Attracting Wildlife to your Yard
Observing wildlife, such as a doe and her fawn sipping from your pond, a scolding squirrel gathering acorns, or the frogs, butterflies, birds and other animals going about their daily business, can be fun, interesting and relaxing.
While it’s true that we rarely do wildlife a service by feeding them from our cupboards, by using the following wildlife attraction and sustainability tips, you can feel good knowing that you are giving back to wildlife some of its lost ecosystem, especially if you live in an urban or residentially developed area.
You will also be creating an environmentally friendly landscape as well because what is good for the animals is also good for the environment.
In the words of Aldo Leopold, the “father of conservation: There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” If you are of the latter inclination, the following tips from the National Wildlife Federation are for you.
Feeding Wildlife
Provide native plants that are a natural part of animals’ diets. Going native with your landscape also benefits the environment because native plants are adapted to their locations and thus require little maintenance.
Here are a few examples:
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Southeast: The quaking aspen tree is enjoyed by many animals. Deer and moose enjoy the twigs and foliage. Beavers, rabbits, and other mammals eat the bark; foliage and buds, while grouse and quail feed on the winter buds.
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Pacific Northwest: The Western serviceberry is a pretty shrub whose berries are a favorite fruit of squirrels, songbirds and bears. The foliage is enjoyed by deer.
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Northeast: Cardinal flowers, native to the Northeast region are a favorite of hummingbirds.
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Midwest: Autumn butterflies sip on the nectar of narrowleaf sunflowers.
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Southwest: Birds and small mammals rely on the red berries of the skunkbush during the winter.
Water
Much water can be saved by replacing a lawn with native plants. You can put this water to better use by providing fresh water to wildlife. Birdbaths, butterfly puddles, ponds and rain gardens will be much appreciated, especially with the planet’s climate changes affecting their supply. Water can also be collected in
rain barrels.
Shelter
Another way to be a good host to wildlife is to provide places for the animals to hide from people, predators, and inclement weather, as well as shelter for raising their babies. Here are some examples:
Native shrubs and thickets.
Dead trees (good homes as well as food sources).
Logs and rocks for good hideouts.
Birdhouses.
Bat roosting boxes.
Ponds for aquatic wildlife, including fish and amphibians.
Wildlflower meadows.
Yard Maintenance
By going green, you create healthier soil, water and air for the wildlife as well as for you and your human loved ones. Just these two practices alone will work wonders:
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Mulching (use mulches that are from sustainable forestry practices and free from pests): Reduces need for watering, provides nutrients to the soil, and reduces need for fertilizer.
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Reducing lawn areas: Besides the fact that most lawns are maintained with chemicals and green house gas producing, powered lawnmowers, a lawn provides little value to wildlife. By replacing a grass lawn with native wildflowers, bushes, and trees, you can provide the food, shelter, and cover that help to maintain healthy, natural ecosystems for the wildlife that you enjoy.
Landscaping Ideas
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