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Supporting Wildlife Habitat Where we Live is Not a New Idea

ljmarkson

Sep 30, 20245 min read

Supporting Wildlife Habitat Where we Live is Not a New Idea

When decluttering a closet recently, I found a time capsule in the form of a garden journal I made in the early 90s. The last entry was...

Make Your Yard a Safe Hummingbird Habitat!

ljmarkson

Mar 30, 20248 min read

Birds

Make Your Yard a Safe Hummingbird Habitat!

Like everyone else who eagerly anticipates their arrival, I’m checking out my yard every day looking for my first “hummer” of the...

A Habitat Yard Workshop Offers Actionable Change

ljmarkson

Feb 8, 20243 min read

Local Conservation and Education

A Habitat Yard Workshop Offers Actionable Change

Last fall I hosted three free habitat yard workshops. My goal was to share actionable ways create a more ecologically sustainably...

ljmarkson

Jan 23, 202414 min read

Wildlife Container Pond

How to Make a Wildlife Container Pond

If we want to consider the ecological function of our yard, a water source is a foundational habitat element. Bird baths and other...

Restore Habitat to Hear the Sweet Song of the Hermit Thrush

ljmarkson

Jan 7, 20243 min read

Birds

Restore Habitat to Hear the Sweet Song of the Hermit Thrush

Every habitat element in my pocket wildlife sanctuary contributes to a more biodiverse ecosystem. Hermit thrushes for example rarely...

Be an Advocate for Nature By Sharing What You Know

ljmarkson

Oct 24, 20235 min read

Nature Advocacy

Be an Advocate for Nature By Sharing What You Know

I try to go out of my comfort zone and share information in online neighborhood groups where the focus is rarely on creating a wildlife...

Nature Loving Strangers are Kindred Spirits

ljmarkson

Oct 9, 20234 min read

Coexisting with Nature

Nature Loving Strangers are Kindred Spirits

I was recently looking through my lengthy list of ongoing blog ideas and catchy titles for articles yet to be written and came across...

A Day Focused on Restoring Biodiversity in our Own Greenspaces

ljmarkson

Sep 11, 20233 min read

Landscaping for Nature

A Day Focused on Restoring Biodiversity in our Own Greenspaces

At the recent Georgia Audubon’s cleverly named Georgia Grows Native for Birds Round Robin: Transforming Your Greenspace, they partnered...

Ways to Add Water for Wildlife to Your Yard

ljmarkson

Jul 30, 20237 min read

Landscaping for Nature

Ways to Add Water for Wildlife to Your Yard

I didn’t always have over a dozen water sources in my intown (Morningside) Atlanta yard. Back in 2019 when I went through the process to...

Why You Need to Remove Invasive Plants from Your Yard

ljmarkson

Jul 16, 20234 min read

Why You Need to Remove Invasive Plants from Your Yard

I like to boast that there are no weeds in my rewilded yard – meaning there are no plants I don’t want growing in it. Some of my favorite...

ljmarkson

Apr 28, 20233 min read

Landscaping for Nature

Native Plants as Edging Plants

In the spring I’m often outside adding, moving, editing, and potting up plants until it’s so dark outside that I can’t see my hands. I’m...

Children Care Deeply About Protecting Nature - Let's Nurture This

ljmarkson

Mar 5, 20233 min read

Local Conservation and Education

Children Care Deeply About Protecting Nature - Let's Nurture This

We pulled into our driveway from an outing and there was a mother with her 7-or 8-year-old daughter at our front door. The little girl...

Reclaim Nature and Add Habitat with a Brush Pile

ljmarkson

Nov 30, 20225 min read

Landscaping for Nature

Reclaim Nature and Add Habitat with a Brush Pile

I’ve tried to maximize the edge areas of my small, semi-urban, rewilded yard by tucking away a few brush piles behind shrubs and trees to...

Add Coreopsis Integrifolia to the Home Landscape

ljmarkson

Nov 9, 20222 min read

Native Plants

Add Coreopsis Integrifolia to the Home Landscape

There are over two dozen coreopsis varieties in North American on BONAP and twenty grow in Georgia. Coreopsis integrifolia also known as...

ljmarkson

Nov 3, 20223 min read

Landscaping for Nature

A Dead Tree Branch Story

Last month I happened to notice a dead branch on a large pine tree in my front yard. Through my binoculars I could see a huge 20 or so...

Nurturing a Firefly Habitat Also Helps Restore Nature

ljmarkson

Jul 7, 20226 min read

Local Conservation and Education

Nurturing a Firefly Habitat Also Helps Restore Nature

In the context of creating a healthy yard ecosystem fireflies are just another insect we need to provide habitat for. Yet 2,000 firefly...

Building a More Vibrant Intown Atlanta Native Plant Community

ljmarkson

Jun 28, 20224 min read

Landscaping for Nature

Building a More Vibrant Intown Atlanta Native Plant Community

On a hot June Sunday afternoon a varied group of around 50 or so people interested in native plants came together for a panel discussion...

Just Say No to Spring Backyard Habitat Destruction

ljmarkson

Mar 6, 20225 min read

Local Conservation and Education

Just Say No to Spring Backyard Habitat Destruction

There were no happy birds in my yard on a warm spring day last week. On Friday I watched them flitting around my neighbor’s yard...

If Nature Was Predictable, It Wouldn't Be So Fascinating

ljmarkson

Jan 11, 20222 min read

Coexisting with Nature

If Nature Was Predictable, It Wouldn't Be So Fascinating

My tiny, semi-urban, rewilded yard surprises me. Every. Single. Day. This past Sunday it was deathly quiet in both the front and...

What a Mushroom Eating Squirrel Teaches Us About Nature

ljmarkson

Dec 21, 20213 min read

Coexisting with Nature

What a Mushroom Eating Squirrel Teaches Us About Nature

After a rainy spell a couple weeks ago, mushrooms appeared in a section of my rewilded yard. About a week later I started noticing...

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