Izzy is a landscape ecologist passionate about weaving biodiversity and climate resilience into residential landscapes. Her doctoral research explores how residents experience and care for yards in their neighborhoods, and how these choices relate to both human well-being and pollinator health. She is especially interested in how principles from design and psychology can be leveraged to enhance biodiversity through front yard pollinator gardens.

TSN Conference 2026

January 23rd, 2026 (Friday) // 10:00 am – 10:25 am // Room 106 // Seeding Change: Leveraging Principles from Design and Psychology to Advance Native Plant Landscaping // In the United States, over 40 million acres of lawn dominate residential landscapes, fragmenting habitat and disrupting local food webs. To strengthen ecological connections and support biodiversity, a growing national movement is calling for the reintroduction of native plants into yards and neighborhoods. However, homeowners’ landscaping choices are highly influenced by neighborhood norms, aesthetics, and social pressures. This presentation explores how insights from social psychology and landscape design can be applied to encourage wider adoption of native plant landscaping. By combining psychological principles with practical design strategies, practitioners and advocates can reframe native plant landscapes as not only ecologically responsible but also socially desirable.