Native Plants and Why to Use Them

What are native plants? Why do they matter? And how could the world be better if we had more of them around? Our host Shoshan Ferguson takes us on a journey to the native plant nursery Watermark Woods, to meet with owner Julie Borneman. Their wide-ranging conversation covers everything from how to acquire plants if you're a broke high school student, to the effects of pesticides on local pollinator populations.

Watermark Woods is located in Hampton, VA. Here's a great resource page on how to get involved with native plants here in Arlington County. For inspiration, check out The Nature Conservancy's Arlington Native Plant Garden. Long Branch Nature Center hosts a Native Plant Sale twice a year (including one on September 24th, 2023)! And here's that list of Northern VA sanctuary species from the Audubon at Home program (gotta catch 'em all! ...er, we mean, document them all).

Bonus content from Shoshan: A philosophical treatise on the moral status of animals
Music in this episode: Stale Case, from Blue Dot Sessions

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