PDSS Speaker Entomologist Douglas Tallamy
One of the nation’s foremost ecologists and conservationists Dr. Douglas Tallamy visited campus on February 13, 2023, as part of the President’s Distinguished Speaker Series.
Dr. Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. His research focuses on the impact on biodiversity when non-native plants are introduced in new ecosystems.
Part of Tallamy’s visit to campus included a walking tour of the Fuller Arboretum with Grounds Supervisor Tim Riley, Campus Services Director Dave Morgan, and Trustee Mac McNaught.
Part of Tallamy’s visit to campus included a walking tour of the Fuller Arboretum with Grounds Supervisor Tim Riley, Campus Services Director Dave Morgan, and Trustee Mac McNaught.
Part of Tallamy’s visit to campus included a walking tour of the Fuller Arboretum with Grounds Supervisor Tim Riley, Campus Services Director Dave Morgan, and Trustee Mac McNaught.
Part of Tallamy’s visit to campus included a walking tour of the Fuller Arboretum with Grounds Supervisor Tim Riley, Campus Services Director Dave Morgan, and Trustee Mac McNaught.
Fun fact about the President’s Distinguished Speaker: 20 years ago, Dr. Tallamy planted an acorn, which today is a 40-foot oak tree that has restored over 240 species of caterpillars to his property.
Tallamy’s talk President’s Distinguished Speaker Series talk in Salter Hall was titled, “Nature’s Best Hope.”
He discussed his research and commitment to caring for native plants and the wildlife they support, and gave advice on how anyone can play a role in this important ecological work.
A large crowd packed into Salter Hall to learn from Tallamy, who is the founder of Homegrown National Park, a grassroots call-to-action organization dedicated to regenerating biodiversity by planting native plants and creating new ecological networks. The organization’s goal is to turn 20 million acres of manicured lawns into sites of native plantings and rich ecological diversity.
Tallamy discussed his how restoring native species of flora can recharge insect populations. Over the last 20 years, he has removed invasive species from his own property, which has returned hundreds of native insects, birds, and other wildlife.
“Nature is a series of specialized relationships,” Tallamy said. “Many of these relationships, unfortunately most of them these days, are in trouble. Nature itself is on the ropes. Largely because we did not take President Theodore Roosevelt’s advice to ‘leave it as it is.’”
“We have not left most of the country as it was. We have logged the country repeatedly, tilled it, drained it, grazed it, paved it, or otherwise developed it. We have strained our rivers and dammed them. We have polluted our skies and changed our climate for centuries to come,” Tallamy said. “I could go on to talk about the pox that us humans have delivered on our environment, but that is not what this talk is about. This talk is about a cure for that pox. This cure will take small efforts, from lots of people like you and me, that will deliver enormous physical, psychological, and environmental benefits to everybody.”
“Life as we know it depends on insects. If they were to disappear, so would most of our flowering plants. If most of our flowering plants were to disappear, it would drastically change energy flow through our terrestrial ecosystems. Those ecosystems house food webs that support most of our animals. Without them those food webs would collapse and those animals would all disappear. The biosphere, the living portion of the earth, would rot. Humans would not survive any of those drastic changes,” Tallamy explained.
“There is some good news,” he continued. “None of that has to happen. We can save our insects, we can save our birds, we can save the nature that supports us. But we have to change the way we landscape in order to do that. Remember, humans are products of nature.”
Members of the crowd got the chance to ask Tallamy many questions, ranging from what the best landscaping practices are to the importance of voting for local and state representatives who will prioritize nature conservation.
Tallamy shared multiple keys to ecological success with the crowd during his PDSS address. Some highlights were shrinking the lawn and replacing outdoor lights to help protect insect populations.
“We have to start practicing conservation outside of parks and reserves,” Tallamy said. “I do not believe the notion that nature and humans cannot live together, we cannot coexist, in the same place at the same time. … Not only is living with nature an option, it is now the only viable option that is left to us.”
“We have got to find ways for nature to thrive in human-dominated landscapes,” he continued, diving into the responsibility of homeowners caring for their own lawns and spaces. “If we do not practice conservation on private property, we are going to fail. We do want to conserve any bits of nature that are left over, but we also have to move into restoration. We have got to put back together so many of the pieces where we have removed natural systems. We can reunite enough specialized interactions (relationships between insects, plants, animals, etc.) to create functional ecosystems.”
Tallamy explained that creating a functional ecosystem starts with flowering plants and the pollinators, like caterpillars and bees, that allow those plants to reproduce. “If we design landscapes that don’t have a lot of caterpillars, then we eventually will have failed food webs and failed ecosystems. How do we attract caterpillars to our landscapes? It’s pretty easy. You put in the plants,” he said, stressing that plant choice matters. “One of the best energy contributors to local food webs is one of the oaks.”
Tallamy received a standing ovation from the crowd after giving his President’s Distinguished Speaker Series presentation.
“Every single person on the planet requires healthy ecosystems, so why wouldn’t everybody share responsibilities of keeping those ecosystems healthy,” Tallamy asked. “There are all kinds of things that one person can do to totally turn around the functionality of their little landscape, and it shrinks the problem down to something that is manageable. Worry about your piece of the planet that you can influence. If you own property, that’s where you can start. If you don’t own property, help somebody who does. … You are nature’s best hope!”
Tallamy received a standing ovation from the crowd after giving his President’s Distinguished Speaker Series presentation.
Tallamy has written four books, including “Bringing Nature Home” and the New York Times Bestsellers, “The Living Landscape” and “Nature’s Best Hope.” His latest book is “The Nature of Oaks.”