Latest news with #Tallamy
New York Times
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
If You Love Moths (and You Should), Replace Your Porch Light With Something Better
If you care about the environment, you should care about moths. 'Without them, we would disappear from this planet in short order,' says Doug Tallamy, entomologist and author of several books about creating insect-friendly backyards. That's because insects, including moths, pollinate plants and feed other animals, especially birds and bats, which makes them a key part of the ecosystem. Moth caterpillars make up most of the diet of young birds, so without moths, there would be fewer chickadees, robins, and bluebirds in yards and parks. Bird populations are on the decline already; the United States has lost about 3 billion birds in the past 50 years. The world, meanwhile, is experiencing a massive decline in insect populations. 'Light pollution is one of the major causes of insect decline,' said Tallamy, alongside other factors including habitat loss and pesticides. Scientists believe that in nature, nighttime insects orient themselves to the ultraviolet light from the moon. In artificial lights, it's the blue wavelengths that mislead them. Left: My porch lamp at full white brightness. Right: Adjusting it to a warm yellow or orange doesn't impact how clearly I can see but saves a lot of moth lives. Grant Clauser/NYT Wirecutter So simply changing your lights from white and blue wavelengths to yellow ones can save countless insect lives. After I switched my front and back porches from bright white to orangey-yellow, I stopped seeing insects swirling around my lamps like a mosh pit. And there's evidence to back up the theory: A 2016 study presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference showed that warm-toned LED lights attracted significantly fewer insects than incandescent or fluorescent lights. Smart bulbs allow you to turn down the blue wavelengths, offering your moth friends a yellow light that is still bright enough for you to see by but won't turn your lamp into a Death Star. You can opt for either white tone-adjustable bulbs, which allow you to tune the light from cool white to warmer hues, or 100% color-adjustable bulbs, which are capable of producing millions of colors. The color-adjustment feature looks slightly different in each smart-bulb app. Choose either a warm yellow or a white that's less than 3,000 K. WiZ app for iOS, LIFX app for iOS, Wyze app for iOS Not all smart-bulb apps display color temperatures (as the app for our top-pick WiZ bulb does), but if yours does, it's best to select 3,000 K or lower, as the DarkSky Project, an advocacy group focused on the effects of light pollution on humans and wildlife, recommends. However, a warm yellow or orange light isn't the best for reading. When I want to sit outside in the evening to read a book, I use the Wirecutter-recommended Glocusent Bookmark Style Reading Light for supplemental light and leave the porch light in bug-safe mode.
San Francisco Chronicle
22-04-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oaks excel at supporting the food web (including us). Arbor Day is a reason to plant one
In 1872, a Nebraska newspaper editor and tree lover named J. Sterling Morton proposed dedicating a day to planting trees in his home state. The idea, shall we say, took root. That year, April 10 became the first organized Arbor Day, and approximately 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska. Two years later, Nebraska Gov. Robert Furnas proclaimed April 10 the state's Arbor Day. Other states soon set their own Arbor Day dates to coincide with the best time to plant trees there. And in 1970, President Richard Nixon declared the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day, although many states continue to observe their own, which sometimes align with the national holiday. If you plan to plant a tree this year, why not consider an oak? 'An oak is the best tree to choose because it is the No. 1 plant for supporting the food web, ' says University of Delaware entomologist and native plants champion Doug Tallamy, the New York Times bestselling author whose books include 'The Nature of Oaks.' 'Plants capture energy from the sun and, through photosynthesis, turn it into food — simple sugars and carbohydrates — that supports all the animals on the planet,' Tallamy explained. 'All life on Earth comes from energy provided by the sun,' he said. 'But we can't eat the sun. Plants allow us to do that. We're essentially eating energy from the sun because plants capture that energy and turn it into food — and oaks are the ones that share the most energy with other living things.' One reason oaks are so beneficial to the ecosystem is because, as native plants, they evolved alongside native insects, so those insects recognize them as food, Tallamy said. Oaks also belong to a large genus that's been around for 56 million years, so wildlife has had a lot of time to adapt to them. In all, there are 91 species of oaks across North America, so, he said, insects from coast to coast have adapted to them. 