Native Plants Help the Birds & Pollinators in Your Backyard!

You may be thinking, "So, what is the big deal with so-called natived plants? A plant is a plant. What possible difference can it make as to the choice of plants I use to landcape my yard? How can a beautiful plant not be good for birds and other wildlife?"

Great question. Simple answer....bird food! But perhaps not the type of bird food that first comes to mind.

Many plants produce fruit and seeds that birds use for food, but native plants also attract and feed lots of native insects. Most non-native plants don't. And insects are the essential element that many bird parents need to successfully raise their young. Fewer native plants means fewers insects, which truly means fewer birds.

How does it work? Native plants and insects have been living together for eons. You could say they grow up together. Countless types of insects have come to ulilize specific native plants to provide for their offspring (think catepillars). When you replace these native plants with undestirable ones (think turf grass), the entire process comes to a screeching halt. Insect populations crash and so do the bird populations that count on them as food for their nestlings.

Case in point, Carolina Chickadees need more than 6,000 caterpillars to successfully feed and fledge five chicks from their nest! Every day, for up to two weeks, it take chickadees between 150 - 200 successful foraging trips to collect that many caterpillars, even in the best of native habirats. It is simply an impossible task in habitats dominated by non-native plants.

So, Choices do matter! By using more native plants to landscape your yard, you can create a haven for birds....and bring more birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to enjoy in our world!

A great place to start learning more about the bird/plant connection is by reading a wonderful book called, "Nature's Best Hope" by Douglas Tallamy. It's truly the best handbook to help you to transform your yard into a vibrant backyard wildlife habitat. Also be sure to check out the National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Habitat Certification Program. This program provides expert information that will make it easy for you to design and develop your yard into a native landscape that will be great for birds and other pollinators.

In-Person Native Plant Sales 2025 Season

May 2nd & 3rd: Good Steward Ecoscapes Native Plant Sale. Time: TBD (More Info To Come)

*******MORE EVENTS TO COME**********

For more expert help and resources on native plants and native landscaping, check out our local partners: The Nature Foundation of Will County, Good Steward Ecoscapes , Possibility Place Nursery , The Conservation Foundation of Will County , and the Illinois Audubon Society

New Partnership With Possibility Place Nursery - Online Native Plant Pre-Order Now Open!

Thanks to our new partnership with Possibility Place Nursery, we are excited to offer new ways to connect people and nature together! This exciting new partnership will offer our community a way to connect with native plant experts for education and in-person and online native plant sales. **Stay Tuned for more info on upcoming educational presentations and in-person Possibility Place Nursery native plant sales at WBU Joliet***

We are also excited to announce the launch of a NEW Online Portal in which you can purchase Native Plants directly from Possibility Place Nursery. The site is live for pre-orders now and orders will be delivered straight to your door starting in April or May depending on plant species. Your purchase through this online portal will help raise funds to provide more educational activites and events to WBU Joliet. Don't wait! - plan your garden now and get a head start on creating a sanctuary for wildlife this season! Shop Now HERE!