Restoration Resources
Looking to purchase native plants locally? We have developed a brochure listing nurseries in the CapMo by county. Nurseries are ranked on a scale of 1-3 by the number of native plants they stock.
The National Invasive Species Information Center has a directory for restoration resources, categorized by aquatic work, plants, animals, and microbes.
If you're looking for in-depth information about our native ecosystems, the Ecological Communities of New York State, cataloged by the New York Natural Heritage Program in 2014, is a great guide to identify ecoregions.
Planting Guides:
The New York State Integrated Pest Management Program's Alternatives to Ornamental Invasive Plants.
There is a useful DEC Factsheet on native plants, which details preferred soil type, correct zones to plant, and approximate height of the plant when fully grown. Check for these at your local nursery, if they don't have them, ask them to start sourcing native plants!
Maybe you aren't a land manager or preserve steward but still want to bring more native wildlife back to the region. Professor Doug Tallamy's book on native landscaping in suburban ecosystems, Bringing Nature Home, is a great resource for deciding what to plant to provide habitat for a specific butterflies, moths, and other native insects in your garden. As he details in his book, insects are one of the bases of the food web; if we want to see our larger mammals and birds succeed in the vast areas of land that humans occupy, we need to first restore the food that they need to survive- native plants.
Looking to focus on pollinators? This guide, produced by The Pollinator Partnership, details good choices for plantings around New England based on bloom time and planting location.
This CapMo-made brochure details select invasive plants and pairs them with native alternatives for landscapers and homeowners.
Other Organizations:
The National Invasive Species Information Center has a directory for restoration resources, categorized by aquatic work, plants, animals, and microbes.
If you're looking for in-depth information about our native ecosystems, the Ecological Communities of New York State, cataloged by the New York Natural Heritage Program in 2014, is a great guide to identify ecoregions.
Planting Guides:
The New York State Integrated Pest Management Program's Alternatives to Ornamental Invasive Plants.
There is a useful DEC Factsheet on native plants, which details preferred soil type, correct zones to plant, and approximate height of the plant when fully grown. Check for these at your local nursery, if they don't have them, ask them to start sourcing native plants!
Maybe you aren't a land manager or preserve steward but still want to bring more native wildlife back to the region. Professor Doug Tallamy's book on native landscaping in suburban ecosystems, Bringing Nature Home, is a great resource for deciding what to plant to provide habitat for a specific butterflies, moths, and other native insects in your garden. As he details in his book, insects are one of the bases of the food web; if we want to see our larger mammals and birds succeed in the vast areas of land that humans occupy, we need to first restore the food that they need to survive- native plants.
Looking to focus on pollinators? This guide, produced by The Pollinator Partnership, details good choices for plantings around New England based on bloom time and planting location.
This CapMo-made brochure details select invasive plants and pairs them with native alternatives for landscapers and homeowners.
Other Organizations:
- The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) has provided an international standard for restoration projects which can help put your local restoration project into an international context, as well as address potential problems in the planning process.
- The Global Restoration Network is a group for land managers and other environmental groups to share information and strategies. You can search the website to find case studies and resources relevant to your project.
- Trees for Tribs is a DEC program supported by Treecycler that provides trees for land managers working in a NYS watershed. More details about project qualifications are available on the DEC website.