'A lot of people think they don't have a property big enough for an oak,' Tallamy said, 'but there are dwarf oaks, like Quercus prinoides, a dwarf chestnut oak. And as you go farther west, there are a lot more dwarf oaks' to choose from. Which oak do you want? When selecting any plant for your property, it's important to put the right plant in the right place. So Tallamy advises matching up your soil type and growing conditions with an appropriate oak species. 'Some oaks like acidic soil,' he said. 'There are oaks that like base soil. There are oaks that like rocky outcrops and ones that like bottomland.' Consider, too, your hardiness zone and the sunlight exposure of the site. 'If you put an oak in the front yard in the mid-Atlantic states, for example, it's going to support 557 species of caterpillars, and all of those are crucial food sources for birds,' Tallamy said. And I can't think of a better reason to plant an oak this Arbor Day. ___ Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. ___
The Independent
22-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
Oaks excel at supporting the food web (including us). Arbor Day is a reason to plant one
In 1872, a Nebraska newspaper editor and tree lover named J. Sterling Morton proposed dedicating a day to planting trees in his home state. The idea, shall we say, took root. That year, April 10 became the first organized Arbor Day, and approximately 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska. Two years later, Nebraska Gov. Robert Furnas proclaimed April 10 the state's Arbor Day. Other states soon set their own Arbor Day dates to coincide with the best time to plant trees there. And in 1970, President Richard Nixon declared the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day, although many states continue to observe their own, which sometimes align with the national holiday. If you plan to plant a tree this year, why not consider an oak? 'An oak is the best tree to choose because it is the No. 1 plant for supporting the food web, ' says University of Delaware entomologist and native plants champion Doug Tallamy, the New York Times bestselling author whose books include 'The Nature of Oaks.' ' Plants capture energy from the sun and, through photosynthesis, turn it into food — simple sugars and carbohydrates — that supports all the animals on the planet,' Tallamy explained. 'All life on Earth comes from energy provided by the sun,' he said. 'But we can't eat the sun. Plants allow us to do that. We're essentially eating energy from the sun because plants capture that energy and turn it into food — and oaks are the ones that share the most energy with other living things.' One reason oaks are so beneficial to the ecosystem is because, as native plants, they evolved alongside native insects, so those insects recognize them as food, Tallamy said. Oaks also belong to a large genus that's been around for 56 million years, so wildlife has had a lot of time to adapt to them. In all, there are 91 species of oaks across North America, so, he said, insects from coast to coast have adapted to them. 'A lot of people think they don't have a property big enough for an oak,' Tallamy said, 'but there are dwarf oaks, like Quercus prinoides, a dwarf chestnut oak. And as you go farther west, there are a lot more dwarf oaks' to choose from. Which oak do you want? When selecting any plant for your property, it's important to put the right plant in the right place. So Tallamy advises matching up your soil type and growing conditions with an appropriate oak species. 'Some oaks like acidic soil,' he said. 'There are oaks that like base soil. There are oaks that like rocky outcrops and ones that like bottomland.' Consider, too, your hardiness zone and the sunlight exposure of the site. 'If you put an oak in the front yard in the mid-Atlantic states, for example, it's going to support 557 species of caterpillars, and all of those are crucial food sources for birds,' Tallamy said. And I can't think of a better reason to plant an oak this Arbor Day. ___ Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. ___ For more AP gardening stories, go to
Associated Press
22-04-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Oaks excel at supporting the food web (including us). Arbor Day is a reason to plant one
