Nature's best hope: a new approach to conservation that starts in your yard, by Douglas W. Tallamy

 

University of Delaware professor of entomology and wildlife sciences presents a convincing case for why everyone should create a haven for wildlife in their backyard. While not a how-to guide, Nature's best hope will give readers a good idea on how to get started making changes in their own properties that will improve the ecosystem by attracting more insects such as bees and butterflies, which will in turn attract more birds and other wildlife. Simple steps such as shrinking your lawn; planting more native plants, bushes, and trees; not raking all the leaves up; and allowing some dead plants to remain in the yard until spring will support the insect population that birds rely on to survive the winter. Examples in the book are more likely to reflect the northeastern U.S. geographically, but the concepts would apply everywhere and there's enough in this book to help anyone get started implementing them.