the photos he takes from his bathroom window on an alternate leaf dogwood he planted just outside.

[GonativeAlex]

That is so cool. I hope with the trees i plan on planting along with the other stuff we can get some of nature back.

[bridget1964]

Originally Posted by GonativeAlex

That is so cool. I hope with the trees i plan on planting along with the other stuff we can get some of nature back.

"If you plant it, they will come."

This has been said to me over and over again by other gurus of nature. I planted milkweed and attracted monarchs. John planted a spice bush and two weeks later found caterpillars. It is possible and it will happen.

[papercarver]

Originally Posted by GonativeAlex

Yeah I really like the guy and all he stands for.

I just hope he has some way of protecting his woodlot/property so everything he has done to that area has not been in vain. There should be laws in place for protecting native plants that people plant in there landscapes because they are native. People think oh there parks and stuff for that but its not that simple anymore, most parks in my area at least are overrun with invasives.

This is a really good point, and something I wonder about alot. I *suppose* you can put deed restrictions in when you sell a property, but I don't know how you'd ever enforce them once you're no longer there. This might be a good subject for a new thread: how to preserve what we've done...

[GonativeAlex]

I think the DNR has a kind of program like that. Basically you sell your property to the DNR and they offically own the land. you can do somethings but not others its state property.

Doug needs to do that with his land. I talked to him briefly about it and he said he is aware of it, plus its not my personal bizness to tell others what they can and cannot do.

Sense I'm autistic I don't ever think I'll realistically own a house, state would never allow me the funds. every ones like why don't you want to live on your own in an apartment, i say to myself yeah and be imprisoned in a home that makes you abuse your pets(declawing policys in apartments are common) and devorse yourself from nature, nope I'm glad i live in a group home where I get to have indoor clawed cats that are not ruined mentally and physically plus a yard to plant things on.

[jack]

Well, the lecture went as planned, after a slight delay from a computer glitch, and it was fascinating and extremely rewarding. All of what he said has been said here at this site before, but with his voice of authority and his highly articulate nature, all of the information was brought nicely together into a cohesive whole.

He had high praise for the alternate leafed dogwood, and he had a series of slides of birds attracted to one specimen outside his bathroom window that had to number in the teens - all somewhat rare and highly desirable species. Plant the pagoda dogwood was the message; you'll be amply rewarded.

He stressed the importance of having oak and wild black cherry specimens in one's yard, and he gave time to the fact that all native species are not equally attractive to insects and animals, Quercus and Prunus being at the top of the list.

After the lecture had ended, there was a question and answer period. I asked if planting shrubs and trees considered native south of one's place in anticipation of the effects of global warming was appropriate or, indeed, a good idea. He answered that, although it was a contentious issue, he felt it was. He used the example of the pipevine swallowtail, which has actually broadened its range by chasing the planting of the vine outside of it's usual range. His basic answer was that the plants had all been originally driven back from the New England area by the glaciers and had once been indigenous here. Now they will be pushed back up with global warming.

I was in my element/comfort zone, and the two hours flew by, my mind ever so active with deliberating on his every word. I sat with Papercarver, who lives in my neighborhood, and I'm confident that she also relished the event.

If you get a chance to hear this man speak - go! You will not be sorry.

[papercarver]

Jack summed it all up perfectly, so I'll just say that I agree with everything he said. OK, one more thing: Doug Tallamy is a VERY good speaker - warm, detailed without being boring or confusing - and his visual presentation is entertaining and inspiring. I was left wishing his entire presentation was available on PBS. You know how they have those "TV seminars" on PBS with people like Wayne Dyer, Suze Orman and Christiane Northrup? It would be fantastic to have a program like that with Doug Tallamy...

[recurve]

Thanks for sharing Jack and Papercarver. My yard has a almost total lack of Prunus Doug Tallamy says so it shall be done WBC move to the top of the list this year. The regard for the alternate leaf dogwood is interesting to I've only ever seen one specimen we just happened to stumble across during a Dendrology class in Wayne National Forest did he mention what made it so desirable to all the birds? dose it host a lot of insects?

[BeeWonderful]

Thanks so much for sharing about this! I wish I could have heard him speak, too. I'm happy that in the past year I've added 2 prunus virginiana and one prunus americana I hope that counts for something! Unfortunately, oaks just seem so BIG for small yards like mine. Are there any small oak species out there .... ? Good to hear about the dogwood, I've already been dreaming about that one and hoping to find one this year at a local nursery. Thank you jack and papercarver for reporting on this for all of us!

[jack]

Originally Posted by recurve

Thanks for sharing Jack and Papercarver. My yard has a almost total lack of Prunus Doug Tallamy says so it shall be done WBC move to the top of the list this year. The regard for the alternate leaf dogwood is interesting to I've only ever seen one specimen we just happened to stumble across during a Dendrology class in Wayne National Forest did he mention what made it so desirable to all the birds? dose it host a lot of insects?

Yes, it was interesting how much time he spent on the alternate leafed. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators and the berries are the first choice of many songbirds. I had already been aware that kingbirds were especally attracted to this species, but I had no idea so many other highly desirable birds also were. The berries must be like candy to them.

He didn't say this, but the horizontal manner in which the tree holds out its branches must also present great nesting platforms for tree nesting birds. At any rate, he showed a series of slides with different species of birds all attracted to the same Cornus alternifolia outside his bathroom window.