By Barb Elliot, Ph.D.

If you have worked to create a nature-friendly garden habitat, you may dread the day when you may have to sell your property to a new owner who doesn’t appreciate your property’s habitat value.  They could remove the native plants, clear cut native trees and turn the property into a landscape of turf grass.  This is the story of a wonderful private property with a change in ownership and a happy ending – for the habitat, wildlife, and people who will enjoy it for years to come.

In 1990, Tony and Sharon Fernandes purchased their dream property in Willistown Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The beautiful 2.3-acre property consisted of two adjoining, mostly wooded parcels containing the headwaters of the northeast branch of Ridley Creek.  The circa 1906-1912 home on the site was built using rock extracted from a quarry on the property.  A large turf grass area where their two young sons could play sports was close to the house.  A neighbor’s pond was nearby.  As an

Eastern Bluebird on the property. Photo © Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

avid birder, Tony knew that their new property would be attractive to a multitude of bird species and other wildlife.  Also, he and Sharon understood that living in this natural area would give their family enjoyment and enhanced well-being.

For ten or fifteen years, the Fernandes family enjoyed the property as it was and did little to enhance the habitat.  However, with many non-native trees and plants and considerable lawn, they were interested in improving the site’s natural habitat. Between 2005 and 2010, they inventoried trees and other plants in their woods, identified native and non-native species, and researched how to deal with invasive non-natives. They began a 10-year program of girdling a number of Norway maples, eradicating bamboo, controlling garlic mustard, and removing English ivy and poison ivy vines that were smothering some of their native trees.

In 2011, Tony requested a Backyards for Nature site visit to get suggestions for adding native plants to improve the habitat for songbirds and butterflies, to create a meadow, and to better manage invasive plants.  My colleague, Edie Parnum, toured the property, made a number of recommendations, and provided a list of suggested native plants.  Two years later, Tony and Sharon hired GreenWeaver Landscapes (https://green-weaver.com/) to develop a landscape plan.  The multi-year plan included installation of

Turf grass killed before meadow installation, April. Photo © Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

Meadow in Peak Bloom, late August. Photo © Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

a front garden, creation of a meadow with native wildflowers and grasses, installation of a rain garden to collect runoff from downspouts and a perimeter drain around the house, and installation of gardens in the side and back yards.  In addition to these projects, GreenWeaver planted six native trees along the stream to increase shading of the stream and flood plain.

Rain Garden in Peak Bloom, late August. Photo © Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

The Fernandes family soon noticed increased wildlife visiting their property.  Over 30 years, Tony recorded a phenomenal 138 bird species, including Barred Owl, American Bittern, Great Egret, nesting Red-shouldered Hawks, and 27 warbler species including Hooded, Cerulean, and Mourning Warblers!  Many butterflies, other pollinators and insects visit the meadow, including Monarch butterflies and Monarch caterpillars using the Common and Swamp milkweed host plants.  Mammals observed by the Fernandes family include Red Fox, American Mink, Muskrat, Red Squirrel, Flying Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, White-footed Mouse, Wood Rat, and White-tailed Deer.  Amphibians and reptiles include Leopard Frog, Eastern American Toad, Spring Peeper, Bullfrog, Northern Red-backed Salamander, Eastern Newt, Garter Snake, Northern Water Snake, and Snapping Turtle.

Red-shouldered Hawk that nested on the property. Photo ©Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

Hooded Warbler on the property. Photo ©Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

During their 33 years there, the Fernandes family thoroughly enjoyed the property and its various wildlife visitors and inhabitants.  When their boys were young, the family often walked in the woods, looking for frogs, salamanders, and other interesting creatures.  They caught fish, snails, crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and aquatic insects from the creek and put them in an aquarium for the boys to observe and study before releasing them back into the creek.  They took samples of the creek water, inspected its microorganisms under a microscope, and used a field guide to try to identify them. As a result of their exposure to nature, the Fernandes boys grew up with a great appreciation of the natural world.

In addition to their sons, Tony and Sharon also benefitted from being immersed in nature.  Sharon loved walking their dog on the trails they had made in the property’s wooded areas.  Tony walked in the woods with his

Tony exploring stream life with one of his grandchildren. Photo ©Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

binoculars two or three times every week – anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour. He attests to how this helped him clear his mind and leave worries behind.  He found solace, was able to re-center himself and relax in his woods even during times of great stress. He says he has never found a better way to relax.

A grandchild exploring the meadow. Photo ©Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

Despite their great love for the property and the memories it holds, the Fernandeses decided to sell and move to South Carolina.  In a stroke of good fortune, in the fall of 2023 Willistown Township learned of their desire to sell.  The Willistown Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission had been interested in purchasing land in this part of the township for some time.  The Township had a number of parks and preserves in other areas, but none in this section.  The Supervisors were also interested in the property because of the bird and animal habitat provided by native plants, the documentation of bird and plant species on the property, and the fact that it is next to a larger property that the township hopes to protect in the future.

