Mission of the WNY Native Plant Collaborative

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​The mission of the Western New York Native Plants Collaborative is to increase the use of plants native to our region. We do this by facilitating local native plant production, increasing demand for native plants through education, and influencing policymakers.
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The Work.

• To create opportunities for public, private, and not-for-profit groups and individuals to collaborate as advocates, students, and educators about regional native plants 

• To develop or promote projects that protect or restore native habitats and healthy ecosystems

• To provide a consolidated platform with a native plant database and scientific-based information on best practices (site analysis, plant selection, invasive plant management, and plant communities) 

Why Native Plants?

Native plants are key to supporting food crops and the pollinators that make our food crops grow - they also create the habitat that surrounding wildlife (insects, birds, and mammals) are dependent on. 

Join us in our mission and plant native plants in your garden

• Native plants are low maintenance once they are established in the right places.
• Many native plants thrive in otherwise difficult locations - from extremely dry to wet spots and in the presence of common pests or predators. 
• Within their ecosystems and in appropriate soil, native plants do not require fertilizers, pesticides, or constant pruning in order to thrive
• ​They provide important resources for birds, insects (butterflies, bees, etc) and other wildlife.
• Planting native plants in your yard helps to connect fragmented pieces of habitat across the landscape.
• Native plants are beautiful and can be used as decorative elements in your garden.
• Many native plants are edible, so they can also be used as food crops.