In 1872, a Nebraska newspaper editor and tree lover named J. Sterling Morton proposed dedicating a day to planting trees in his home state. The idea, shall we say, took root. That year, April 10 became the first organized Arbor Day, and approximately 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska. Two years later, Nebraska Gov. Robert Furnas proclaimed April 10 the state's Arbor Day. Other states soon set their own Arbor Day dates to coincide with the best time to plant trees there. And in 1970, President Richard Nixon declared the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day, although many states continue to observe their own, which sometimes align with the national holiday. If you plan to plant a tree this year, why not consider an oak? 'An oak is the best tree to choose because it is the No. 1 plant for supporting the food web, ' says University of Delaware entomologist and native plants champion Doug Tallamy, the New York Times bestselling author whose books include 'The Nature of Oaks.' 'Plants capture energy from the sun and, through photosynthesis, turn it into food — simple sugars and carbohydrates — that supports all the animals on the planet,' Tallamy explained. 'All life on Earth comes from energy provided by the sun,' he said. 'But we can't eat the sun. Plants allow us to do that. We're essentially eating energy from the sun because plants capture that energy and turn it into food — and oaks are the ones that share the most energy with other living things.' One reason oaks are so beneficial to the ecosystem is because, as native plants, they evolved alongside native insects, so those insects recognize them as food, Tallamy said. Oaks also belong to a large genus that's been around for 56 million years, so wildlife has had a lot of time to adapt to them. In all, there are 91 species of oaks across North America, so, he said, insects from coast to coast have adapted to them. 'A lot of people think they don't have a property big enough for an oak,' Tallamy said, 'but there are dwarf oaks, like Quercus prinoides, a dwarf chestnut oak. And as you go farther west, there are a lot more dwarf oaks' to choose from. Which oak do you want?When selecting any plant for your property, it's important to put the right plant in the right place. So Tallamy advises matching up your soil type and growing conditions with an appropriate oak species. 'Some oaks like acidic soil,' he said. 'There are oaks that like base soil. There are oaks that like rocky outcrops and ones that like bottomland.' Consider, too, your hardiness zone and the sunlight exposure of the site. 'If you put an oak in the front yard in the mid-Atlantic states, for example, it's going to support 557 species of caterpillars, and all of those are crucial food sources for birds,' Tallamy said. And I can't think of a better reason to plant an oak this Arbor Day. ___ Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. ___ For more AP gardening stories, go to
New York Times
09-04-2025
- General
- New York Times
The Four Ecologically Crucial Things You Should Do in Your Garden
Each time I'm asked a question about some aspect of ecological horticulture, I hear another question triggered in my head: What would Doug do? My answer-formulating thought process starts by pondering that. 'Doug' is Douglas W. Tallamy, the entomologist and University of Delaware professor who is co-founder of Homegrown National Park, an educational nonprofit. Perhaps no other contemporary figure has done more to introduce gardeners to the intimate connections between plants and animals imperiled by the biodiversity crisis, and propose actions we can take. Dr. Tallamy's core exhortation, starting with 'Bringing Nature Home,' his 2007 breakthrough book: Add native plants, and remove invasive ones. He has also probably answered more ecology and native plant questions than anyone else, and his latest book, 'How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard,' tackles 499 of them. Dr. Tallamy distills essential takeaways in topics as big as evolution and food webs, alongside targeted, can-do answers, such as reducing hazard to beneficial insects from our human obsession with artificial light at night by switching to yellow lightbulbs and motion detectors, please. Or what would Doug do about the peril of mosquito-fogging treatments? Skip them. Even fog solutions formulated from natural materials such as pyrethrin aren't mosquito-specific, he explains, indiscriminately killing monarchs and other butterflies, pollinators, fireflies and more. I recently asked him some other frequent questions; our conversation was edited for length and clarity. Making room for natives is foundational to ecological horticulture. People with established gardens of nonnative ornamentals ask, 'How much of it do I have to give back? How many hostas can I keep?' There's really only one study, and that's what my grad student Desirée L. Narango did, looking at the percentage of native versus nonnative woody plants needed to support a population of chickadees. The figure she came up with was 70 percent native, which means 30 percent nonnative. That is that area of compromise. Now, you can't compromise with invasives. They are ecological tumors, so even one is not good. But there's plenty of ornamentals that are not invasive. But that's one study, with one bird and one place. We should not over-extrapolate that. What I think about is what the ecological responsibilities of every landscape are. There are four of them: Every landscape needs to manage the watershed in which it lies. Every landscape needs to support pollinators. Every landscape needs to support a viable food web. And every landscape needs to sequester carbon. So you've got your ornamental landscape