City Of Greenboro: Greensboro Celebrates Native Plants Week October 18-24

Press release from the City of Greensboro:

10/14/2021 9:07 AM

The City of Greensboro, in partnership with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon chapter of the National Audubon Society, will celebrate Native Plants Week October 18-24, with a proclamation to highlight the importance of native plants for birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife. The chapter will host a brief ceremony at 2 pm, Monday, October 18, at the Phil G. McDonald Plaza, 220 S. Greene St. The event is open to the public. 

Exhibits and brochures describing the value of native plants will be available, and Audubon members will be present to talk with visitors and answer questions.

What are native plants?

Native plants are those that occur naturally in an area. North Carolina is home to thousands of native plant species. Many are stunningly beautiful; some occur nowhere else in the world. Over many millennia, our native wildlife – including birds – have adapted to the recourse provided by the native flora. Native plants are, in a real sense, “home” for our birds.

Why are native plants important for birds?

In a word: insects. Virtually all land birds – 96 percent – require insect food for their young. Native plants support healthy populations of insects, including caterpillars, that breeding birds feed their nestlings. Non-native plants contain foreign compounds that most native insects won’t eat. Without insects for food, baby birds starve. By adding native plants to our community, we can help restore the imbalance created by non-native plantings and ensure the survival of future generations of birds and a healthy local ecosystem.

For more information, contact Jack Jezorek with the Audobon Society at suejackj@bellsouth.net or 336-885-0669.

The City of Greensboro, in partnership with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon chapter of the National Audubon Society, will celebrate Native Plants Week October 18-24, with a proclamation to highlight the importance of native plants for birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife. The chapter will host a brief ceremony at 2 pm, Monday, October 18, at the Phil G. McDonald Plaza, 220 S. Greene St. The event is open to the public. 

Exhibits and brochures describing the value of native plants will be available, and Audubon members will be present to talk with visitors and answer questions.

What are native plants?

Native plants are those that occur naturally in an area. North Carolina is home to thousands of native plant species. Many are stunningly beautiful; some occur nowhere else in the world. Over many millennia, our native wildlife – including birds – have adapted to the recourse provided by the native flora. Native plants are, in a real sense, “home” for our birds.

Why are native plants important for birds?

In a word: insects. Virtually all land birds – 96 percent – require insect food for their young. Native plants support healthy populations of insects, including caterpillars, that breeding birds feed their nestlings. Non-native plants contain foreign compounds that most native insects won’t eat. Without insects for food, baby birds starve. By adding native plants to our community, we can help restore the imbalance created by non-native plantings and ensure the survival of future generations of birds and a healthy local ecosystem.

For more information, contact Jack Jezorek with the Audobon Society at suejackj@bellsouth.net or 336-885-0669.

This press release was produced by the City of Greensboro. The views expressed here are the author’s own.