Just One Thing with Gabrielle Griffis

A collage by the author.

On Twitter, our flash editor Maureen Langloss described Gabrielle Griffis’ November issue piece “Everything Eats Everything” as a “mesmerizing story about a badass grandma.” Here Gabrielle shares just one thing about her piece:

“I love birds (and plants, and fungi). Birds are in danger due to a precipitous decline in insects and habitat loss. The book Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard by Sharon Sorenson, details what types of plants to grow to feed and shelter birds. Sorenson’s book also describes what plants take up space in our ecosystems that do not provide sustenance for wildlife. For example, where I live on Cape Cod: replacing a non-native burning bush with a blueberry bush... or getting rid of lawn to plant a variety of species. Plants that feed insects, also feed birds because birds eat bugs. Baby birds, in particular, only eat insects and all birds vary in the types of foods they will/can eat. When plants are selected purely on aesthetics, these selections often do not support biodiversity. For instance, a gingko tree supports about two different species while an oak can support up to 530 different species. In my story Everything Eats Everything, the grandmother is turning into a northern parula, which is a threatened bird where I live. I write about birds and plants, with the hope that these stories will bring attention to how they are being adversely affected by human activity. We can help birds by planting species that support biological diversity and their sustenance. We can advocate for planting native species and support initiatives to protect wild places. There are many excellent books on this subject. Some of my favorites include: Braiding Sweetgrass, Nature’s Best Hope, Nature's Temples, The Plant Messiah, Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects, Native Plants For New England Gardens, and so many more.”