Gardening for Habitat

Gardens are habitats, but the degree to which they support local wildlife depends on how we plant and manage them. Our plant choices determine who visits, stays, or passes by as creatures look for food, shelter, to nest and lay eggs.When and how we decide to clean up leaves or cut plants back affects life cycles of salamanders, bees, birds, moths, and butterflies. Emily Baisden will explain how to create habitat in the garden year-round while balancing your workload and garden aesthetics.

Prior to joining Wild Seed Project in 2022, Emily served as Entomologist and Educator at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. She has an extensive background in native horticulture and environmental education, and focuses largely on using native plants to support food webs and biodiversity. She holds a BS in Environmental Science from the University of New England and an MS in Entomology from the University of Delaware. She lives in Brunswick, Maine, where she spends most of her time adventuring with her partner and their dog, and establishing wildlife habitat in her yard.