Professor Doug Tallamy Comes to the North Country

Doug Tallamy brought his unique blend of science, humor, apocalyptic warnings and call to action to New Hampshire’s rural North Country last weekend, despite a broken tooth and an airline IT meltdown. He drew a good sized crowd for the event, celebrating the White Mountain Garden Club’s centennial in the tiny town of Bethlehem, New Hampshire.

Tallamy has had a huge impact on American thinking about native plants and gardening. Cited as an expert in national publications like the Smithsonian Magazine, the New York Times and the Washington Post, he has become the face of the native plant movement. I had no idea how far his reputation extended until I saw his ability to draw a big crowd in this remote area.

Part of Tallamy’s message is very dark – that we as a society have made a big mess of things, leading to near catastrophic declines in insect, bird and plant populations which will lead to the planet becoming uninhabitable if not reversed. How has he been so successful in getting people to respond positively after delivering such a tough indictment? I think there are three reasons. First, he uses humor and perfect comedic timing to drive home some of the absurdities in the way Americans typically manage their yards. Second, he makes complicated issues of botany and entomology easily understandable to the lay person. He lays out the problem of non-native plants so well people go out and buy native plants immediately after hearing his talk. Third, he shows before and after pictures of his Pennsylvania home which he and his wife transformed from an ecologically barren former farm into a thriving biodiverse home for native plants and insects. If I can do it, he seems to be saying, you can do it.

Part of the reason he is so effective is that he gives people a way to help solve the problem. By establishing Homegrownnationalpark.org, he provides a road map to creating enough biodiverse habitat to continue to support life. Planting keystone native plants in any yard or garden, no matter how small, can play a significant role.

How often are we shown exactly how to make a difference when faced with distressing news?

I thanked him for the impact he has had and for his talent in getting people to listen. He kind of brushed that off and thanked me for listening. But in my mind his success in changing minds about how we treat the natural world is nothing short of extraordinary. He has the magic touch when it comes to connecting with people. Those of us who care about the state of the natural world owe him a deep debt of gratitude.