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The Habitat Connection Bringing habitat back home in Middle TN 🌱🐛🐦 🏡🌎

09/26/2026

Early fall isn’t a wind-down, its crunch time 🍂

Bumblebee queens are fattening up for winter. Butterflies are still nectaring and laying eggs. Migratory birds are headed south, looking for berries and insects that depend on native plants to survive.

This is why late-blooming natives, like goldenrod, asters, sunflowers, wingstem, boneset, and ironweed are so important to incorporate into our yards and gardens. Our ecosystems count on them.

When you plant to support biodiversity, plant for every season. 🌱🐛🦋🐤🏡🌎

Every August, one of nature’s most remarkable journeys begins.Ruby-throated hummingbirds, weighing less than a nickel, s...
08/24/2026

Every August, one of nature’s most remarkable journeys begins.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds, weighing less than a nickel, start their fall migration to Mexico and Central America. Before they leave, they need all the energy they can get! Native flowering plants such as cardinal flower, bee balm, and jewelweed provide the nectar they rely on, while small insects supply the protein they need for the long journey ahead.

You can help by keeping your hummingbird feeders clean, filled with fresh sugar water (1 part white sugar to 4 parts water—no red dye), and available through the fall. Many hummingbirds are still passing through Tennessee well into September and even October.

Want to see these incredible birds up close? Join our friends at Warner Park Nature Center for their Hummingbird Festival on Saturday, September 5, from 9:00 - 2:00! This free, family-friendly event celebrates hummingbird migration with educational activities and opportunities to learn how we can all support these amazing travelers.

Have you spotted a hummingbird in your yard or neighborhood lately? Tell us what they’re visiting in the comments!

Summer Habitat Check-InYour garden may look full, but it’s working harder than ever.July is when native plants provide e...
07/12/2026

Summer Habitat Check-In

Your garden may look full, but it’s working harder than ever.

July is when native plants provide essential nectar for pollinators, seeds for birds, and shelter for countless insects that keep our ecosystems healthy. Resist the urge to “”tidy up”” too much—those seed heads, stems, and dense plantings are full of life.

Small choices create thriving habitats.

Fireworks may only last a few minutes, but they can cause hours of stress for birds and other wildlife. The loud noises ...
07/02/2026

Fireworks may only last a few minutes, but they can cause hours of stress for birds and other wildlife. The loud noises and bright flashes can startle birds, disrupt feeding patterns, and create confusion long after the celebration ends.

One simple way to help? Enjoy a community fireworks display instead of setting off fireworks at home.

By gathering at a local show, we can celebrate together while limiting the number of places where wildlife is disturbed.

As you celebrate this Independence Day, consider a few wildlife-friendly choices:

-Attend a public fireworks display.
-Keep pets indoors and check on backyard wildlife the next morning.
-Continue creating safe habitat with native plants that provide food and shelter all season long.

Small choices can make a big difference—for both people and wildlife.

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at The Habitat Connection!

Summer is one of the best times to see your habitat come alive.Our Bird Sanctuary Certification program celebrates yards...
06/25/2026

Summer is one of the best times to see your habitat come alive.

Our Bird Sanctuary Certification program celebrates yards, schools, churches, and community spaces that aspire to provide food, water, shelter, and native plants for wildlife. Even small changes can create meaningful habitat for migratory birds and pollinators.

By certifying your space, you’re joining a growing community committed to restoring biodiversity right where we live.

Interested in certifying your habitat this summer? We’d love to help you get started!

BirdFriendly TheHabitatConnection Conservation Biodiversity

Thinking about adding native plants to your yard, school, church, or community space this season?The Habitat Connection ...
06/16/2026

Thinking about adding native plants to your yard, school, church, or community space this season?

The Habitat Connection offers native plant consultations to help create spaces that are beautiful, sustainable, and beneficial for birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife. Whether you’re starting small or dreaming big, we’d love to help you build habitat that belongs right here in Tennessee.

Native plants provide food, shelter, and nesting opportunities while supporting healthier ecosystems across our community. Every patch of habitat matters.

Interested in learning more? Send us a message or visit our website to connect with us!

🚨Nashville! Registration is open for the second annual Nashville Native Plant Symposium. Featuring keynote speaker Dwayn...
06/16/2026

🚨Nashville! Registration is open for the second annual Nashville Native Plant Symposium. Featuring keynote speaker Dwayne Estes of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, this year’s symposium explores how native plants can restore biodiversity and build resilient communities across Middle Tennessee. Swipe through to check out the symposium’s offerings and schedule.

Our lawns and gardens can be extensions of both ourselves and the surrounding ecosystem, full of natural wonder and pers...
05/25/2026

Our lawns and gardens can be extensions of both ourselves and the surrounding ecosystem, full of natural wonder and personal creativity. Today’s Bird Sanctuary Certification in Donelson — our 120th to date — was a testament to that. What Karen has created on her property is an inspiration—extensive gardens that are both beautiful and teeming with life. We were thrilled to add her to our ever-expanding map of Nashville and Franklin folks dedicated to supporting birds, biodiversity, and ecosystem health where they live🌱🐛🐤🏡

Hummingbirds are arriving — is your yard hummingbird friendly?While hummingbird feeders are a great way to attract hummi...
05/15/2026

Hummingbirds are arriving — is your yard hummingbird friendly?

While hummingbird feeders are a great way to attract hummingbirds, the best way to keep them in your yard while they’re here is to provide habitat. Plant native plants, avoid pesticides (which kill insects and spiders, a big part of a hummer’s diet), make your windows bird-collision-proof, and offer fresh water. Taking these steps will support them as they nest, their fledglings grow, and they gear up to fly south in the fall. And the best part is: if you provide good habitat, they’ll know to come back next year!

Offering a nectar feeder is not without benefit: it supplements their diet while bringing them closer to you. But it’s very important that you keep your feeders clean to avoid making these treasured birds sick.

Here’s how to safely maintain your hummingbird feeders:

Clean feeders every 2–3 days in warm weather
Use hot water (no soap residue)
Scrub thoroughly to prevent mold
Skip the red dye

Red dye isn’t necessary and may be harmful to hummingbirds. The feeder itself provides enough color attraction!

Simple nectar recipe:
1 part white sugar
4 parts water

Healthy feeders = healthy hummingbirds
Photo credit Ronald Manley

Happy Mother's Day from the Habitat Connection! Today let's celebrate some of nature's most dedicated mothers - mama bir...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day from the Habitat Connection!

Today let's celebrate some of nature's most dedicated mothers - mama birds. From nest creation, to sitting on eggs, to foraging for food - bird mothers (and fathers!) work tirelessly to care for their little chicks.

Did you know that a single clutch of chickadees requires 6,000-9,000 caterpillars to fledge? That's about 350-600 caterpillars a day, and that's just for the chicks - the parents have to eat, too! Caterpillars need native plants to feed on, so no native plants = no baby birds. That is why it is so important for us as homeowners to make the choice to plant native to support healthy bird populations.

So this mother's day let's remember all the things our (and mother nature's) mothers do to provide for their young.

Photo credit: Ronald Manley Photography

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