Each time I’m asked a question about some aspect of ecological horticulture, I hear another question triggered in my head:

What would Doug do?

My answer-formulating thought process starts by pondering that.

“Doug” is Douglas W. Tallamy, the entomologist and University of Delaware professor who is co-founder of Homegrown National Park, an educational nonprofit. Perhaps no other contemporary figure has done more to introduce gardeners to the intimate connections between plants and animals imperiled by the biodiversity crisis, and propose actions we can take. Dr. Tallamy’s core exhortation, starting with “Bringing Nature Home,” his 2007 breakthrough book: Add native plants, and remove invasive ones.

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Perhaps no other contemporary figure has introduced more gardeners to the intimate connections between plants and animals imperiled by the biodiversity crisis than Douglas W. Tallamy. Credit...Rob Cardillo for The New York Times

He has also probably answered more ecology and native plant questions than anyone else, and his latest book, “How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard,” tackles 499 of them.

Dr. Tallamy distills essential takeaways in topics as big as evolution and food webs, alongside targeted, can-do answers, such as reducing hazard to beneficial insects from our human obsession with artificial light at night by switching to yellow lightbulbs and motion detectors, please.