already established; it's already doing some of those things. Which ones can you do better each year? Just pick at it. Maybe I can add an oak tree. Maybe I can add a little patch of goldenrod that's not there now. You don't have to think about redesigning the entire landscape. Just say, 'Can I improve on any one of those four goals incrementally over time?' And that way you can feel good about doing it and it gets done, but it's not overwhelming. Lawn furthers none of these goals, does it? Lawn doesn't do any of them, and that's the issue. It's not just neutral; if you have a good lawn the way you're supposed to, it destroys the watershed, or at least it degrades it. It's not supporting any pollinators. It's not supporting a food web. And it's the worst plant choice for sequestering carbon. We can do better. But it has important ornamental value in terms of a cue for care: It shows your neighbors that you know what the status symbol is — that you're going to do it, too, but you're just going to have a lot less lawn. You'll keep your lawn manicured and you have swaths of grass. It's going to be a mechanism for moving around your property. It's a great way to avoid brushing up against vegetation during tick season. So it does have important benefits, but three or four acres of it? Nah. I mean, we can do better than that. You mentioned invasives. Gardeners point to a plant they grow and say, 'I've never seen it self-sow, so I don't think it's invasive here.' But that's probably not the litmus test, is it? When I first started giving these talks some 20 years ago, people frequently talked about how English ivy was not invasive in the East — a problem in Oregon, but not a problem here. So now it is. It's tough. There are places in the country where certain plants will never be invasive. It's too dry, or it's too something. So it's not like that never occurs. But if it has invasive tendencies, it typically means something's moving it around — either the wind, or it's often birds taking berries and pooping them out someplace else. Burning bush, for example: One bush makes like 30,000 seeds. A mockingbird eats a few of them, flies off. You don't see that reproduction in your garden, but it's in the woods two acres away. Migrating birds in the fall, particularly, can fly 300 miles in one night. And they're pooping on the way. There are so many good plants we can use that are not harmful. Why do we insist on using the ones that have already proven to be harmful, at least someplace? As gardeners get planting this spring, I know you want them to incorporate keystone plants — a term you have popularized, and one of your big principles. The term is from Robert Payne's ecological literature in the '60s, and he realized that particular species are playing outsized roles in their ecosystem. He worked with starfish or sea urchins and tidal pools. But then we looked around and said, 'Well, a lot of species have keystone roles.' Like beavers. You take the beaver away, the whole pond disappears, and everything that depends on it. Elephants are keystone players on the Serengeti. But it hadn't been applied to plants before. And we realized, looking at host-plant records, that just 14 percent of our native plants are supporting 90 percent of the caterpillars that are the bread and butter of terrestrial food webs. That 14 percent is really important. So we can talk about native and nonnative, and that's what we were talking about before we knew this. But I could make a 100 percent native landscape that supports very little. And if the goal is restoring ecosystem function and food-web integrity, you've got to have the plants that do that. So it's nice that we figured this out, but it does make it a little bit more complicated, because now you have to choose the most effective plants. There are keystone plants for making caterpillars. There are keystone plants for supporting pollinators. And ideally we want both of those. But the first question you asked me is, how does somebody who's got an established garden improve it without tearing the whole thing apart? Look at the plant choices you have, and add some keystone plants, like the ones in Homegrown National Park's regional guides. That is the way to boost the productivity of your garden tremendously without removing anything. Out of all the things that my lab has done over my entire career, I think the most important, most far-ranging thing is ranking plants in every U.S. county in terms of their ability to support the food web. We've just finished a list for the entire world, so now we've got to get it out there somehow. Because I hear about these reforestation efforts, I hear about the trillion-tree effort, and it's all based on climate change. But a trillion eucalyptus is what? A lost opportunity. Yes, it'll sequester carbon, but it could support biodiversity at the same time. What plants are the best wherever you are? That's the information we want to provide. Margaret Roach is the creator of the website and podcast A Way to Garden, and a book of the same name.
