Creating Living Landscape

Because our yards and gardens are essential parts of the terrestrial ecosystems that sustain humans and the life around us, it is essential that we keep them in working order. Dr. Tallamy will discuss the important ecological roles of the plants in our landscapes, emphasize the ecological, educational, physical, and emotional benefits of designing landscapes with these roles in mind, and explore the consequences of failing to do so. Managing landscapes in this crowded world carries both moral and ecological responsibilities that we can no longer ignore.

Doug Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 84 research publications and has taught Insect Taxonomy, Behavioral Ecology, Humans and Nature, Insect Ecology, and other courses for 34 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His book Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens was published by Timber Press in 2007 and was awarded the 2008 Silver Medal by the Garden Writers' Association. The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, was published in 2014. Among his awards are the Garden Club of America Margaret Douglas Medal for Conservation and the Tom Dodd, Jr. Award of Excellence.