Shop the Native Shrub & Tree Sale. Bring more birds to your yard!

By Sally Stovall

2018 is the Year of the Bird, designated by the National Audubon Society, National Geographic, and other bird-loving organizations. They are inviting bird-lovers to “help build a better world for birds by taking a simple but meaningful action each month.”

What better action to take in September than to add native shrubs or trees to your yard? These plants will provide benefits to birds for years to come, especially as experts predict climate change will imperil 314 bird species, which is nearly 1 out of every 2 birds in the U.S.

This year’s Native Shrub & Tree sale, which is sponsored by Green Community Connections in collaboration with West Cook Wild Ones, offers 22 species of shrubs and trees that are listed on the Audubon Native Plants Database for this area. The database shows which birds are attracted to which species, and they are all plants that provide important bird resources.

Order today through September 22.

Pick up your orders on Saturday, September 29,

at Euclid Ave. United Methodist parking lot,

405 S. Euclid Ave., Oak Park.

Find details about pick-up, planting and more:

greencommunityconnections.org/native-shrub-tree-sale

Native trees and shrubs not only provide habitat for birds, they also support butterflies and other pollinators. They produce oxygen, sequester carbon and clean the air and water. There are so many reasons that native shrubs and trees are a good investment in the future. And fall is the best time to plant them!

Learn more about The Year of the Bird and the Audubon Native Plants Database.