Green Leaders

Dawn Taft Has Gardening Advice

Dawn Taft is the City of Hyattsville’s Manager of Environmental Programs. She’s an ISA certified arborist, horticulturist, Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and her extensive experience in Prince George’s County means she’s an expert in local flora and fauna.

Dawn didn’t intend to make a career out of her love of plants. After 17 years in the office at Melwood Horticultural Training Center, she decided to put her accrued knowledge to use and get certified as a horticulturist. She was sponsored by Melwood to obtain this certification through The Maryland Nursery, Landscaping, and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA). A few years later, Melwood needed an arborist at Fort Meade–so Dawn got that certification as well. Now she works for the City of Hyattsville. She’s still in an office sometimes but spends much of her time around Hyattsville handling native planting, soil retention, invasive species removal, public landscaping, tree maintenance, and more.

Consequently, Dawn is in a unique position to be an expert in Prince George’s County flora and fauna. We picked her brain for gardening tips and tricks, so come this spring your landscaping can be beautiful, low maintenance, and environmentally friendly.

Why is it so important to plant native plants? Without native plants, we cannot support our native wildlife.

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Scenario 1: Native Oak Tree

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A native oak tree is planted. The oak tree is home to over 500 different caterpillars and other species of insects which help to feed and support our native wildlife.  These insects are fed on by native birds and small animals. The native birds and other small animals are fed on by larger birds of prey and other natural predators. As a result, local wildlife populations are kept in check at their natural levels and local flora and fauna flourish.

Scenario 2: Non-Native Amur Bush Honeysuckle

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These shrubs spread uncontrollably, choking out native plants. Additionally, the dense cover of the Bush Honeysuckle provides shelter for potential food sources such as field mice, voles, and rabbits. Wildlife and birds of prey are unable to reach these ground dwellers, and populations suffer because of the lack of available food. This prevents the establishment of native flora and fauna and contributes to wildlife decline.

There are benefits to planting native this spring beyond the environment–native plants need less work, as they are built to thrive in this area without help. That means less watering, and you can worry less about the amount of direct sunlight or types of soil you are planting in. If you are interested in including native plants in your landscaping, Dawn has some suggestions.

Plants to Look For

Plants to Avoid

Dylan Tuttle Proves Age is Just a Number

At 6 and a half years old, Dylan has done more for the community than many adults. With the help of his mom, Meaghan, he regularly organizes community cleanups around his neighborhood of Fort Washington. He advocates for recycling. He gardens. He’s curious about the world around him, and together with his family, they research ways to put his passion for being green to work.

An Interview With Dylan

What made you want to do a trash cleanup?

I really like animals, so I wanted to keep them healthy. So I clean up as much trash as I can.

What are your favorite animals that live in Prince George’s County?

I like grey squirrels. My sister and I are also obsessed with deer. And there are a lot of bald eagles and turkey vultures that have been coming around recently. 

What do you need to clean up trash?

You need grabbers, trash bags, and a plan to where you are going to go. 

Do you do any gardening?

Yes, I garden and plant with my family. I love blueberries, cucumbers, and pumpkins best (for pumpkin pie). This year we planted a pollinator garden to attract hummingbirds. I really want to see a hummingbird, I’ve never seen one before. 

What is a pollinator garden?

A pollinator garden has a lot of flowers for hummingbirds, bees, wasps, ants, butterflies, and moths, But not Kinkajou because they aren’t native to our habitat. A garden for bees is very important because they protect the flowers and help them grow. I learned all about bees when I went to my aunties bee hive!

Hear Dylan and his sister talk about their experience at the beehive!

Do you have any fun facts about bees?

Worker bees can only sting once! That’s why there are always reinforcements. And in the winter, hives kick out the drones (males) and close up the holes in the beehives to keep warm.

What are other places you learn about the environment? 

My favorite show to watch is The Wild Kratts. We love the NatGeo series on Disney+. I also get books from the library, like Jerry Pallotta’s “Who Would Win?” series. We love podcasts, like But Why, Wow in the World, Smash Boom Best, and Cool Facts About Animals.