Monarch butterfly on Swamp Milkweed in the meadow. Photo ©Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

By law, the Township couldn’t offer any more than the appraised value of the property.  Even though they would likely get a higher price on the open market, knowing that their legacy for the property would be appreciated and carried on by the Township, the Fernandeses accepted Willistown’s offer, and the Township acquired the property in late March, 2024.

Willistown Township will maintain the property as a bird sanctuary and wildlife habitat, and will make modifications to transform it into a Township park open to the public*.  Once that happens, many more people will be able to enjoy, learn from, relax, and immerse themselves in the nature that brought so much joy and fulfillment to its previous owners and stewards. It is a “win” for the Fernandeses, the people of Willistown Township, the habitat, and the wildlife that visits and calls it home.

Doe with fawn in the meadow. Photo ©Tony Fernandes. Click to enlarge.

*For additional information on Willistown Township plans for the property, see the township’s Summer 2024 newsletter, the WillisTowne Crier at chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.willistown.pa.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2903 as well as future newsletters.

By Edie Parnum

The aptly named shagbark hickory has loose bark. Black cherry’s bark has scales like burned potato chips.  Other tree species have furrowed bark, too.  All have crevices

Shaggy bark of shagbark hickory shelters many insects. © Edie Parnum.  Click to enlarge.

where small insects and spiders, including their eggs and pupae live.  Birds like Brown Creeper and White-breasted Nuthatch explore the trunks of trees to find their favorite foods.

Insects hide in loose scales of black cherry bark. © Edie Parnum. Click to enlarge.

Brown Creeper searches for insects in bark. Photo by The Bird Blogger, Wikimedia Commons. Click to enlarge.

The Brown Creeper rarely visits bird feeders. Instead, this brown-streaked bird, camouflaged to blend into a tree trunk, feeds from bark. Starting at the bottom of thetrunk, the creeper climbs upward in a spiral, all the while examining the bark to find its tiny prey.  Supported by a stiff tail held against the tree trunk, it probes with a thin, down-curved bill adapted to extract the nutritious morsels.

White-breasted nuthatch clings to tree trunks and branches probing for insects. Photo by Matt MacGillivray on Wikimedia Commons. Click to enlarge.

The White-breasted Nuthatch alsoscours tree bark for its food. This bird often faces downward, using a different perspective to find insects overlooked by the creeper and other birds. To keep from falling face-first, it has a backward facing toe with a strong, clasping claw. Its upturned bill is designed for extracting its prey from the bark. At feeders they will sometimes carry off seeds and nuts to store them in the crevices of bark for later consumption – hence the name “nuthatch”.

An entire guild of insects and birds rely on bark.  Adult insects and spiders, together with their eggs, larvae, and pupa, are adapted to life on and in the bark. In addition to the Brown Creeper and White-breasted Nuthatch, woodpeckers, chickadees, and titmice also take advantage of this bounty.

White oak. Bark of oaks hosts insects and their leaves host 557 caterpillar species. © Edie Parnum. Click to enlarge.

To host bark-loving insects, we should plant native trees such as oaks, birches, maples, hickories, pines, and cherries.  Smaller native trees and shrubs like serviceberry, crabapple, dogwood, blueberries, and viburnums should be included, too. In just a few years these woody plants will develop bark where multiple insects will live. Of course, they will also produce leaves hosting the moth and butterfly caterpillars that birds, especially their young, require for their survival. These woody plants will develop additional life-giving foods like berries, buds, nuts, seeds, and nectar. As they grow, each year our native trees and shrubs will offer more biomass and hence foster greater ecological diversity.

Reviews by Edie Parnum

Nature’s Best Hope:  A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy

In his latest book, entomologist Doug Tallamy once again inspires and informs us about gardening for nature.  From Tallamy’s previous research and books, we understand native plants’ pivotal role in empowering the web of life.  Insects, birds, mammals, and the rest of nature depend on native plants.   Human beings, too, rely on the functioning of nature. We require the healthy air, clean water, and carbon-storing plants and soil that are nature’s products. Drawing on the latest research, he tells us how we can create an ecologically productive landscape in our own yards, inspire our neighbors, and help assure the health of the planet.

Most people assume that nature can be preserved on public lands. Conservation happens, we assume, somewhere else beyond our control. In fact, most of our country’s land is privately owned. We homeowners must create the landscapes where nature can thrive.  Each of us can transform our own properties without the need to change government policy. Together we can create the “Hometown National Park”.

