Brightside’s Impact on Biodiversity

June 25, 2014

Brightside’s Impact on Biodiversity

Brightside’s Demo Garden is home to over 60 different native perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees, each providing benefits to local wildlife.

To determine what kind of animals and insects are flocking to our garden and to measure their populations, volunteers from the Great Rivers chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalists will be conducting a series of wildlife surveys in our garden.  The surveys will show how the garden is impacting the diversity and populations of urban wildlife over time.

Native plants are gaining more and more recognition for their ability to survive in the harsh environments from which they evolved, as well as for the native wildlife they attract.  Many native plants and wildlife have co-evolved and rely on each other for survival.  By restoring native plant habitat, we are providing a diversity of food and shelter for the animals and insects that rely on those plants.  The surveys will demonstrate that Brightside’s garden, as well as the many Neighbors Naturescaping gardens that Brightside supports, are contributing to an increase in native wildlife throughout St. Louis.