Catering To Pollinators

By Sheilah Kast,

Published July 12, 2021 at 10:52 AM EDT

A side-view close up of a Black-eyed Susan with a winged bug on it. — Black-eyed Susans are one of Maryland's native wildflowers.

The math of the food chain is simple: if no native plants, then no native bugs ... nor birds, nor pollinators ... then no food. It may sound extreme but truth be told, it’s where we’re headed.

Professor Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware is adamant that it’s not too late to restore the ecosystem. And he says homeowners are poised to make a huge impact as stewards of the land.

Check out the UMD Extension for recommended native plants.

Plus, Denzel Mitchell of the Farm Alliance of Baltimore tells how the Black Butterfly Urban Farmer Academy aims to transform land in the city. Original air date: May 18, 2021.

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Sheilah Kast

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.

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Maureen Harvie

Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.

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Melissa Gerr

Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'

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