Garden Coordinator
Valerie Malaney, West Bloomfield Community Leader
I have been a nature enthusiast my entire life. I am passionate about using native plants in urban environments to extend habitat connections to “Green Corridors”. In my urban garden, I have created multiple native beds to support wildlife with a layered approach that incorporates trees and shrubs in addition to flowers. Since 2001, I have planted more than 100 species of native plants. I’m like a kid in a candy store, when I go to a native plant sale, always finding another plant I must have! While spending more time at home the last 2 years, I have been using iNaturalist to document “The Little Things That Run the World” in my yard. As part of Adapt, I am eager to share how to incorporate native plants to support the almost 500 species of native bees in Michigan, and attract more butterflies and other beneficial insects. We each can make a difference whether it is a single pot of plants, acres of restoration, or somewhere in-between.