Creating Native Plant Educational Materials through Virginia Cooperative Extension Publications

Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) has been a reputable source of research-based information for over 100 years. This information is provided through various forms such as field days, demonstrations, volunteer services and written materials in the form of publications. Peer reviewed publications are scholarly works and undergo reviews from experts in the field. Currently there are no VCE publications about native plants and their benefits. Materials from other organizations and such as the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Plant Virginia Natives Campaign regional guides, Department of Conservation and Recreation brochures and the Digital Atlas of Virginia Flora online database have been used in VCE programming efforts. Plant Virginia Natives has been a leader in the movement to raise awareness, demand for native plants throughout the state, and has developed guides for ten regions across Virginia. By increasing the awareness of native plants, pollinators, and wildlife, local ecosystems will benefit greatly. Incorporating native plants into landscapes is especially critical because a review of 16 studies shows that the global population of insects has decreased by 45% in 40 years (Dirzo et al., 2014). Native plants provide essential support for insects. One of the barriers identified to planting more native plants is the lack of knowledge or confidence in people’s knowledge of the subject (Plant RVA Natives Steering Team, 2021). To address the lack of resources from VCE and the need for supplemental education materials, I have developed a three-part publication series on native plants. This series will promote native plants in the landscape by helping homeowners understand what native plants are, their benefits, how to use them in the landscape and how to maintain them for long term sustainability and resilience of landscapes.