Calscape

In his Bring Back the Natives keynote, Dr. Douglas Tallamy spoke on what we can do to attract and sustain nature in our yards. He invited us to think of our yards as being part of the food web, and collectively as part of a wildlife corridor for migrating or nesting birds. By planting hosts for the kind of food that birds, insects, amphibians, and animals need, we help ensure their survival. For example, here in the Bay Area, the oak tree is a key host in the food web. Dr. Tallamy mentioned two tools for figuring out what to plant – Calscape and Native Plant Finder (in Beta).

Calscape is especially good for those of us in California, and the San Francisco Bay Area where we have so many microclimates. The data is sourced from familiar plant databases, such as Jepson, CalFlora, California Native Plant Society, Wikipedia, and many more. You can enter your zip code or address to filter data specifically for where you live, for example 94611.

Calscape in a browser – enter a zip code or address to get started

Native plants filtered by category for the zip code entered

We have a live oak in our yard (Quercus agrifolia), and I'd like to learn more about what it contributes to the food web. Select Trees > Coast Live Oak to dive in.

Native trees for the zip code

From there, I can learn all about the oak tree in my yard. Including all the butterflies and moths it hosts, which provide a generous food source for birds and other creatures.

Butterflies and moths hosted by the oak tree

Another great feature is that you can create plant lists as you research. I started an inventory of native plants that I find in my yard. I still have work to do.

Plant Inventory of our yard in Detail view

I also started a list of native plants to introduce into the garden, and downloaded it in spreadsheet format. I can also access the information through Calscape running in a browser on my mobile phone. Calscape also links to native plant nurseries in the area, making it easy to find out what plants are available and where.

Plant Wish List in Grid view

Spreadsheet version for easy access 

I highly recommend Calscape as a resource for those of us who garden here in the Bay Area, or anywhere in California. You can use it without an account for general research, but can add a free account to use some of the features like creating lists.