People, Plants, and Pollinators edition - May 2026

The episode features host Caitlin Hossee of the Xerces Society interviewing Lara Ladwig, coordinator of the New Mexico Backyard Refuge Program. Their discussion centers on practical steps residents can take to turn yards, balconies, and small urban plots into functional habitat that supports pollinators, birds, lizards, and other wildlife. The emphasis is on modest, repeatable actions that work within New Mexico’s climate and urban constraints rather than large-scale restoration.

Program origins and purpose
The Backyard Refuge Program began as the Albuquerque Backyard Refuge initiative under the Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. Valle de Oro itself covers only 570 acres of restored former dairy land, so partners created the program to extend habitat beyond refuge boundaries. Educational materials were developed in 2019, and certification launched in 2021. The program is now co-managed with the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District and is expanding statewide. Its core aim is habitat connectivity: wildlife moves across the landscape without regard for property lines, and small patches can link isolated public lands when they are close enough for short-distance foragers such as bees that travel roughly 150 meters between resources.