I officially launched the Backyard Ecology blog in September 2020. Over the past 16 months, I’ve written over 50 Backyard Ecology blog articles, in addition to producing Backyard Ecology podcast episodes. The blog articles have covered a wide variety of topics, but generally can be grouped under 4 main categories:
- Profiles of native critters
- Profiles of native plants, or occasionally invasive plants
- Information about attracting pollinators and wildlife or gardening with native plants
- Sharing some of what I’ve seen recently.
I recognize that I’ve produced a lot of content over the past year or so. Looking back, I’m amazed at how much I’ve produced. I know it would be very easy to miss some of it. So, as we move into 2022, I thought it would be fun to take a moment to just review some of this year’s most popular Backyard Ecology blog articles. These are all articles that were written between September 8, 2020 (the first Backyard Ecology blog article) and November 30, 2021. I hope you enjoy the look back, and maybe you’ll find an article or two that you missed the first time.
Also, let me know in the comments what your favorite Backyard Ecology blog article was this year. Was it one of these? Or was it another one that didn’t make the top 10 list? I know there were a lot of good articles that didn’t quite make the top 10 list.
10 Most Popular Backyard Ecology Blog Articles of 2021
10) Be Careful if Putting Butterfly Boxes in Your Pollinator Garden
- I talked to the researcher who did this study in Episode 3 of the Backyard Ecology podcast if you want to hear more about this research, as well as, his other research related to monarch gardens in urban and suburban neighborhoods.
9) Little Bluestem: A Native Grass for Prairies and Gardens
8) Sassafras – A Beautiful Native Tree Used by Wildlife and Humans
- This is one of my favorite trees. Unfortunately, it is in the laurel family and highly susceptible to laurel wilt disease. We talk about laurel wilt disease in Episode 26 of the Backyard Ecology podcast if you want to learn more about the introduced pest and pathogen that is spreading that disease.
7) Let Birds Take Care of Mud Dauber Nests
6) American Pelecinid Wasp: A Unique and Fascinating Critter
5) Gardening with Native Plants: Hardiness Zones and Ecoregions
- I decided that this information is so important, that I expanded the article slightly and turned it into a pdf e-book. I now offer the e-book as a free download when people subscribe to my email list.
4) Black gum: A wonderful wildlife tree that also works well in landscaped settings
3) Common Box Turtles: Our Most Common Backyard Turtle Visitor
2) Red-spotted Purple – The dark blue and black butterfly that isn’t a swallowtail
1) Replace Nandina, the Not So Heavenly Bamboo
Backyard Ecology: Exploring Nature in Your Backyard
Nature isn’t just “out there.” It’s all around us, including right outside our doors. Hi, my name is Shannon Trimboli, and I am the host of Backyard Ecology. I live in southcentral Kentucky and am a wildlife biologist, educator, author, beekeeper, and owner of a nursery specializing in plants for pollinators and wildlife conservation. I invite you to join me as we ignite our curiosity and natural wonder, explore our yards and communities, and improve our local pollinator and wildlife habitat. Learn more or subscribe to my email list at www.backyardecology.net.
