Shrubs for Habitat Restoration

Native shrubs are incredibly important species in our Northeastern landscapes that add year-round beauty and provide ecosystem services for many species of fauna. Re-establishing understory and edge habitats where productive, fruit bearing shrubs thrive provides both forage and shelter for many organisms. Native shrubs are magnets for birds and pollinators and provide a vital and attractive landscape layer between ground covers and trees. Join the Wild Seed Project and the Wells Reserve for an interactive program all about native shrubs!

The Wells Reserve created shrubland habitat as part of its New England Cottontail restoration project because these rabbits need the shrubby thickets to survive. Come learn about this rabbit restoration project with New England Habitat Restoration Coordinator Sarah Dudek, and enjoy a shrub identification walk with Emily Baisden of Wild Seed Project! We’ll get a first-hand look at important habitat-providing native shrub species, and provide inspiration for adding shrubs to the places you live, work, and play.

Please note: The rain date for this program is Wednesday, June 28 (10am-12pm).

About the Presenters

Prior to joining Wild Seed Project in 2022, Emily Baisden served as Entomologist and Educator at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. She has an extensive background in native horticulture and environmental education, and focuses largely on using native plants to support food webs and biodiversity. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of New England and an M.S. in Entomology from the University of Delaware. She is an avid birder and has a lifelong goal of being able to identify all the flora and fauna in Maine. She lives in Brunswick, where she spends most of her time adventuring with her partner and their dog, and establishing wildlife habitat in her yard.

Sarah Dudek is the New England Cottontail Habitat Restoration Coordinator for the state of Maine. This is a cooperative position through the Wells Reserve, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Sarah works with public and private landowners and partners to restore and enhance early successional habitat for New England cottontail and other young forest/shrubland dependent species in Maine. Sarah received her B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of New Hampshire and her M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida and has a background in the research and management of imperiled species.