The health of the planet is on everyone’s mind, and many of us are looking for meaningful ways to make a difference. I learned that one important action is to nurture local ecosystems by wisely choosing the species that we plant in our yards and gardens. This careful selection is critical for sustaining native insect populations, many of which depend on specific plants and support entire food chains. When insects can’t thrive, the whole ecosystem suffers. We can counter the problem by making sure that what we plant is primarily native to where we live.

This series of images is about the plants my family has chosen for our small corner of the world in the northeastern United States. Volume 1 of the series draws on my years of close-up and macro photography and includes a dozen botanical portraits of subjects native to our locale. I selected these images based on their complementary colors and forms, textures and patterns, sheer grace, and elegance. My goal is to show that you can have it all: plants that are both beautiful to behold and beneficial to planet Earth.

Each collector will receive a TIFF file for personal printing use.

I will donate 10 percent of the net proceeds to causes that promote healthy, diverse ecosystems.