Shaun McCoshum on Natural Habitats and Wildlife Gardening (#51)

About this episode

Shaun McCoshum discusses his book on natural habitats and wildlife gardening, emphasizing the importance of mimicking pre-European ecology in our gardens.

Shaun McCoshum is a certified Senior Ecologist and Wildlife Biologist with over 20 years of experience restoring habitats, conducting research, and gardening. His work includes published scientific papers, books, and restoration plans from coast to coast, on lands with bison, endangered plants, threatened pollinators, black bears, and mountain lions. His new book Natural Habitats and Wildlife Gardening explores the pre-European ecology of North America, how habitats existed before widespread development, and how we can better mimic those processes in our own yards to support wildlife. We spend a lot of time digging into the core ideas behind his book, including why "just let nature take its course" is one of the most misunderstood pieces of advice in gardening, how decay is the most suppressed process in suburban landscapes, and what gardeners can do to replicate the missing roles of bears, bison, and other large animals that once kept these systems healthy. We also cover practical ways to create habitat at any scale, from a balcony with four pots to a quarter acre, including how to build underground pupation habitat, use dead wood beautifully, and apply the 30% rule when using…

People in this episode

Host: Jared Barnes

Guest: Shaun McCoshum

Topics covered

• wildlife gardening
• natural habitats
• ecology
• sustainable gardening
• native plants
• habitat restoration

Keywords

• wildlife
• gardening
• ecology
• native plants
• habitat restoration
• sustainable practices
• biodiversity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Natural Habitats and Wildlife Gardening, North America

More episodes of The Plantastic Podcast

• Heather Holm on Pollinators and Native Plants (#54) · June 10, 2026 · 1h 21m
• Shelby Radcliffe on Designing with Florida Natives (#53) · May 11, 2026 · 1h 31m
• Tim Boland on Lessons from Polly Hill Arboretum (#52) · April 5, 2026 · 1h 22m
• Dr. Allan Armitage on Common-Sense Gardening (#50) · February 7, 2026 · 1h 14m
• Rachel Lindsay on Regenerative Design (#49) · January 6, 2026 · 1h 7m
• John Little on Caring for Gardens and Gardeners (#48) · December 7, 2025 · 1h 22m