iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Cooper's hawks, not eating my chickens

Reposted by Gabrielle Marsden

Ferris Jabr @ferrisjabr.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

This was one of the most polarizing subjects I’ve ever covered, with reader reactions all over the map. Notably, the Bluesky community was by far the most reasonable and nuanced — you guys are awesome! In case you’re interested, my post on IG regarding the diversity of reactions and key points:

Screenshots from Instagram. Text reads:
“My @nytmag feature on the native plant movement is now in print (July 19 issue). Thank you so much to everyone who read and shared the story. It generated a big response: more than 26K likes on IG, more than 700 comments on the NYT website, a lot of reader emails — a truly spirited discussion. Plants provoke our passions.

It also proved to be one of the most polarizing subjects I’ve ever covered. Reactions were all over the map. Several big name writers I really respect told me how much they enjoyed and agreed with my essay, which meant a lot. Many readers commented that they appreciated the research, thoughtfulness, and balanced analysis, which helped them navigate this complex subject. But there were also far more extreme reactions, ranging from irate native plant enthusiasts who somehow got the utterly wrong idea that I’m completely against natives, with some even accusing me of being a shill for the horticultural industry, to anti-nativists who claim I was not nearly critical enough of a movement they equate with xenophobia and Puritanism.

For the record, I’d like to take a moment to restate and reemphasize a few key points:

-I support gardening with native plants. I honestly don’t understand how anyone could read my article in good faith and conclude otherwise. My essay explicitly advocates for prioritizing native species in our gardens to support wildlife and our local ecosystems and concludes with me doing exactly that….

-Just because native gardening alone cannot solve the extinction crisis does not mean it’s pointless — far from it. That passage was about maintaining perspective. I was writing in direct response to Tallamy’s hyperbolic claims that individual gardeners and homeowners alone can solve the extinction crisis and determine the future of nature in our country. I would love it if that were possible, but unfortunately it’s not. It’s vital to remember just how much more reform is needed to preserve biodiversity and functioning ecosystems across the continent. Nonetheless, as I wrote, gardening with natives has numerous genuine ecological benefits and banding together to create a Homegrown National Park is a thrilling and achievable goal that I fully support.

-There are valid ecological reasons to strategically incorporate a few non-invasive introduced species with proven benefits into majority native gardens. Some nativists claim that “there is never any excuse to plant a non-native.” That is an extreme stance that is not supported by science, is highly unrealistic for the majority of gardeners, and a poor strategy for our rapidly changing world. Some introduced species can expand habitat and resources for wildlife and help our gardens, parks, and other cultivated spaces adapt to climate change. I honestly do not think that intelligently integrating a few introduced species into primary native plantings should be controversial at all. We need open-minded, diverse, and flexible strategies to grow a better world together.

Gardening with natives, and for wildlife more generally, has benefits far beyond the ecological — it shifts people’s attitudes, renews a sense of agency, and inspires change. This is a point that many commenters raised with which I completely agree. I wish I’d had more room to write even more about the emotional and cultural aspects of gardening. I have personally witnessed neighbors change how they manage their land after seeing our garden here in Portland.

-Extremism within the gardening community is real. Many native enthusiasts get upset at the suggestion that there are purists among them, but if you want proof, just take a look at the comments here and on the NYT website, not to mention the legions of stories of gardeners who have been shamed by extremists. I can personally attest. After the article published, I experienced the unfounded wrath and abuse of such gardeners to a degree that shocked me. To be clear, I think such attitudes constitute a minority, albeit a vocal and problematic one. As I wrote, most people who support gardening with natives, especially professionals, are reasonable and nuanced, advocating for strategically combining natives and non-natives.

-To sum up: If you want your garden to support wildlife and your local ecosystems, then you should absolutely prioritize native plants, a conclusion supported by decades of research, careful observations, and basic ecological principles. But you don’t have to tear out or vilify absolutely everything that isn’t native. There are also legitimate ecological roles for a few beneficial introduced species. And you can have some plants just for you, too: veggies, medicines, gorgeous flowers, plants that hold memories, spark joy, or are otherwise meaningful to you. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, black or white, native or non-native. The world is big and complex and diverse enough for both.

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Just quickly read this article on Fbook in a native group & I dare not say that I like it there, so here I am. It shows nuance and you talked to a lepidopterist that I admire, Shapiro, who is not a purist. Look, I have been working on restoring a butterfly back to Pgh. I need help. I am emailing you

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Reposted by Gabrielle Marsden

Pittsburgh's Public Source @publicsource.org · 10/10/2025

For 21 years, a Natrona Heights orchard has produced North America’s largest native fruit — the pawpaw. Now locals hope it plays a role in bringing back a long-displaced butterfly. www.publicsource.org/pawpaw-nativ...

publicsource.org

Pittsburgh’s pawpaw revival takes root —and could bring a rare butterfly back to town

From Natrona Heights orchards to a Wilkinsburg pawpaw party, a native fruit is gaining favor as a tasty snack for residents, human and insect.

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Spicy spicebush swallowtail in Donora

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

I’ve been thinking about relationships. The world is built on relationships and the relationships I mean are those of the natural world. I had this thought yesterday which I will describe in the photo descriptions.

