Why Native Plants: The Ecological Importance of Native Species on Cape Cod

Native plants function as a critical building block for our ecosystems, providing food, shelter, and host plant services for nearly all of our native insects, including the abundance of caterpillars needed to sustain local bird populations. These native species are also perfectly adapted to our landscape conditions, thriving in the dry, sandy soils we all know well on the Cape. When you embrace them in your garden, you can do more for the environment by doing less (watering, mowing, fertilizing, etc.)! Join us to explore the beauty and benefits of native plants, and why it is so critical to add them back into our Cape Cod landscapes. 

Erin is the Eco-Landscape Program Coordinator for Association to Preserve Cape Cod.  They have a degree in forestry and sustainable landscaping horticulture from the University of Vermont (UVM), and over six years of experience consulting for landowners big and small, from the University of Vermont’s campus to farmers in the Hudson valley, and of course, for landowners throughout the Cape. Erin's knowledge specializes in bringing the ecological concepts often reserved for our conserved landscapes back into our own backyards, encouraging nature to thrive all around us. 

This event is part of our Native Plants for Cape Cod Life celebration!