In conversation with Carol Decker of West Newbury Wild and Native (WN2). WN2 encourages people to cultivate ecological landscapes, one yard at a time.
Carol became involved with WN2 after moving to West Newbury, retiring from Mass Audubon and meeting Nancy Pau who pioneered WN2. Carol wanted to educate the public about invasive plants, the value of protecting natural habitats, and, crucially, “the vital interactions between birds, insects and their reliance on native plants.”
Most ornamental landscapes are composed of introduced plants and many of these non-native plants do not provide value to our local ecology. “By reducing lawns, removing invasives and incorporating more native plants into ornamental landscapes, we allow native species to recolonize, little by little, which adds up.”
WN2 was named Citizen of the Year in 2022 at the West Newbury town meeting and was instrumental in many native plants being integrated to the renovated Pentucket Regional High School landscape plan. The initial landscape plan was dominated by ornamental plants introduced from Asia. WN2 suggested alternative native plants including Sassafras, Sourwood, Tulip Tree, Virginia Rose, and native Hydrangea to the architect, as a result, many natives were planted.
WN2 encourages people to begin their garden transformation by doing a few easy things:
- Cut and remove Bittersweet
- Cut and remove Marrow’s and Tartarian Honeysuckle
- Pull out Garlic Mustard before it sets seed
- Add Monarda fistulosa and Mountain Mint
- Read Nature’s Best Hope by Doug Tallamy
WN2 welcomes new members and encourages people to join their mailing list through their website: www.wnwildnative.org.
Thank you Carol for your dedication to our shared environment and for being a great advocate for birds. ♦
Ida Wye is the principal of Ida Wye Designs, offering landscape design, consultation, implementation, and restoration. Ida was green long before it was fashionable. She is committed to creating gardens that heal our planet, one landscape at a time.
Ida graduated from U. Mass. Amherst with a B. S. in Plant and Soil Sciences before working for the U.S. D. A. and teaching Horticulture. After studying Landscape Design at Radcliffe, she began working independently. She later studied Urban Forestry and Wetland Science. www.idawyelandscapes.com