We also have our own podcast! It’s called “What Are You?”. We have a color spinner and it has different animals. Each week we spin and land on an animal. Then we watch a documentary (usually on YouTube) and go to the library to learn about the animal. 

What are your favorite places to go in your neighborhood?

We go to Huntley Meadows Park, Captain’s Cove Park, and Fort Washington Park. We also go to the National Zoo and National Aquarium to see the animals we learn about!

Dylan is a brilliant, inquisitive kid, and we love talking to him–but we also wanted to hear from his mom, who works hard to encourage Dylan and his siblings to embrace their curiosity!

Meaghans’ Tips for Parents

As you can tell, Dylan’s mom works hard to encourage Dylan’s love of learning. When Dylan discovered his passion for all things environmental young, she gave him the support he needed to learn and grow his passion. Here are three tips she gave us for parents of kids who want to learn about, and help, our environment:

  1. Get outside! This is especially important in the era of virtual schooling. Meaghan takes Dylan and his siblings to local parks to explore, and on longer day trips to national parks and outdoor sights. It helps the kids work off some energy, and learn about the world around them in a hands-on setting. At home, they embrace nature in their garden.

  2. Take advantage of the library! The local library keeps the Tuttle’s supplied with books, movies, and more, as well as hosting events virtually. The resources are all free, and green–since they are all shared within the community, rather and used and discarded!

  3. Let your kids lead the way! Dylan found a fascination with animals early on, and Meaghan gave him the support, information, and encouragement to pursue his passion. When Dylan wanted to start cleaning up parks, Meaghan gathered the supplies, friends, and information needed to do so safely. Her backing of Dylan’s ideas and goals has kept her family learning about and working for the environment.

Other Resources for Parents and Kids

Norberto Martinez Loves Langley Park

When we asked Norberto Martinez what his favorite part of Langley Park is, his answer was simple–the people. As founder and Executive Director of the Langley Park Civic Association, he is driven by his love for the people of Langley Park to improve the community and its neighboring jurisdictions. With the help of other passionate citizens, Norberto and his team have organized clean-ups, planted trees, distributed meals, financial assistance, and toys to families impacted by COVID-19, and so much more. And Norberto has other big plans–like testing the local creek, and creating a community garden. 

Norberto Martinez, 2nd from the right.

Norberto Martinez, 2nd from the right.

The Langley Park Civic Association started with just a few activities, thrown by Norberto himself. In particular, Langley Park Day, started by Norberto and the Langley Park Community Center 8 years ago, became very successful. It combined a festival with cultural performances, a community resource fair, and food vendors. The celebration grew year after year. He also started a health fair to educate citizens on the resources available. 

Putting together an official nonprofit organization is a lot of work, but essential to Noberto’s plans. The Association’s 501-c3 status opens them up to tax incentives, funding, and gets them more recognition from other community leaders. 

If you have a dream of improving your community like Norberto, here are some tips to get started:

  1. Choose your mission. For Norberto, it is to improve Langley Park and the surrounding areas. While his goals grow and change, his mission always stays the same.

  2. Find a group of people who believe in your mission. It can be hard to go at it alone–whether it's a group of friends or an official organization, joining up with like-minded people gives you more hands to make change and more resources to use.

  3. Engage with the government. Much of Norberto’s work involves working with the county and state government to get funding, resources, and push for the important changes he wishes to see in his neighborhood.

  4. Don’t be afraid to go big. Langley Park Day is a big undertaking, and Norberto started it virtually on his own. But he knew he could pull it off (although it would be a lot of work) and that it would be important for the community. 

  5. Focus on the victories. Norberto is the first to admit that he has hit roadblocks in his journey, but they are far outweighed by the successes. The struggles are well worth it when he is able to provide Christmas toys and rent relief, or watch as the streams slowly become cleaner and healthier.

Now more than ever, working to help our neighbors is essential. Even small changes echo through the community. 

Want to support the Langley Park Civic Association? Start here!