We meander upstream, not very far as there is a time limit, and between the tardiness and the lectures, not much time was left to paddle, at least not to my liking. I chat with, an employee of 3Rivers about her botanical knowledge though she knows a bit, she opines that fungi are more important to learn about than plants. I gently disagree as I see that all are important. I don’t say it there and then, but I later reflect on the river that it’s the relationships between the plants, fungi, and the land and water that they exist on that are more important to me and how human activity impacts them.

I worry a lot about my relationships with the various nonprofits that have more power to impact our neglected environments than I do as a single person. I actually signed up for this outing because I would like to organize outings similar to it. I want to take groups of people out on our rivers, especially rivers like the Monongahela that tend to scare people due to the massive insults that it has endured and still endures today. I honestly don’t care to do the heavy lifting in organizing an outing like this because at heart, I’m a bit lazy. I tried to organize an outing like this past year but failed, though I can use poor weather conditions partially as an excuse.

The facts are that any individual does have the power to have a positive impact on their environment, but it is limited. A lot of compromise is needed if one wants to get more done. It’s about building relationships that last which is what our natural world is built upon.

I will eventually organize a boat outing. I am getting closer to finding a viable collaborator, but I’m not there yet. In the meantime I am watching. My cross pollination might be akin to flowing water, but I’m not really sure, and it is evolving.

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

River rings on the lower lower Youghiogheny

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

I see your hawk and raise you a mockingbird bsky.app/profile/zswa...

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Grafted pawpaws in sterile patches. In theory, these will bear fruit in a few years which will help them grow and spread. There’s a mix of cultivars and wild stock from the vicinity #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Battus philenlor on Arisolochia serpentaria, Greene County, PA

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Battus philenor, pipevine swallowtail climbs up, then flies. I’m not sure if this is a pattern but several showed this specific behavior while other species seem to just take off where they are. When I release insects I try to move them to a more natural setting before they are eager to go.

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

I love the flowers I love the millipedes

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Battus philenor, hand reared last year from eggs collected in my yard. Their host plant is various species of pipevine, thus their common name pipevine swallowtail. They aren’t common in the Pittsburgh area but they aren’t rare either.

I am finding that wings are not 2 dimensional. Here we see rounded spoilers just above the tails. Zebra swallowtails have them too.

I love the shimmering dark blue that’s not only on the wings, but also the body

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Some of the wonders that I saw at Enlow Fork

Blue eyed Mary, Collinsia verna. I forgot the name and called them blue blooded Mary. I kinda like my name!

Pawpaw blossoms getting ready to bloom. This is on Wheeling Creek and Wheeling West Virginia is the only place in Westsyvania where I have seen the zebra swallowtail in the wild. It is highly likely that it still flies in Enlow Fork

Devil’s Urn, Urnula craterium with some insects, springtails and something else

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Blurry blue butterfly Celestine Landon?

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

I saw some new faces there. I forgot to ask people what brought them there. Anyone come via Bluesky?

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

A big thank you to all who came to my fireside last night. There was no fire due to rain but I told the story inside #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Drone recording during the golden hour

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Hey Butterflies! Come sit by a fire, have some beer and hear the story of the zebra swallowtail & its history in Pgh and beyond 1130 S Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Decompressing butterflies. This drawer holds butterflies collected about a hundred years ago. The tiling dampened them a little.

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Ai isn’t all bad. I was at a function where I googled some people that I met and decided to google myself. Here’s an AI result. #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Oh it’s not my yard, It’s Garden Dreams which is managed by Grow Pittsburgh

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Went on a walk with the Botanical Society of Western PA at Meeks Run. Saw some cool stuff

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Basically, I have no idea of what I am doing so after writing a series of ramblings. I thought that I’d write something short with an actual direction. NYC came up when I was doing research about the the ZST’s past range. Was it a tourist or a resident? I’m still not sure.

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

I wrote an article that is a valentine to NYC because I am writing a book about my work in Pittsburgh. Any ideas of publishers in the NYC area? #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #NYCzebraswallowtail

I love this view of the zebra swallowtail because it shows its spoilers. Butterfly wings are not 2 dimensional!

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Yesterday I encountered these creatures in Greene County, PA

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Skunk cabbage pollination. King/Potter Nature Reserve

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Here’s a few bees since i am starting to see them outside. Spring is near

I’m terrible at identifying bee species. And I am failing at the flower species. I think though that both might be native.

Mexican sunflower is one of my favorite annuals for bees and butterflies

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Sunflower for Ukraine. PS: there’s nothing wrong with seed oil

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

I’m feeling a bit down today so I decided to post kittens. A few years ago we took in some from my street and it was an absolutely delightful experience. I only wish that I could have saved them all. A few remained feral and lived much shorter lives. I didn’t understand feral cats like I do now.

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

I appreciate the Alice Cooper content, might say I love it to death

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

I have tended to search my photos at random for something interesting. Today’s word is BLACK

This happens to be by Blacklick Creek. I forget what they used to make here

This is from a pizza place.Caliente I believe

I’m wracking my brain trying to remember where this is. My guess is somewhere up north.

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Pipevine swallowtail caterpillars. I love them. So much poop!

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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

A young sycamore stipule. A stipule stays on young sycamore twigs. Sycamores are pioneer trees that I see growing in places where other trees will not take root. We need pioneer trees before understory trees like pawpaws can grow.

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