News
Upcoming Webinar: Live with the Caterpillar Experts
Caterpillars Aren’t Just for the Birds: A Live Panel on The Extraordinary Caterpillar Film October 14 · 12:00-1:30 PM ET This spring, we hosted The Extraordinary Caterpillar, a 60-minute documentary about the hidden world of caterpillars, and the response has been incredible. People around the country have hosted and scheduled over 400 local screenings, reaching […]
![[FINAL] Drought post header 2026-06-18](https://homegrownnationalpark.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/FINAL-Drought-post-header-2026-06-18-1024x640.png "[FINAL] Drought post header 2026-06-18")
Who Thrives When Water Dries?
By Craig Booth Estimated Read Time: 5 minutes Why we’re sharing this: Science shouldn’t stay locked in journals. From time to time, we highlight one interesting research paper and bring it directly to you: clear, relevant, and ready to spark ideas for your own backyard and community projects. (Based on Lin et al., Journal of […]
I Planted a Soft Landing…Now I Have Eight of Them
By Richard Bennett, HNP Director of Technology Est Read Time: 5 min All photos from Richard Bennett | Speedway, IN Cover photo includes Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis), Heart-Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) For years, every fall I broke out the rake and leaf blower to take care of leaf “litter.” I wasn’t […]
What The New York Times Found in Doug Tallamy’s Yard
A new feature on the native plant movement, and the restoration that gave Homegrown National Park its name. Cover photo by Doug Tallamy | Pennsylvania Est Read Time: 5 min If you’ve ever wondered what “planting native” actually adds up to, this is worth your time. Read the full New York Times feature here. Journalist […]
Bring Back the Fireflies
Small changes in your yard can help fireflies thrive. Est. Read Time: 5 min Summer evenings used to come with a light show. Warm air, bare feet, and tiny sparks drifting through the dark – fireflies were part of what made the season feel alive. World Firefly Day is coming up, and it’s a good […]
Keystone Plants: more than a pretty face
By Dee Salomon, Board President, Homegrown National Park Original, full article published in The Ungardener Some plants do more than look beautiful. They hold ecosystems together. These are keystone plants – the species that wildlife depends on most. Not just for pollen or nuts, but for something more fundamental: their leaves. Butterfly and moth caterpillars, […]
What Runs the World?
By Tim Snyder, Executive Director Est Read Time: 5 min Can you spot these Hoboken, NJ keystones in the cover image? Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata), White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum), Scarlet Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) My son Tenzin gave a TED-Ed talk at his school not long ago. He is […]
Native Plants in Containers: Tiny Ecosystems on My Front Porch
This post is adapted from an original article by Krista De Cooke, Director of Partnerships & Strategy at Homegrown National Park. View the full post here. All photos by Krista De Cooke in East Tennessee. Est. Read Time: 5 minutes One of the things we hear often at Homegrown National Park is “I don’t have […]