Shaun McCoshum
@mccoshum.bsky.social
Pollinator conservation & Wildlife biologist, researcher, & author working in energy development and conservation. Recent book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y9G1RY2
Butterflies nectaring on alfalfa growing in the flood plain of an urban water diversion ditch. Better planning could bring similar abundance to our concrete laden neighborhoods across the globe. #UrbanEcology #pollinators.#butterflies #urbanplanning #greeninfrastructure
August 25, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Butterflies nectaring on alfalfa growing in the flood plain of an urban water diversion ditch. Better planning could bring similar abundance to our concrete laden neighborhoods across the globe. #UrbanEcology #pollinators.#butterflies #urbanplanning #greeninfrastructure
On September 13, I'll be presenting on creating healthy pollinator habitat that goes far beyond planting native plants. Come join if you can. #gardening #pollinatorGarden #Gardencology
August 19, 2025 at 3:26 PM
On September 13, I'll be presenting on creating healthy pollinator habitat that goes far beyond planting native plants. Come join if you can. #gardening #pollinatorGarden #Gardencology
When I'm #gardening, I try to understand how plants grow in the wild. It helps me create better habitats that include similar companion.species, soil types, and other habitat resources. Yarrow grows in a variety of habitats including compact soils along roads and this mountain meadow. #gardencology
August 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
When I'm #gardening, I try to understand how plants grow in the wild. It helps me create better habitats that include similar companion.species, soil types, and other habitat resources. Yarrow grows in a variety of habitats including compact soils along roads and this mountain meadow. #gardencology
One of my favorite native plants, upright prairie coneflower, is also a favorite for Halictus and Lasioglossum bees.
August 6, 2025 at 11:56 AM
One of my favorite native plants, upright prairie coneflower, is also a favorite for Halictus and Lasioglossum bees.
Creating pocket prairie gardens? It is important to consider the natural processes that are absent. Bison once roamed most of the USA, fertilizing habitats, breaking old stems, & grazing grasses. We can recreate these processes to make more robust #pollinator habitats. #gardening #gardencology
July 5, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Creating pocket prairie gardens? It is important to consider the natural processes that are absent. Bison once roamed most of the USA, fertilizing habitats, breaking old stems, & grazing grasses. We can recreate these processes to make more robust #pollinator habitats. #gardening #gardencology
Stem nesting bees need cut, pithy stems. Cavity nesting bees need cut hollow stems, crevices, and logs with beetle larvae tunnels. All of our bees need native flowers and pesticide free habitats. None of these requirements have to be messy.
June 19, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Stem nesting bees need cut, pithy stems. Cavity nesting bees need cut hollow stems, crevices, and logs with beetle larvae tunnels. All of our bees need native flowers and pesticide free habitats. None of these requirements have to be messy.
#Nativebees don't need messy yards. They need intentional actions that provide #habitat in our gardens. The intentional resources our #bees need are soil diversity (with species preferring Sandy, to sandy clay soil with different levels of compaction, slope, and vegetation cover).
June 19, 2025 at 12:20 PM
#Nativebees don't need messy yards. They need intentional actions that provide #habitat in our gardens. The intentional resources our #bees need are soil diversity (with species preferring Sandy, to sandy clay soil with different levels of compaction, slope, and vegetation cover).
Please add me. I post a lot about bees and their habitats
June 16, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Please add me. I post a lot about bees and their habitats
June 9, 2025 at 4:02 AM
One of the fastest ways to support pollinators is to plant a native sunflower. #gardening #nature #wildlife
May 19, 2025 at 4:26 AM
One of the fastest ways to support pollinators is to plant a native sunflower. #gardening #nature #wildlife
Wildlife garden is coming in nicely.
May 14, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Wildlife garden is coming in nicely.
