Every yard, large or small, can provide valuable natural habitat. Native plant garden choices include rain gardens, butterfly gardens, native plant borders, stop-over habitats for migrating birds, woodland gardens or formal plantings using natives.
Backyard native plant gardening is an important component of noted naturalist Doug Tallamy’s vision which he calls a “Backyard National Park”, eventually covering millions of acres. The WPPC invites and encourages you to tell us about your backyard garden so we can demonstrate patterns, numbers and sizes of properties that are already sharing in this effort.
This mapping project is an important tool to reveal locations, pathways and connectedness of properties with native plantings. It also identifies where there are gaps. The WPPC’s map has become integrated into a larger, Chicago area-wide map as part of the Chicago Living Corridors.
There is significant national interest in Tallamy’s habitat corridor concept. This budding Chicagoland region-wide initiative could serve as an example and inspiration for the rest of the country!
Help make this vision a reality, add your garden, large or small, to the WPPC Garden Mapping Project map! Tell us about your backyard native garden by downloading and returning our questionnaire today.
Description: On a whim about twenty years ago, Dave Zieger and John Shiel agreed that they might as well start working to restore a portion of the church property in Wonder Lake that was right across the street from Dave's living room window. Dave brought it up, since its neglected […]
Description: Scattered islands of natural landscaping--all developed over a thirty-year period and placed within the confines of a 1/4 acre city lot. The yard is planted with a delightful combination of native plants, various grasses, native shrubs and trees. John will discuss "his dilemma" of what to do about shade […]