The suburbs offer the greatest opportunity to create this national park. Ninety-two percent of suburban land is lawn, a sterile landscape that doesn’t support birds or other wildlife   By reducing the area devoted to turf grass, we can make room for native trees, shrubs, vines, perennials and grasses. We’re urged to plant lots of natives, not just a scattering of natives among the non-native ornamental exotics.  Rather than isolated trees, plant groves of native trees and islands of native trees and shrubs.

The Hometown National Park can exist even in cities. In New York City the High Line is an abandoned elevated rail line that has been converted into a walkway surrounded by native plants.  It is a popular destination to observe nature including birds, butterflies, and native bees. In Chicago, a tiny, isolated 1/10-acre garden is chockablock with native plants that have attracted 103 species of birds, including a woodcock.

Edie’s garden. Photo by Edie Parnum. Click to enlarge.

To support nature on our properties, Tallamy urges us to garden for insects. Certain keystone native plants offer optimal value to wildlife because they support insects.  Previously, Tallamy has urged us to plant oaks, willows, cherries, and other native woody species that host a great number of caterpillars, essential food for birds. Now we know fallen leaves are also important, because 94% of caterpillars pupate in the leaf litter or soil. We can use these leaves as mulch and grow native groundcovers to shelter these leaves.

Growing keystone native perennials is important for insects, too.  For instance, goldenrods, normally considered weeds, are beautiful flowering plants that support 110 species of caterpillars. Thirty-five species of bees rely on the nectar and pollen of goldenrods.  In addition, fifteen species of bees rear their young on goldenrod pollen.

This newest book by Tallamy provides valuable insights about gardening for nature. Readers not previously exposed to Tallamy’s ideas can benefit from first reading Bringing Nature Home, his groundbreaking book about gardening for wildlife with native plants. It includes a valuable list of the keystone woody plants that host the most caterpillars, plus a regional guide to recommended plants. The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, provides comprehensive lists of native plants by regions and their ecological functions.

Tallamy’s writing is optimistic and empowering. This illustrated book gives us a practical, science-based guide to climate-wise gardening.  By using native plants in our gardens, we can reverse declines in wildlife and support the earth-sustaining functions that store carbon and give us clean air and water. Our individual gardening practices plus those of our friends and neighbors can make a difference for the health of our planet.

What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating, Singing — What Birds Are Doing, and Why by David Allen Sibley

David Sibley is a renowned bird artist, so we would expect beautiful images of birds in his newest book. Indeed, his birds seem to fly off the pages in the life-like illustrations. These are not static birds posing for their pictures. They fly, swim, eat, sing, preen, court, feed young, and more. They are always doing something, so we see what it’s like to be a bird.

My favorite images show birds living their lives.  A male Northern Cardinal offers food to his mate.  A Common Yellowthroat feeds a Brown-headed Cowbird fledgling.  To survive a snowstorm, Mourning Doves fluff their feathers and hunker down. The drawings illustrate key information.  For instance, a Brown Pelican doesn’t use its pouch as a basket for carrying fish. Instead, Sibley, using both words and illustrations, clarifies its use as an underwater scoop to capture fish.

Using the latest ornithological research, Sibley also utilizes text to explain his illustrations. I wanted to know how a woodpecker extracts insects buried in the bark of a tree.  The images and text show us a long, barbed tongue that can bend to reach into the crevices.  When not in use, this exceptionally long tongue retracts to curve around the back of the bird’s brain. Then I became curious about the tongues of other birds.  From the woodpecker page I was directed to information about hummingbird tongues.  Thus, I become a curious traveler, following a trail of information through the book.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Image by Howard B. Eskin. Click to enlarge.

Sibley’s introduction aids the curiosity-driven navigation.  All the brief illustrated essays are arranged into topics such as bird sight, sleep, growing new feathers, the digestive system, and many more.  For instance, avoiding predators is a topic with 23 brief essays.

I plan to keep this book handy for regular use.  It’s too big to take into the field or read in bed.  Instead I’ll keep it next to the chair where I watch birds, referring to it when I have questions and then following the trail from one topic to another.  I’ll discover gems of information and be impressed by the beauty, complexity, and richness of bird life.

By Edie Parnum

Every year we feature two superior native plant species.  One of the Prime Plants for Nature is a tree, shrub, or vine and the other is a perennial.  Prime Plants are selected based on these criteria:

1. Native to southeastern Pennsylvania
2. Offer high wildlife value and contribute significantly to your property’s web of life
3. Provide food for wildlife by producing nutritious fruits, seeds, nuts, nectar, or pollen
4. Usually host insects that are eaten by birds or other animals
5. Offer shelter and places to raise young
6. Are easy to grow and make attractive additions to your landscape
7. Sold at native plant nurseries and native plant sales. (See below for a list of local sources of native plants during the Coronavirus shutdown.)