Planning your #Garden consider adding in habitat resources above and below ground to help support #insects #amphibians and #reptiles all year long! #science
May 3, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Planning your #Garden consider adding in habitat resources above and below ground to help support #insects #amphibians and #reptiles all year long! #science
Here's why you should be cleaning up your yard. This is a small bison herd, doing bison things. Imagine this across a landscape throughout the year. Dead vegetation is broken, trampled, & pressed to the ground. Our gardens don't have this happening so we have to cut back plants. #gardening #nature
April 28, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Here's why you should be cleaning up your yard. This is a small bison herd, doing bison things. Imagine this across a landscape throughout the year. Dead vegetation is broken, trampled, & pressed to the ground. Our gardens don't have this happening so we have to cut back plants. #gardening #nature
Screech owl box made with an apple crate from Michael's and some extra paneling (about 30bucks) #nature #wildlife #natureneedshelp #gardening
March 27, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Screech owl box made with an apple crate from Michael's and some extra paneling (about 30bucks) #nature #wildlife #natureneedshelp #gardening
Dakota skippers are federally threatened butterflies that have a short flight season and are dependent on intact grasslands. Surprisingly there were no life cycle diagrams made for them so I went ahead and drafted one. #conservation #entomology #DakotaSkipper #esa #nature
March 23, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Dakota skippers are federally threatened butterflies that have a short flight season and are dependent on intact grasslands. Surprisingly there were no life cycle diagrams made for them so I went ahead and drafted one. #conservation #entomology #DakotaSkipper #esa #nature
You can help reverse #butterfly decline! 1. Stop spraying your entire yard with pesticides. 2. Convert parts of your yard to native plant landscaping. 3. Get involved locally to have your city do the same
Here's my book showing how to make garden habitat. #gardening
www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y9G1RY2
Here's my book showing how to make garden habitat. #gardening
www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y9G1RY2
March 7, 2025 at 2:05 PM
You can help reverse #butterfly decline! 1. Stop spraying your entire yard with pesticides. 2. Convert parts of your yard to native plant landscaping. 3. Get involved locally to have your city do the same
Here's my book showing how to make garden habitat. #gardening
www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y9G1RY2
Here's my book showing how to make garden habitat. #gardening
www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y9G1RY2
Excited to see this gorgeous spider! Habitat improvements include adding organic mulch piles, large stones with space below, and not using pesticides around the yard. Wolf #spiders are important in #garden #ecosystems & facilitate nutrient cycles besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
March 5, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Excited to see this gorgeous spider! Habitat improvements include adding organic mulch piles, large stones with space below, and not using pesticides around the yard. Wolf #spiders are important in #garden #ecosystems & facilitate nutrient cycles besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
If you're a gardener who's switched to landscaping with native plants, now is a great time to consider where animals will shelter. Consider adding these resources and more. #gardening #nature #conservation #pollinators #herping #insects #toads #landscapeDesign #wildlife
February 23, 2025 at 12:37 AM
If you're a gardener who's switched to landscaping with native plants, now is a great time to consider where animals will shelter. Consider adding these resources and more. #gardening #nature #conservation #pollinators #herping #insects #toads #landscapeDesign #wildlife
Sometimes you have to check out and stare at an aquarium. #distraction
February 18, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Sometimes you have to check out and stare at an aquarium. #distraction
Leaving plants to grow wild is actually unnatural and chokes out species that need open flyways, exposed soils, and access to cut stem openings. So yes we need to clean our yards, but also keepaterial on site. #gardening #nature #wildlife #bees #pollinators
February 13, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Leaving plants to grow wild is actually unnatural and chokes out species that need open flyways, exposed soils, and access to cut stem openings. So yes we need to clean our yards, but also keepaterial on site. #gardening #nature #wildlife #bees #pollinators
#wildlifeGardening is an amazing way to increase local biodiversity and fight population declines. Adding native plants is important, but most animals need spaces to shelter, nest, rest, and overwinter. Mimic natural areas by adding missing resources like an underground refugia. #nature #gardening
February 11, 2025 at 3:26 PM
#wildlifeGardening is an amazing way to increase local biodiversity and fight population declines. Adding native plants is important, but most animals need spaces to shelter, nest, rest, and overwinter. Mimic natural areas by adding missing resources like an underground refugia. #nature #gardening
It is sad to see the trash and pollution that washes into our wetlands. The resiliency of so many animals to hold on is reason enough to do cleanups. Just because some species can live with it, doesn't mean they should.
February 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM
It is sad to see the trash and pollution that washes into our wetlands. The resiliency of so many animals to hold on is reason enough to do cleanups. Just because some species can live with it, doesn't mean they should.
As well-meaning people post false information about yard cleanup, it is important to remember our yards are not natural. They are disconnected from regulatory processes that naturally lay stems down and trim back shrubs (large herbivores). They key is to keep trimmings on site. #gardening #bees
February 9, 2025 at 8:17 PM
As well-meaning people post false information about yard cleanup, it is important to remember our yards are not natural. They are disconnected from regulatory processes that naturally lay stems down and trim back shrubs (large herbivores). They key is to keep trimmings on site. #gardening #bees