Newsday asked Frank and I to write an Op Ed, which came out Oct 10th, 2023:
We Can, and Must Restore Nature On Long Island
Apologies to all those firewalled from it.
I will just editorialize on the editorial then. For me, it’s a matter of this: Now that you know these things, how will that change what choices you make? Understanding what we are up against leads us to what we each must do. We seek to educate, but also to learn. So many things people used to know about plants and animals. Knowing what is growing around you is the first step towards removing what doesn’t belong and replacing it with what does.
People would be shocked to learn just how little in their yards or open spaces is native, how much is actually invasive, and how easy it is to restore nature right in your yard.
When we come to know, say, that we have to get to at least 70% native plants to have enough native habitat to support local wildlife, it changes how we plant our yards and parks. When we see via a plant identifier app like PictureThis! that between the exotics, ornamentals, the invasive plants, and the lawn (which is itself invasive) that we here in suburbia now sit at 25%, we start to feel a sense of urgency and purpose. This will be a race, there is no sugar coating it.
Planting native is very much it’s own reward though. Watch how the wildlife returns. Choose Nature.