Acadia National Park, Friends of Acadia, and Schoodic Institute work hard to protect biodiversity in Acadia, but ecosystems don’t stop at park boundaries. Help support a diverse and thriving Mount Desert Island by taking action in your backyard!
Backyard Stewards is an invitation to learn more about the plants on your property and take steps to boost biodiversity. By removing key species, planting native species, and sharing key information with the park, you can benefit your backyard and the wider community.
Don’t know where to start? Check out this decision tree to find out where you can plug in!
Share your hard work with us by completing this form. Your response will help scientists make informed management decisions and give us a chance to appreciate your efforts!
One in six plants found on MDI in the nineteenth century no longer grows here. Ranges of invasive species like glossy buckthorn are expanding as temperatures warm, crowding out native plants and decreasing carbon sequestration.
Native plants support a diversity of insects, birds, and other wildlife. Invasive plants disrupt forest regeneration and create tick habitat. Protecting biodiversity on MDI is critical as the climate continues to change.
Acadia National Park, Friends of Acadia, and the Schoodic Institute work together to monitor and manage invasive species in the park. Scientists are studying which control methods are most effective and which native plants can adapt to change.
The actions you take in your backyard matter. About half of invasive species were introduced as ornamental landscape plants. We need everyone’s help to steward a healthy Mount Desert Island.
Mount Desert Island is home to plants from all over. Some have made their home here for millennia and others are more recent. Many plants, especially those that evolved alongside other plants and animals in this region, play an important role in healthy ecosystems. These are commonly referred to as “native plants.”
Other plants evolved in different ecosystems and arrived here more recently. Some of these “non-native” plants thrive without the competitors they evolved alongside, disrupting other plants and animals. These are commonly referred to as “invasive plants.” Invasive plants are not “bad”, but they can harm ecosystems.
This project refers to plants as “invasive” and “native” because these terms are widely recognized. We will also occasionally refer to invasive plants as “disruptive.” We know these labels fail to capture the complexity of ecosystem dynamics. As we work together to support biodiversity on Mount Desert Island, we ask that Backyard Stewards focus on the ecosystem effects of species, not their origin.
Join
Donate
Acadia National Park