Native Landscaping for Wildlife and People

Dave Tylka, who will be presenting  at the Master Gardeners Annual Spring Seminar, is a semi-retired professor of Biology at St. Louis Community College at Meramec where he taught full time for 20 years. When not in the classroom, he and his wife are outside enjoying their home native landscape where they grow over 100 species of native plants–they love biodiversity.

Dave was the first St. Louis Urban Biologist for the Missouri Conservation Department, a position he held for 14 years. While with the Conservation Department, he also co-produced and hosted “All Outdoors” on TV Channel 11 in St. Louis. In 2002 he wrote the Missouri Conservation Department book Native Landscaping for Wildlife and People, which he then revised in 2009 for the second edition. Dave has also written several popular pamphlets on backyard landscaping, bird feeding, and butterfly gardening. As a widely recognized educator, biologist, nature author, and photographer, he brings together a wealth of information on native species and ideas that can inspire any landscaper.

Dave traveled around Missouri for over 3 years giving Grow Native presentations for the Missouri Conservation Department. Gardeners want tangible rewards, so it became Dave’s mission to teach gardeners how to use native Midwestern plants to beautify your property and benefit wildlife. For instance, he encourages people who want more chickadees to plant host plants that feed caterpillars which in turn the chickadees feed to their young.

Dave was very young when he realized the close connection between plants and animals. He was always the kid with animals, the kid getting muddy in the creek, and the kid wondering if he could save that fat (pregnant) garter snake by taking it home. The most exciting thing he had ever seen was a praying mantis eating a captured skink–he immediately called all of his friends over to see it.

He would be delighted to see a change someday–that instead of people needing a permit to plant functional yards, they would need a permit to plant a turf grass yard, which he calls a sterile biological desert. “Make your yard more exciting than TV!”, he advises if you want kids to be outdoors and off their electronic devices. He encourages gardeners to mimic nature in their home landscapes–for instance, if you live near prairies, go see what’s there and attractive about them, then go for it. He loves our National and State Parks for their inspiration and beauty.

Join Dave Tylka and the Master Gardeners at the 2020 Spring Gardening Seminar to learn how to incorporate Native Landscaping to Benefit Wildlife and People.

Rounding out the daylong seminar are 11 additional sessions including David Bird, owner of Bird Botanicals, on Orchids and Succulents, Patrick Byers, Commercial Horticulture Field Specialist with MU Extension, who will discuss Pawpaw-A Unique Native Fruit. Sarah Crowder, Heartland Tree Alliance, will present Right Tree, Right Place. Additional, Jennifer Hopwood, Xerces Society, Alix Daniel, MDC, Jim Hedgecock, owner Comanche Acres, along with Joe Sandbrink & Mark Glenshaw will share their experience and ideas to educate and inspire every Midwest gardener.

See you on March 14!  Click HERE for more info.