by Patrick | Jan 7, 2026 | Uncategorized
Upon reading “Humanity for Habitat” A review by Dorothy & Patrick Smyth Why scale ultimately breaks the argument for urban gardens Upon reading “Humanity for Habitat: Residential Yards as an Opportunity for Biodiversity Conservation” (BioScience, 2023), it is easy...
by Patrick | Jan 2, 2026 | Uncategorized
Chickadees, gardens, and misplaced ecological anxiety In Ontario — including the Greater Toronto Area — the chickadee most people encounter is the Black-capped Chickadee. It is a small, resident woodland bird that has adapted extremely well to fragmented landscapes,...
by Patrick | Dec 26, 2025 | Uncategorized
Toronto Ravines, Invasive Plants, and the Limits of Garden Responsibility (Dorothy and Patrick Smyth, 2025 – Toronto Master Gardeners) A review of evidence and implications for urban home gardeners Introduction Toronto’s ravine system is one of the city’s...
by Patrick | Dec 1, 2025 | Uncategorized
Do Native Plants Always Have Deeper Roots? A Nuanced, Evidence Based View It is often claimed that “native plants keep soils cooler and damper during heat waves because they have deep root systems that access groundwater.” This statement is appealing, but...
by Patrick | Sep 1, 2025 | Uncategorized
Beyond the Mantra: Why Urban Gardeners Need Nuance, Not Dogma, in the Native Plant Conversation. Over the past decade, Doug Tallamy’s work has held enormous influence over the home-gardening world. His books and outreach helped many people appreciate the ecological...
by Patrick | Sep 20, 2024 | Uncategorized
Who knew there are so many ecologists? Theoretical Ecologists, Population Ecologists, Behavioural Ecologists, Landscape Ecologists, Marine Ecologists, Restoration Ecologists, Soil Ecologists, Ecosystem Ecologists, Evolutionary Ecologists, Community Ecologists...
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