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Myco Rising LLC, Bloomington, IN (2026)

05/31/2026

“Types of Habitat Restoration” — Part 2
Wildlife Ponds

Water is life.

Even small bodies of water can become some of the most active and diverse habitats on a property.

Wildlife ponds are designed with nature in mind. Unlike ornamental ponds that focus primarily on appearance, wildlife ponds are built to support living ecosystems.

A wildlife pond can provide habitat for:

• Frogs and salamanders
• Dragonflies and damselflies
• Birds
• Pollinators
• Beneficial insects
• Native aquatic plants
• Small mammals and other wildlife

Shallow edges, native plantings, submerged habitat, and clean water create opportunities for wildlife to feed, breed, shelter, and thrive.

And no, a wildlife pond does not need to be huge.

Some of the most productive habitat ponds are only a few thousand gallons or less.

Like every type of restoration, scale matters less than function.

A small pond can become a biodiversity hotspot and provide a place where wildlife and people reconnect with nature.

Every restored space creates opportunity.

05/27/2026

“Types of Habitat Restoration” — Part 1
Pocket Prairies

You do not need acres of land to restore habitat.

Some of the most important restoration projects start in spaces smaller than a backyard.

Pocket prairies are small native plantings designed to recreate the function of a prairie ecosystem on a manageable scale. They can fit into front yards, fence lines, drainage areas, corners of lawns, or underused spaces around a property.

Even a small pocket prairie can:

• Support pollinators
• Provide food and cover for birds
• Improve soil health
• Reduce mowing and maintenance
• Increase biodiversity
• Create habitat connections for wildlife

A single pocket prairie may seem small, but wildlife does not view landscapes the way we do. To a bee, butterfly, or songbird, a small patch of habitat can become an important stop along a much larger journey.

Restoration is not all or nothing.

Every restored square foot matters.

05/24/2026

In this next series, let's explore a few different types of restoration.

When many people hear “habitat restoration,” they picture huge prairie preserves, forests, or massive conservation projects.

But restoration can happen almost anywhere.

A corner of a yard.
A neglected drainage area.
A small pond.
A landscape bed.
An unused patch of lawn.

Habitat restoration is not one thing. It takes many forms, and no project is too small to make a difference.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore different approaches including:

• Pocket Prairies
• Wildlife Ponds
• Native Landscaping
• Prairie and Meadow Restoration

Every project size matters.

Small habitats become stepping stones. Small projects create connections. Small changes made by many people can create very large impacts.

Restoration starts where you are and with what you have.

05/20/2026

“WHAT IS HABITAT RESTORATION?” — Part 4

One of the hardest parts of habitat restoration is that healthy ecosystems do not always look tidy.

Modern landscaping often prioritizes control:
• Short grass
• Clean edges
• Bare mulch
• Uniform appearance

But nature does not function in straight lines.

A restored habitat may contain:
• Standing seed heads through winter
• Leaf litter
• Dense seasonal growth
• Fallen branches
• Tall grasses
• Areas that appear “wild”

To many people, this can look neglected.

But these features provide critical habitat for:
• Native bees
• Butterflies
• Birds
• Amphibians
• Beneficial insects
• Soil fungi and microorganisms

That “mess” is often where life happens.

Leaves protect soil and overwintering insects. Dead stems become nesting sites for native bees. Tall grasses provide cover for wildlife. Seed heads feed birds through winter.

A perfectly cleaned and sterilized landscape may look neat to us, but it often functions like a biological desert.

Habitat restoration is about ecological function first. Beauty follows naturally when ecosystems become healthy and alive again.

Sometimes restoration asks us to redefine what a healthy landscape looks like.

05/17/2026

“WHAT IS HABITAT RESTORATION?” — Part 3

One of the biggest challenges in habitat restoration is invasive species.

But invasive plants usually do not appear randomly.

Disturbed soil, erosion, excessive mowing, compaction, nutrient imbalance, altered water flow, and loss of native diversity create opportunities for aggressive species to take hold.

Nature hates a vacuum. Something will always fill it.

The problem is that many invasive species spread so aggressively that they prevent ecosystems from recovering naturally.

Plants like:
• Bush honeysuckle
• Garlic mustard
• Autumn olive
• Multiflora rose
• Japanese stiltgrass

can form dense monocultures that reduce biodiversity, alter soil chemistry, block native regeneration, and reduce habitat value for wildlife.

This is why habitat restoration often begins with removal work.

Sometimes restoration starts with chainsaws. Sometimes it starts with herbicide. Sometimes it starts with fire. Sometimes it starts with simply observing a site long enough to understand what is happening.

Restoration is not about controlling nature. It is about helping restore balance after ecosystems have been disrupted.

Healthy ecosystems are diverse ecosystems.

The more diversity we restore, the more resilient the land becomes over time.

05/13/2026

“WHAT IS HABITAT RESTORATION?” — Part 2

Planting native flowers is a great step. But habitat restoration is about rebuilding systems, not just adding plants.

A landscape can contain native species and still function poorly as habitat.

Why?

