FIELD NOTE 002 | The Moment Native Plants Taught Me Something

Reflections on gardening for biodiversity and sharing a stage with Dr. Doug Tallamy

I joined the Homegrown National Park initiative several years back. I read Dr. Doug Tallamy's books, implemented his native plant lessons, and joined the movement for habitat conservation which begins in your yard. But to actually meet him? I was amazed to be a panelist alongside Dr. Tallamy as the keynote speaker in early 2026. I even got the photo and the autograph to prove it!

I had a plan. I had a slide deck on native plant gardening. I was going to tell a story about my plants, a slow progressive shift from a home garden to a completely different ecosystem. One that let me notice nature at home. I had been missing it all along. The type of story that can’t really fit on a slide. But I was going to make it work. It was the moment when I finally understood exactly what a native plant really is...

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