Renowned entomologist and best-selling author Doug Tallamy will speak on Saturday, September 12, at the culmination of this year's Native Plant Society of New Mexico state conference hosted by the Gila Native Plant Society. In this inspiring talk, Dr. Tallamy explains how our current landscapes are contributing to a critical decline in biodiversity—and how simple changes to our yards, gardens, and community spaces can reverse this trend.
The presentation will be at 7:15 pm in the Large Event Room at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center at the corner of US-180 and 32nd Street. The community is invited to attend, with a suggested donation of $10 appreciated but not required.
Doug Tallamy is best known nationwide as co-founder, with Michelle Alfandari, of the Homegrown National Park movement, grounded in decades of his ecological research showing that native plants are essential to sustaining biodiversity.
His presentation is called "Keeping Our Common Birds Common (and Our Common Plants Common)." Birds, along with other wildlife, are declining at an accelerating pace, and our common birds are declining the fastest. Which birds are decreasing? Those that rely on caterpillars and other insects needed to raise their young. The best way to keep common birds common is to preserve the insects they depend on. And the best way to preserve those insects is to ensure that the native plants they depend on are abundant. Tallamy will explain which insects are most crucial for birds and how to create landscapes that make these insects more abundant.
Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. He has authored 120 research publications and has taught insect-related courses for 45 years. His primary research goal is to better understand how insects interact with plants and how these interactions influence the diversity of animal communities. His books include Bringing Nature Home, Nature's Best Hope (a New York Times Best Seller), The Nature of Oaks (winner of the American Horticultural Society's 2022 book award), and his latest book, How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard. In 2021, he co-founded Homegrown National Park with Michelle Alfandari ( www.HomegrownNationalPark.org ).
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