BOOKS, APPS, & TOOLS
The resources listed below are sprinkled throughout the Action Guide and collected here for easy access.
Learn More about the Hudson Valley Habitat
Several excellent books document the ecological history of the Hudson Valley and the Northeast. We particularly recommend:
The Nature of the Place: A History Of Living With The Land In Columbia County, NY (Conrad Vispo, 2014)
Geology of the Hudson Valley: A Billion Years of History (Steven Schimmrich, 2020)
Forests Adrift: Currents Shaping the Future of Northeastern Trees (Charles D. Canham, 2020)
Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England (William Cronon, 1983)
From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to the Habitats of Columbia County, New York (Farmscape Ecology and Hudsonia, 2024)
Get to Know Native Plants
Books:
Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (Douglas Tallamy, 2009)
Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation (Donald J.Leopold, 2005)
The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden (Uli Lorimer, 2022)
Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast (Carol Gracie, 2020)
Summer Wildflowers of the Northeast (Carol Gracie, 2020)
Apps:
iNaturalist - an excellent, free and globally available tool for plant and wildlife identification, citizen science, and logging observations
Seek: plant identification app hosted by iNaturalist
PictureThis - a great plant identification app for iPhone and Android
Organizations:
Wild Ones (national) and Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley (local chapter)
Get to Know Weeds and Invasive Plants
Apps like Seek and PictureThis can help identify weeds and invasives along with native plants.
Field Guides:
Weeds of the Northeast (Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal, Joseph M. DiTomaso, 1997 - updated)
Invasive Plants: Guide to Identification and the Impacts and Control of Common North American Species (Sylvan Ramsey Kaufman, 2007)
Boost your Pollinator Identification Skills
Apps and Websites:
ID Guidebooks:
National Wildlife Federation Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America (Arthur V. Evans, 2007)
Pollinators of Native Plants (Heather Holm, 2014)
Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide (Heather Holm, 2017)
Caterpillars of North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History (David Wagner, 2005)
Citizen Science Opportunities:
BAMONA (Butterflies and Moths of North America Identification and Citizen Science)
Local Field Excursions: Look for pollinator-focused walks and talks with the Cary Institute, Farmscape Ecology Project, Hudson Valley Bee Habitat, and Pollinator Patrol Club (family-focused).
Dive into DIY Project Design
These books provide excellent information on ecological landscape design for a variety of spaces. They’re appropriate for both adventurous beginners and experienced gardeners.
The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden (Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy, 2014)
Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design (Benjamin Vogt, 2023). Benjamin Vogt also offers online native garden design classes at Monarch Gardens.
Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing plant communities for resilient landscapes (Thomas Rainer and Claudia West, 2015)
Garden Revolution: How our landscapes can be a source of environmental change (Larry Weaner and Thomas Christopher, 2016)
Urban & Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces (Catherine B. Zimmerman, 2010)
Find Professional Project Designers
Check out these directories of landscape and garden professionals. You can also ask your local native plant nursery for suggestions - many have relationships with designers or offer design services themselves.