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What is Bringing Nature Home MaineNativePlants org Join Maine Audubon in Bringing Nature Home Shop During the summer Maine Audubon grows and promotes roughly 100 species of hard to find Maine native perennials shrubs trees climate resilient species and more shop mainenativeplants org Learn Maine Audubon hosts lectures workshops and walks and also maintains numerous online resources including a Maine Native Plant Finder mainenativeplants org Visit Maine Audubon works with municipalities developers land trusts and others to create beautiful and beneficial landscapes in high profile settings To see Bringing Nature Home in action find a listing of our current demonstration plantings on our website maineaudubon org plants Use the Maine Native Plants Finder to find native plants best suited to your landscape Shop MaineNativePlants org Purchase native plants from Maine Audubon during the summer months MaineAudubon org plants To see Bringing Nature Home in action find a demonstration garden near you For more information Online maineaudubon org plants Email plants maineaudubon org The Bringing Nature Home program is funded in part by a gift from Jim and Ann Hancock Join Become a Maine Audubon member to stay up to date and get a member discount on programs events and plant sales maineaudubon org join 20 Gilsland Farm Road Falmouth ME 04105 207 781 2330 maineaudubon org Maine Audubon works to conserve Maine s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people in education conservation and action Bringing Nature Home in Maine Bringing Nature Home is Maine Audubon s community engagement and habitat restoration initiative based on the bestselling book of that title by Doug Tallamy Landscapes throughout Maine have changed dramatically through the years Today gardens yards towns and even new development are playing increasingly critical roles in supporting native food webs for birds pollinators and other wildlife Our individual and collective efforts to support wildlife can be both intimately rewarding and broadly beneficial Insects and butterflies especially caterpillars feed on native plants Birds amphibians and small mammals in turn feed on the insects Birds in particular need those insects to feed their babies Native plants are at the center of this complex food web With an overall focus on Maine birds and their habitats Maine Audubon promotes what individuals and groups can do including what plants to choose and how to manage and maintain our yards and gardens for their full ecological function and benefit

Nature H g n i g om n i r e B Tips Tactics Give baby birds the caterpillars they need Grow Maine native plants Choose the right plants for the right places Choose plant species that serve as host plants for large numbers of butterfly and moth caterpillars Identify what species you have and include diverse canopy layers brush piles and nesting boxes Many birds that reproduce in Maine can only feed squishy insects to their babies Black capped Chickadees need more than 5 000 caterpillars to raise one clutch of chicks The withered parts of dormant perennials become great material for birds to build and line their nest with next year Avoid exotics and cultivars that lack the coadaptations and benefits that native species have for Maine s wildlife Ask or research where a species comes from and avoid species names followed by words in quotes Your garden can thrive with less maintenance if you choose species that are native to Maine naturally adapted to your growing conditions and sited in the appropriate location Rather than fertilizing and accomodating a struggling plant consider replacing it Learn about Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and other cultural historical context for plants we can and should grow For thousands of years the Wabanaki have noted the striking May blooms of shadbush as a reliable sign that sea run fish are returning to rivers near the coast Other recommendations Avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers Manage invasive species Mow less lawn Limit fall clean up Grow native plants from seed Illustration by Vanessa Nesvig Note Not all species drawn to scale Provide nesting habitat for birds and other wildlife Gain perspective