Birdsong Landscapes

Birdsong Landscapes Native habitat restorationist based in Ohio with a focus on prairies, woodlands, native edibles, and land-use history

06/15/2026

We rarely encounter these caterpillars because they're living high in the trees. The vast majority of all caterpillars become food for birds and other creatures. The soft bodies are easy for nestlings to consume. Moth and butterfly caterpillars are an essential food source for nearly all songbirds during breeding, they move energy up the food chain by eating plants and becoming protein. As Ohio naturalist Jim McCormac has said, caterpillars are the steaks of the insect world.

This Tuliptree Silk Moth (Callosamia angulifera) came to my yard because of the giant Tulip Trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) that surround me.

06/14/2026

The world ended when the last passenger pigeon died in 1914 in the eastern US, at least as it had been known for the last million years.

Passenger pigeons were the ultimate keystone species. They would roam in massive flocks of hundreds of thousands, changing and interacting with the eastern forests and savannas. Thousands would land in a single tree, breaking large limbs that would eventually become cavities for owls and other birds. They would deposit so many droppings that the forest understory was choked out, creating opportunities for short lived and annual species. And best of all, there was no pattern to their movements as they descended into the land. In nearly every way these pigeons were the equivalent to aerial bison herds and their behavior shaped the landscapes of the east. The skies would darken for hours as an estimated 3 to 5 billion birds migrated through the woodlands.

Whenever you see an ancient Oak where they once roosted or an empty sky where they once flew, take a moment to remember the passenger pigeon.

🌿 Don’t Miss Beaver Creek Wetlands Association FREE Speaker Series at Native Plants: Nurturing Nature and Our Community...
06/11/2026

🌿 Don’t Miss Beaver Creek Wetlands Association FREE Speaker Series at Native Plants: Nurturing Nature and Our Community! 🌿

Looking for inspiration for your yard, garden, or local landscape? Join us on Saturday, June 13 and learn from three knowledgeable and engaging local experts who are passionate about native plants and the wildlife they support!

Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting started, you'll enjoy presentations packed with practical ideas, research, and inspiration. Between sessions, there will be plenty of time to shop, eat, connect with fellow nature enthusiasts, and enjoy the festivities.

✨ Saturday, June 13, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Coy Middle School Courtyard

FREE event • No registration required!

Here’s what you can look forward to:
🌸 Engaging presentations from local native plant experts
🌱 Native plants available from Patrick Goes Native, Meadowsweet Ecological Landscapes, Deeply Rooted Landscapes, and more!
🛍️ Local artisan and nature-focused vendors
🎶 Live music by Emerald Alliance
🌯 Delicious food from Wrappin' & Rollin' Cafe

Bring your friends, family, and neighbors and spend part of your Saturday celebrating the plants that nurture nature—and our community!

For presentation descriptions, vendor information, and event details, visit:
https://beavercreekwetlands.org/native-plants-nurture/

🌿💚

06/06/2026

Restoration of a Midwestern Fen - This fen needed help because of 'woody encroachment'. Common native and invasive shrubs and trees are shading out sensitive, rare species that only survive in fens. This is happening because of changes in the hydrology and channelization of the spring-fed creeks. This uncommon hillside or slope fen is particularly vulnerable to erosion.

Special thanks and gratitude to , , and Greene County Parks & Trails for these restoration efforts that have had such wonderful results!

06/04/2026

Let go of the lawn, embrace prairie. Contact me if you need help.

06/03/2026

Firepink (Silene virginica) is a rare spring wildflower and one of my favorites. Here's why

05/29/2026

Bobwhite chicks and Turkey poults require healthy prairies!

05/26/2026

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) is the ancestor of store-bought strawberries and has terrific flavor. This native perennial makes an excellent edible groundcover that can withstand some foot traffic and dogs. Many people confuse the nonnative lawn w**d False Strawberry (Potentilla indica) with real Wild Strawberry and are disappointed when the false strawberry has no flavor.

Here's how to tell False Strawberry from real Wild Strawberry -

🍓 Real Wild Strawberry has white blooms, nonnative false strawberry has yellow blooms

🍓 False Strawberry holds a single fruit per stem, whereas Wild Strawberry has a cluster of fruits on one stem (like a cluster of grapes)

🍓 Wild Strawberry is often found in natural areas, woodedges, and prairies. False Strawberry is found in nearly every untreated lawn I've seen in Ohio. I rarely find Wild Strawberry in lawns unless it's a rural area.

05/25/2026

Foxglove Beardtongue or Tall White Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis) is a prairie species reaching 3-4ft with its blooming stalks. Like most Penstemons in the Midwest, it have nearly evergreen leaves. During the fall the stalks and leaves turn a crimson red. Although it can take full sun it is fine in partial shade. Plant it with Virginia Spiderwort for white and purple blooms.

Calico Penstemon (Penstemon calycosus) is a woodland species that prefers some shade, making it ideal for soft landing plantings underneath large trees. It grows to a similar size and height of Penstemon digitalis and shares many characteristics. The flowers are light pink to magenta. Plant with Golden Alexander for yellow and pink blooms.

Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) is a low growing plant that only reaches 1-1.5ft tall. It has lovely pinkish-purple flowers with a yellow lip at the opening. This Penstemon is able to live in drier soils where it faces less competition in natural areas, but it can grow well in average garden soils and should be used at the front of beds. Pair it with Downy Woodmint or Tennessee Coneflower in a drier area or a spot that requires low growing plants.

05/11/2026

Native planting along a driveway and roadside in a neighborhood. The plants can't obstruct views and must look fairly neat. Try these species for locations like that.

If you're in southwest Ohio and would like a native garden or habitat please get in touch. Otherwise, feel free to ask questions in the comments. Native plants can work in highly visible areas amongst more traditional landscaping.

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Spring Valley, OH

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+19372453823

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