February Nature Night: Gardening for a Home Wildlife Haven

Have you ever wanted to help wildlife in your own yard, but don’t know where to start? What plants are the most beneficial? Join Deschutes Land Trust and naturalist Yvonne Babb to learn more about creating a wildlife haven at your own home, regardless of the size. Yvonne will share design principles, soil health, microclimates, key native plants, and more. Get inspired to create a yard that local wildlife—both large and small—will thrive in!

Yvonne Babb was a farm child, raised on rich Illinois soils. She finished her B.S. degree in Recreation in Reno and Eugene. After instructing at outdoor schools in Portland in the early 1980s, she became a nature nerd and continued studies and environmental work in the Southwest, Southeast, and back in the Pacific Northwest.

After a decade teaching at the Bend Waldorf School, Yvonne finished a Master’s in Education from OSU and completed the OSU Extension Master Gardener program. This instigated the start of her sustainable gardening business, Your Garden Companion, in 2013, which won the Bulletin’s Best of the Best Landscape Award in 2023. She attributes the award to their strong ethics and specialty in native plants with science-based, regenerative practices that always strive for improvement. This is year

twelve of Your Garden Companion and their motto is: Teaming with Nature. Teeming with Life.