About Us

Let's bring birds back one plant at a time.

Indigo Bunting on sunflowers by Matt Zuro / Macaulay Library.

Birds need our help. Habitat loss is the #1 threat facing birds and we can do something about it in our outdoor spaces, gardens, and landscapes.

“Everywhere people are starting to heal the wounds on their little piece of earth.”
Doug Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope.

Garden for Birds is a U.S./Canada-focused, bird-friendly gardening initiative started in 2024. We engage people in science-to-action practices at home and in our communities to create native plant, bird-friendly habitats that better support birds and biodiversity.

Everyone has the capacity to take meaningful actions to help reverse bird declines. When you make the choice to add native plants and habitat features, you infuse hope in a better future for birds and biodiversity. Join us in doing something about the wildlife you love!

A new cream-colored house with no gardens or landscaping. — **Spring 2025:** New house in a Homeowner Association in Delaware where a new native garden will be planted that abides by the HOA’s landscaping criteria. Rules in HOAs can often work for well-designed native plant gardens.

Same house with a nice native garden on the corner with bright red flowers. — **Summer 2025:** New garden off the steps is beautiful, while providing beneficial resources for birds and pollinators.

Our Staff

A woman standing in front of a bush with red berries.

Becca Rodomsky-Bish

Project Leader, Garden for Birds and Great Backyard Bird Count

With a background in environmental science, I have long been tuned into the immense pressures humans are putting on our natural resources and the biodiversity we share this planet with. But, when starting my gardening efforts more than 20 years ago, I began cultivating hope. Putting food in the ground for my family as well as for birds, bees, and butterflies has been a conscious act of love. Instead of being overwhelmed and paralyzed into inaction, my energy is invested in adding and maintaining gardens, and my life has never been the same. It is this joy I share through Garden for Birds. My hope is that this form of healing helps others transform their lives for the better.

I have an undergraduate degree in Anthropology, minor in Biology, from Sonoma State University and an MS in Environmental Science from Antioch University New England. I’ve worn several hats since joining the Cornell Lab in 2013, but inspiring others to create habitat for birds is my heart-work.

Mhairi McFarlane

Habitat Stewardship Manager

Some of my earliest memories are of “helping” my dad in our garden in Scotland, weeding, helping harvest the onions and generally tinkering around with plants and rocks. Fast forward a couple of decades and I found myself in the privileged position of working for a large land conservation organization in Canada, where I conducted and oversaw field-scale restoration of degraded lands, for wildlife. This was incredibly fulfilling, but it wasn’t quite enough; I needed to also get my hands dirty at home. Although my small suburban yard seemed insignificant compared with the large rural properties I was restoring for work, jamming in as many native plants and habitat features as I could was wildly significant for the insects and birds in that suburban ecological desert. I am a huge proponent of “do what you can, where you can,” and get as much pleasure out of working with a single native plant in a pot on my doorstep as I did out of overseeing the restoration of hundreds of acres. Sharing that knowledge with people via Garden for Birds is a great pleasure.

A woman standing in front of fall colors in trees.

Calyssa Orellana

Administrative Assistant

I am an undergraduate student at Cornell University, class of 2028. I am an intended chemistry major with a biological focus and an interest in science communications. At the Cornell Lab, I am an administrative assistant in the Engagement Center involved in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) and Garden for Birds projects. I develop engaging forms of digital media and content for the GBBC and for Garden for Birds, as well as aid in website management.

During my free time, I enjoy volunteering for local nonprofit organizations, taking care of my array of houseplants, and learning about the wonders of chemistry in our ecosystem.

Stay Connected

By subscribing to stay connected to Garden for Birds, you agree to receive communications from the Cornell Lab. You may unsubscribe from the communications at any time.