Residential yards and gardens have an important role to play in urban biodiversity conservation. For example, when residential landscapes in Phoenix mimic the natural environment, they provide habitat for desert bird communities. In addition, yards and gardens offer opportunities for urban dwellers to reconnect with nature. In this talk, Susannah Lerman will provide examples from her research that demonstrate how birds interact with residential yards, introduce management tools for improving urban habitat, and emphasize the importance of scientific engagement with the public.

Susannah Lerman partners with the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Massachusetts to investigate ways to strengthen urban stewardship and identify household management practices that support urban wildlife. She has a Ph.D. in organismic and evolutionary biology from the University of Massachusetts. Her doctoral research was part of ASU's Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Research (CAP LTER) and uncovered some of the patterns and processes driving urban bird diversity in residential landscapes.