Native Plants As Insect Habitat

Each native plant species has a suite of host-specific insects that depend on it for food.  Even allowing a single "weed" to grow in your garden can significantly increase its habitat value, and choosing to plant native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers will cause your yard to teem with life.  Using a number of common New England plants as examples, Charley will introduce us to some of these insects, their natural history, and signs of their presence to look for on their host plants.  His close-up photos will provide an unusual perspective on the tiny animals that are going about their lives right under our noses.

Charley Eiseman is a freelance naturalist based in western Massachusetts. He has been conducting plant and wildlife surveys and natural resource inventories throughout New England for over 25 years, as well as teaching courses and workshops on interpreting animal tracks and sign (both vertebrate and…