Beginning around 2021, Colin and I have invested time and energy into transforming our noisy, western MA suburban yard into a nature sanctuary filled with native plants. In our October 2021 post, we documented the original inspiration for such a project- “Nature’s Best Hope” by Douglas Tallamy, an easy read that opened our eyes to the enormous positive effects that native plant species can have in supporting local ecosystems. Since then, our house has become lined with the rich green and purplish hues of tall Joe Pye weed, guarded by patches of wild strawberry. Bushels of tickseed, boneset, wild grasses, and native sunflowers run adjacent to the driveway. Robust raspberry mountain laurels and whimsical summer sparklers help to muffle the sound of traffic passing by. A “Certified Monarch Waystation” sign is proudly displayed in the front yard to denote our very own butterfly garden; a healthy young swamp oak surrounded by various types of milkweed, black eyed Susan, flag iris, Dutchman’s breeches, tickseed, native sunflower, blanket flower, bloodroot, aster, and native Columbine and yarrow.
In this season, we have first handedly witnessed the truth of Dr. Tallamy’s statements; nature has returned in ways we could never have expected. With the plants, come the insects, come the birds, come the critters. A family of chipmunks have burrowed their way into the mulch in the front yard- in the mornings, you can count on seeing at least one baby chipmunk standing guard at the tunnel entrance. Late one evening, we witnessed a mother possum lumbering through the yard, stopping to munch on the compost pile in the backyard- later that month, we saw her carrying three babies on her back. Our local groundhog emerged from hibernation with a delightful surprise- three baby groundhogs, each small but portly, white nosed and plump, rolling around in the grass. Our birdfeeders are now a regular dine-in site for house sparrows, grackles, blue jays, cardinals, mockingbirds, Downy woodpeckers, and Red-bellied woodpeckers.
Our home, once only notable for loud traffic passing by, has become filled with the songs of birds and the scurrying footsteps of backyard critters. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience watching our land come to life. If you build it, they will come. 