Because healthy ecosystems depend on relationships:
• Soil biology
• Water movement
• Seasonal disturbance
• Plant diversity
• Pollinators
• Fungi
• Birds and wildlife
• Long term balance between species

A patch of compacted lawn with a few wildflowers scattered into it is not the same as a functioning prairie.

Real restoration asks deeper questions:
• Is the soil healthy?
• Are native species reproducing naturally?
• Are pollinators using the site?
• Are invasive species under control?
• Is the habitat becoming more stable over time?

Restoration is about restoring ecological processes, not just appearances.

Sometimes the most successful habitat projects do not immediately look “perfect” to people. Nature is dynamic, seasonal, and constantly changing.

The goal is not just a native looking landscape. The goal is a living system that can support life long term.

05/10/2026

“What is Habitat Restoration?” — Part 1
There’s a growing idea that simply “letting nature take over” is enough to restore habitat.

Movements like “No Mow May” come from a good place, but real habitat restoration is far more involved than just walking away from the land.

In Indiana, if we stop mowing a lawn for a month, we usually don’t get a thriving native meadow. We get aggressive non native weeds like garlic mustard, bush honeysuckle seedlings, multiflora rose, poison hemlock, or invasive grasses gaining ground. Most native ecosystems evolved with active disturbance and stewardship through fire, grazing, seasonal flooding, and human management.
Habitat restoration is not neglect. It is intentional stewardship.

Real restoration often includes:
• Removing invasive species
• Reintroducing native plants
• Protecting soil biology
• Managing erosion and water flow
• Creating food and shelter for wildlife
• Long term monitoring and maintenance

A healthy native habitat is built over years of careful observation and management. It takes work, patience, and consistency.

Sometimes restoration looks messy in the short term. Sometimes it involves cutting trees, mowing at the right time, prescribed fire, or removing dominant species so diversity can return. Stewardship is active.

The goal is not to abandon the landscape. The goal is to guide it back toward ecological function.

This series will explore what habitat restoration actually is, what works, what doesn’t, and why thoughtful management matters.

Check back every Wednesday and Sunday to learn what it takes to steward native habitat.

04/22/2026

🚫 Invasive Plant Spotlight: Japanese Stiltgrass (*Microstegium vimineum*)

Japanese stiltgrass is an aggressive annual grass that has spread through many woodlands, trails, roadsides, and shaded landscapes across Indiana.

It often starts as a light patch of grass but can quickly form dense carpets that crowd out native wildflowers, tree seedlings, and other low growing plants.

Because it tolerates shade so well, Japanese stiltgrass can invade places many other invasive plants cannot.

You can identify Japanese stiltgrass by:

• Light green, delicate looking grass blades
• A distinct silvery stripe along the center of the leaf
• Shallow roots that pull easily
• Dense patches in late summer and fall

Japanese stiltgrass spreads by seed, and even small infestations can expand quickly if ignored.

If you have Japanese stiltgrass on your property:

• Pull small patches before seeds mature
• Mow or trim larger patches before seed set
• Minimize soil disturbance where possible
• Monitor yearly for new seedlings

Early action makes a major difference with this species.

Removing Japanese stiltgrass helps native woodland plants reclaim space and improves overall habitat quality.

🌿 Coming Sunday: A bright native plant that thrives in moist shade and brings color and pollinators back to areas where invasives often take hold.

04/19/2026

🌿 Native Plant Spotlight: Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Wild strawberry is a low growing native plant found throughout Indiana. It spreads by runners to form a natural groundcover that works well in lawns, edges, and garden beds.

In spring, it produces small white flowers that support pollinators.(not to be confused with the invasive strawberry that has yellow flowers) These are followed by small red berries that are enjoyed by both wildlife and people.

Wild strawberry stays low to the ground and blends well into naturalized lawns and landscapes.

You can identify wild strawberry by:

• Three part leaves with toothed edges
• White flowers in spring
• Small red berries in early summer
• A spreading growth habit through runners

Wild strawberry grows well in full sun to partial shade and adapts to a range of soil conditions.

Replacing invasive groundcovers with native plants like wild strawberry helps create a more balanced and resilient landscape.

04/15/2026

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🚫 Invasive Plant Spotlight: Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea)
6

If you have shady areas in your lawn, there is a good chance you have seen creeping Charlie spreading across the ground.

This low growing plant, also known as ground ivy, spreads aggressively through creeping stems that root as they grow. Over time, it forms dense mats that crowd out grass and other plants.

Creeping Charlie thrives in moist, shaded areas but can also spread into sunnier parts of the lawn once established.

You can identify creeping Charlie by:

• Round leaves with scalloped edges
• A low creeping growth habit
• Small purple flowers in spring
• A strong, fast spreading ground cover

While it may look harmless, creeping Charlie can quickly take over lawns and garden beds if left unmanaged.

If you have creeping Charlie on your property:

• Hand pull small patches, making sure to remove rooted stems
• Improve lawn density to outcompete it
• Monitor regularly, especially in spring

Controlling creeping Charlie takes persistence, but reducing it opens space for healthier plant communities.

🌿 Coming Sunday: A native groundcover that supports wildlife and fits naturally into Indiana landscapes.

Myco Rising LLC

05/31/2026

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