Our selections for the 2020 Prime Plants for Nature awards are:

Cercis canadensis, Eastern Redbud

Wildlife Value: To support bees and other pollinators, we usually think of perennials.  However, some trees, particularly Eastern Redbud, produce a

Carpenter Bee collecting pollen from Eastern Redbud flowers. Photo from Tufts Pollinatore Initiative & Wikimedia Commons. click to enlarge.

massive number of spring blossoms for early season pollinators. The nectar-rich flowers attract numerous bees, butterflies, and sometimes hummingbirds at a critical time when other flower resources are limited.  Medium-sized native bees such as Mining, Cellophane, Carpenter, Mason, Bumble Bees and others can pollinate by pushing down the lower petals of the blossoms.

Redbud’s foliage is a host for the Henry’s Elfin butterfly, Io Moth, White Flannel Moth and a few other moth species.

Io Moth. Eastern Redbud is one of its host plants. © Edie Parnum. Click to enlarge.

Growing Conditions:  Redbud is easily grown in sun or part shade.   It tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions, moist to dry, and is normally free of insect pests or diseases.  Most yards have enough space for planting this small tree.

Appearance: When in bloom Eastern Redbud is spectacularly beautiful. In early spring before the leaves emerge, all the branches are covered with magenta flowers. A graceful, vase-shaped deciduous tree with spreading branches, it grows to 15-30 feet at maturity.

Eastern Redbud tree in full bloom. Wikimedia Commons photo. Click to enlarge.

Penstemon digitalis, White Beardtongue 

Wildlife Value: White Beardtongue is an important source of nectar and pollen for a

Nectar guides on the left blossom signal the direction to nectar and pollen. The Bumble Bee on the right has reached the nectar and pollen. © Barb Elliot. Click to enlarge.

variety of pollinators. Long-tongued native bees including bumble bees, digger, miner, mason, and small carpenter bees are important pollinators of beardtongue. Butterflies, sphinx moths, and hummingbirds are less important pollinators. The White Beardtongue’s flower petals have nectar guides (see photo).  These direct bees and butterflies to the nectar and pollen buried in the center of the flower.

Growing Conditions:   Beardtongue will grow well in sun or part sun in dry to medium soil. Seedlings are shallow-rooted and can be transplanted easily or given to gardening friends. This perennial isn’t usually appealing to deer.  When purchasing beardtongue or other perennials, be sure the plants are not treated with neonics (neonicotinoids), a systemic pesticide that is toxic to bees and any other insects using the plant’s resources.

Blossoms of White Beardtongue. © Edie Parnum. Click to enlarge.

Appearance: The white or pale pink blossoms of White Beardtongue are shaped as a tube with two lips. Blooming occurs from April to June on 3-5-foot erect stems that rarely flop. The flowers are attractive, and some individuals use them in flower arrangements.

Local Sources of Native Plants During Coronavirus Shutdown

Collins Nursery, 773 Roslyn Avenue, Glenside, PA 19038. 215-715-3439 or www.collinsnursery.com . Order at info@collinsnursery.com for curbside pick-up.

Edge of the Woods Nursery, 2415 Route 100, Orefield, PA 18069.  610-393-2570 or www.edgeofthewoodsnursery.com .Order online and pick-up by appointment.  For questions about plants, schedule a phone call.

Gateway Garden Center, 7277 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE 19707.  302-239-2727 or www.gatewaygardens.com .  Open and considered a Delaware essential business.

Gino’s Nursery, 2237 Second Street Pike, Newtown, PA 18940. 267-750-9042 or www.ginosnursery.com . Call or email sales@ginosnursery.com to order. Curbside pick-up or delivery within 12-mile radius.

Good Host Plants, 150 W. Butler Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140. 267-270-5036 or www.goodhostplants.com Email info@goodhostplants.com to order for curbside pickup in the West Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia or delivery within a 5- mile radius.

Northeast Native Perennials, 1716 E. Sawmill Road, Quakertown, PA18951. 215-901-5552 or www.nenativesandperennials.com . Call or email northeastnativeperennials@gmail.com to order for curbside pick-up.

Redbud Native Plant Nursery, 904 N. Providence Road, Media, PA. 19063. 610-892-2833 or www.redbudnative.com . Call or email info@redbudnative.com to order for curbside pick-up. .

Yellow Springs Farm, 1165 Yellow Springs Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425. 610-827-2014 or www.yellowspringsfarm.com .Order on-line or by phone for mail order or farm pick-up.  Free shipping for orders over $100.