LIVING WITH NATURE IN MY BACK YARD WITH DAVID SMALL
THURS, MARCH 16, 6:30 PM AT SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
on the Greenfield Commons
16 Court Square, Greenfield, MA 01301
GREENFIELD, MA – Living with Nature in My Back Yard is the title of Greening Greenfield’s next talk in its series about transforming our lawns. David Small, naturalist, president of the Athol Bird and Nature Club, and director of the Millers River Environmental Center, will talk about his journey to create natural habitat in his backyard, on March 16, 6:30 pm at the Second Congregational Church at 16 Court Square in Greenfield.
David, a lifetime resident of Massachusetts, purchased an in-town home on one-acre in Athol in 2007, shortly before he retired from a 35-year career with MA Division of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) as Assistant Regional Director at the Quabbin Reservoir, finding and documenting state listed species and much more. Today, his yard, which was dominated by a lawn, is now a rich habitat for our native wildlife.
“I love watching my grandchildren’s delight when they find creepy life forms in the yard,” says Dave Small. “I also love hanging out with family and friends, where we can all watch a wide variety of wildlife up-close, holding late night moth parties, and observing the changing seasons.”
Small will share some of the amazing photographs he has taken of the over 900 species he has documented in his yard. He will also talk about how over the years he removed non-native trees and invasive species, built a patio surrounded by flower gardens, and dug a pond in a wet spot. He also planted fruit trees, shrubs, and a vegetable garden, all with the goal of providing food, water, and cover for a variety of wildlife and people.
“We are excited to offer Dave’s approach to rewilding our backyards from food deserts to thriving native habitats that support biodiversity,” says Nancy Hazard, a member of Greening Greenfield’s Pollinator Group. “His incremental approach feels doable, and his yard supplies food for insects and birds and us and unending entertainment, while it also sequesters carbon, the major cause of climate change.”
David Small’s talk is the second in a series of talks and videos Greening Greenfield (GG) is offering this winter. The first talk by Owen Wormser focused on his book, Lawns to Meadows. GG’s third talk will be a zoom event on April 13, where Charley Eiseman and Julia Blyth of Northfield, will talk about what they did to transform their yard, and what they are now seeing up close.
To see a full list of speakers, and recommended videos that support the theme of transforming our lawns, click here.
To explore Greening Greenfield’s pollinator campaigns and resources click here.