Warrenville, Illinois

Lisa Gibson, Warrenville, Illinois Community Leader
When I started learning about wildlife, I was told that if I put an orange slice at my bird feeder during a certain time of year, I could see a migrating Baltimore Oriole. I had never seen one, even though I’ve lived here most of my life, so I was pretty skeptical that I would get a visit. Not 20 minutes after I put that orange slice out there- I could not believe it, a bright orange Baltimore Oriole had landed and was feasting on the fruit! I realized then, that I simply wasn’t aware of most of the wildlife around me. I learned, that by planting the right trees and flowers, I could create habitat for wildlife and make my home beautiful at the same time. We can’t always find these plants at the garden center, unfortunately, so I am excited to share my knowledge and experience with everyone who wants to make their home a better place for wildlife. I have a special interest in rain gardens and using native wetland plants. These plants can help homeowners create a beautiful, eco-friendly garden that can help protect their home and keep pollution out of our waterways. I love how easy it is to grow native plants, and I’m encouraged by the fact that native plant gardening is really catching on. I love learning about how to use these plants, and can’t wait to start building the next garden!