South Portland Land Trust and Maine Audubon to broadcast live “Bringing Nature Home” Earth Week event
While we can’t gather in person to take part in traditional Earth Day related activities, the South Portland Land Trust and Maine Audubon have partnered to host a special online presentation highlighting the importance of keeping native plants, shrubs and trees in our landscapes.
“Last year, the SPLT hosted a public film forum as part of our first ever Earth Week”, says SPLT President Richard Rottkov. “Just when it looked like we would need to cancel all of our 2020 programs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Eric Topper, from Maine Audubon suggested this exciting alternate plan.”
“Bringing Nature Home” is Maine Audubon’s community engagement initiative around restoring native plants and wildlife food webs. The initiative, named and modeled after the best-selling book of that title by University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy, studies the number of insects attracted by various plants and trees common in urban and suburban landscapes with a focus on birds and other wildlife which depend on insect abundance and diversity to thrive.
“The role of native species in providing sustaining food sources for migrating and nesting birds is enormous,” says Eric Topper, Director of Education for Maine Audubon. “Whether on an apartment balcony, in a backyard, a city park or a large woodland owned by a land trust, some of the simplest planting and maintenance choices people make can have profound impact on the local food web. My presentation will show how we can all pitch in to ensure our gardens, backyards and public landscapes have a healthy, wildlife sustaining mix of native plants, shrubs and trees.”
Bringing Nature Home Online Presentation
April 23, 2020
7 p.m.
Details about registering for the event will be posted on the SPLT and Maine Audubon websites and Facebook pages.
After his online presentation via Zoom video conference, Topper will field questions from attendees.
“Bringing Nature Home” is part of the South Portland Land Trust’s Earth Week 2020 — 7 ideas in 7 days” series of emails and social media posts, which will include ideas for getting outdoors while retaining social distancing, plans for building a birdhouse and more. (Details at www.SouthPortlandLandTrust.org.)
In addition to its presentation with SPLT, Maine Audubon will be co-hosting a virtual Earth Day Film Fest (in partnership with the Maine Outdoor Film Festival) on Earth Day, April 22nd. (Details at https://www.maineaudubon.org/class/earth-day-film-festival/.)