By Monique Wong
When Christine Freidel moved into her home near Potomac Overlook Park five year ago, she inherited a typical suburban lawn in her backyard. Inspired by the book “Bringing Nature Home,” Christine applied her training as a Master Naturalist and spent two years introducing native species to her backyard.
“We spotted butterflies and dragonflies almost immediately,” said Christine, “and during the first summer, different birds came to visit the native plants. Ruby-throated hummingbirds, for example, love to nectar on our bright red Cardinal flowers.”
An avid photographer since high school, Christine enjoys nature photography. She shares here a few of her collection of bird photos she shot at her backyard: Ruby-throated hummingbird, Carolina chickadee, Tufted titmouse, and Downey woodpecker.
If you are interested in learning how to create a wildlife-friendly home garden, check out the Audubon At Home Ambassador Program in Northern Virginia.