The Amherst Garden Club’s Environmental Sustainability committee is dedicated to learning about and sharing sustainable gardening practices. Below is their list of recommended resources.
Souhegan Sustainability Fair 2026
The resources in this section were featured at the 2026 Souhegan Sustainability Fair and are also included in the general list below.
Plant Selection and Design > Native Plants > Native Plant Lists and Information
- The Oak Tree (by AGC member Judy Bement)
- Butterflies, Their Caterpillars, and the Host Plants They Need (by AGC members Kathie Breen and Becky Stoughton)
- Native Shade Plants for Pollinators (double-sided full-color)
- Selecting Plants for Pollinators: A Regional Guide for Farmers, Land Managers, and Gardeners in the Adirondack, New England Mixed Forest, Coniferous Forest, Alpine Meadow Province (including the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (Pollinator Partnership)
- Northeast Pollinator Plants
- Pollinator Partnership
- Soft Landings/Keystone Plants Infographic by Wild Ones Minnesota, Heather Holm & Neighborhood Greening
Plant Selection and Design > Native Plants > Native Plant Sources
Pollinators > Pollinator Protection
- Bee Identification Guide – from Pollinator Partnership, Pollinator Power Party and Electric Power Research Institute
- New Hampshire Butterfly Species List – from New Hampshire Butterfly Monitoring Network
Plant Selection and Design
Native Plants
- The Oak Tree (by AGC member Judy Bement)
- Butterflies, Their Caterpillars, and the Host Plants They Need (by AGC members Kathie Breen and Becky Stoughton)
- Native Shade Plants for Pollinators (double-sided full-color)
- Selecting Plants for Pollinators: A Regional Guide for Farmers, Land Managers, and Gardeners in the Adirondack, New England Mixed Forest, Coniferous Forest, Alpine Meadow Province (including the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (Pollinator Partnership)
- Northeast Pollinator Plants
- Pollinator Partnership
- Soft Landings/Keystone Plants Infographic by Wild Ones Minnesota, Heather Holm & Neighborhood Greening
- Pollinator Pathways New Hampshire
- New England/New Hampshire Native Plant Spreadsheet (developed by the AGC in 2023)
- National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder
- Grow Native Massachusetts
- Native Plant Trust
- Town of Pepperell MA Native Plant Guide
- Handout from “Go Natives!” presentation by Sheila Steele, March 2022
- Planting for Pollinators: Establishing a Wildflower Meadow from Seed (UNH Fact Sheet)
- Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Search Tool
- Pictures of Native Plant Seedlings and Spring Emergence
Invasive Plants and Animals
- UNH Extension Invasive Species page
- New Hampshire Guide to Upland Invasive Species (pdf)
- Jumping Worms Fact Sheet from Cornell University
Ecological Landscaping
- Bird Academy’s Guide to Planning Your Naturescape (from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
- Wild Seed Project — The goal of Wild Seed Project is to build awareness of the vital importance of native plants and to provide people with the tools to restore biodiversity in their own communities. Though Maine-based, the site contains a wealth of information applicable to New England more generally.
Organic Material Waste Management
Yard and Garden Cleanup
- Spring Garden Cleanup to Benefit Pollinators and Soil (a Perennials+ presentation 4/20/23 by Kathie Breen)
- Living Christmas Trees: A Long-Lasting Alternative to Cut Trees for the Holidays
- LeaveLeavesAlone.org – “Why to” and “How to” use fall leaves to enrich your lawn and landscape.
Composting
- Composting Overview Poster
- Composting Tips by Becky Stoughton
- How to Build a DIY Three-Bin Compost System – 2 page instructional handout
- Composting for the Home Gardener – 5-page handout from UNH Extension
- Composting and Food Waste Diversion in Amherst – Recording of 1-hour presentation through the Amherst Town Library about the Amherst Transfer station food diversion program as well as composting at home and in the garden. Tuesday, February 28, 2023
- Amherst Transfer Station Food Diversion Initiative Flyer (Items accepted and not accepted)
- Compost Tea – 1 page summary
Indoor Composting
- Composting Indoors: Get Worms Working for You – 1 page summary
- The Lomi composting appliance (or competitors coming on the market) may be of interest and there are many reviews available by searching onine.
- The Basics of Bokashi Composting (a 7/12/22 blog post by The Spruce)
- The Compost by My Couch: How (and Why) I Started an Odorless Bin at Home (Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, Updated May 8, 2020)
Soil Health and Nutrient Management
Cover Crops
Coming soon…
Soil Testing
- Soil Testing (Video) Sue Makowiecki, Nov. 2020)
- UNH Cooperative Extension Soil Testing Services Information
Water Management and Conservation
Rain Gardens
Pollinators
See also Plant Selection and Design > Native Plants (above)
Pollinator Protection
- Bee Identification Guide – from Pollinator Partnership, Pollinator Power Party and Electric Power Research Institute
- New Hampshire Butterfly Species List – from New Hampshire Butterfly Monitoring Network
Integrated Pest Management
- Using Natural and Low-Risk Pesticides in the Garden (UNH Extension Video, 45 min.)
- Weeding Without Glysophosate Leads to Weeding Without Worry (Sue Stefanec, Nov 2019)
Lawn Care & Alternatives to Lawns
- Lawns into Meadows: Growing a Regenerative Landscape by Owen Wormser
- Low Input Lawn Care: 14 ways you can protect the environment from UNH Extension
- Organic Turf FAQs from UNH Extension
- Green Grass & Clear Water (Fact Sheet) from UNH Extension
- Manual for Turfgrass Maintenance with Reduced Environmental Impacts from NH Seacoast Stormwater Coalition
Equipment and Materials
Tool Selection
Garden Plastic Waste
- Kicking the Plastic Pot Habit – The American Gardener, July/August 2023
- Plastic Pot Problems and How to Help
General/Miscellaneous
- Seed Saving Tips by Mary Ann Kuhnert [linked document TBD]
- The Great Tree Migration (Link to visual article in Emergence Magazine)
- National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitat Certification Information and Checklist
- Pollinator Garden Certification through UNH/UMaine Extension
- Get on the Map! of Homegrown National Park (Non-profit co-founded by Doug Tallamy and Michelle Alfandari to encourage planting of native plants)
