About Us

Edie Parnum and Barb Elliot founded the Backyards for Nature program of the Valley Forge Audubon Society in 2002 as a way to inspire and teach others to create habitats that welcome birds, butterflies and other wildlife.  Encouraging the use of our locally native plants is a cornerstone of the program. In 2025, Edie and Barb retired from the program.  All of us at VFAS thank them for making this wonderful program available to the public and their work in promoting the use of native plants over the past 23 years, long before ecosystem gardening was popular.

Beginning in 2026, Vince Smith and Pat Nastase will be the new co-directors of Backyards for Nature.  Vince and Pat are avid birders and native plant gardeners and participate in community science projects, including eBird, Project FeederWatch, and NestWatch. They also lead birding field trips and nature walks in the VFAS territory.

We invite you to explore the Backyards for Nature pages on this website for more information about creating habitat, ecosystem gardening, native plants, and the fascinating local wildlife you can attract to your garden.

We offer in-person and virtual presentations. If you have any native plant questions or would like a presentation or yard visit, where we can offer suggestions for your garden, please contact us at backyardsfornature@valleyforgeaudubon.org.