Stacie McGraw “From Good Intentions to Good Gardening” Blog Post
Native plants, beyond bringing beauty to communities they occupy, are critical to nature based restoration projects. Our very own Stacie McGraw, a Virginia Master Gardener and certified Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP), went through the hard journey of replanting her backyard from seemingly beautiful invasive plants to native plants that attracted the wildlife that non-native plants failed to support. The Native Plants for Southeast Virginia Guide, that she helped update in 2024/2025, helped her navigate the shortage of native plants in garden centers and identify the native plants that she wanted to use in public spaces. Stacie reminds us that it’s okay in this process of building a more resilient and healthy future to make mistakes and get it wrong. She encourages us to keep pushing and seek out the best resources to get it right. With Stacie’s help, Wetlands Watch hopes to establish native plants as a norm in all settings to optimize plant adaptability to the changing climate and support the natural ecosystem. Continue to learn more about Stacie’s native plant work in our partner Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (CCLC)’s blog post.
