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| Backyard Wildlife Habitat | |||||||||||
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Enhance your backyard, create a fun project for the family and contribute to local wildlife conservation - develop your own Backyard Wildlife Habitat ! Any age can participate, you can go at your own pace and everyone enjoys the lasting benefits. Young children especially can learn the basics of nature appreciation through their own window into the natural world. A basic understanding of the ways of nature is essential to our commitment towards stewardship of the natural environment. |
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| Make A Plan | |||||||||||
| Once you've read some of the basics on this page and considered the assets of your yard, have the family plan the habitat. Make a sketch of the long-term plan. This will keep the project on course and be a reference as new plantings are added in the future. | |||||||||||
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| Develop the Wildlife Habitat | |||||||||||
| The four basic needs of your wildlife visitors are: FOOD, WATER, COVER and NESTING. Keep these needs in mind as you plan a backyard wildlife habitat, and consider the following: | |||||||||||
| Plantings ~ Trees and shrubs are the main elements of any landscaping design and are important for wildlife shelter. Many tree and shrub species are excellent sources of food for wildlife. Select evergreen species for year-round cover and shelter. Select fruit or nut-bearing plants for a food source. Deciduous trees (leaf-dropping) can offer summer shelter for wildlife as well as shade for your home, while allowing light to get through during the darker winter months. ~ Plants native to your area will work best. The native plants are adapted to your growing conditions and produce foods and shelter compatible with local wildlife. Select plants that flower and bear fruit at different times of the year. ~ Plant in clusters, and multi-level. Have shrubs leading to small trees, alongside larger trees. Wildlife is attracted to multi-storey flora for shelter and forage. Diversity in the landscape is necessary. Some plants provide food but very little cover; others provide cover but little food. ~ Plant flowers to provide natural nectar. Tubular red flowers will attract hummingbirds; clusters of brightly colored flowers attract butterflies. Flowering annuals and perennials bring color to the yard and can be easily added, or removed, for variety and appearance. ~ Plant vegetation around pools, ponds or streams. This provides cover for critters attracted to the water. Water sources will attract more species to your backyard wildlife habitat. ~ Leave dead and dying trees, when possible. They attract woodpeckers, owls, wrens and insects for food. |
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| Planting to attract birds: If you're looking to attract specific bird species to your yard, here are some common plants and trees, and the birds they attract: | |||||||||||
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Sunflower
- "nature's bird feeder"
attracts manys birds, such as chickadees, cardinals, titmice, nuthatches
and buntings. Fuchsia, Foxglove, BeeBalm, Beardtongue - hummingbirds Roses - cardinals, sparrows, towhees Bramble berries (raspberries, blackberries) - wrens, catbirds, towhees Elderberries - warblers, goldfinches, grosbeaks Zinnias, Cosmos - goldfinches Holly - mockingbirds, towhees Juniper - thrushes, bluebirds, flickers, warblers,mockingbirds, sparrows Mountain Ash - towhee, bluechat, oriole, bluebird, cedar waxwing Pines - finches, warblers, robins, chickadees Dogwoods - summer tanagers, Bell's vireos, sapsuckers, thrush Oaks - woodpeckers, orioles, bluejays Spruce - sparrows, warblers, pine siskin, nuthatch, crossbill Firs - bluejays, robins, sparrows, tanagers |
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| Planting
to attract butterflies:
You can attract butterflies with a number of nectar producing plants. Butterflies
prefer plants with large petals that provide a perch, though multiple small
florets will also attract them. Butterflies are attracted to purple flowers,
followed by yellows, pinks and whites. |
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| The butterfly
weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is especially preferred by butterflies.
Other popular nectar plants include marigold, primrose, sedum, dandelion, coneflower, hollyhock, lantana, goldenrod, aster, yarrow, nasturtium, honeysuckle, viburnum, lilac and zinnia. |
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| Butterflies
prefer the heat, and are most active on sunny, warm days. They need "sunning"
sites where they can warm up on cool mornings. Put a light-colored rock or
concrete garden sculpture where the morning sun first appears. Butterflies
also need a source of water. A shallow dish of water or a depression in a
rock that retains water is ideal. Butterflies begin their lives as caterpillars, and most caterpillars are leaf-eaters. Don't worry if you see a few caterpillars or damaged leaves, but do target a serious infestation. Use a strong jet of water to wash away aphids or spider mites, and burn any tent caterpillar nests. Avoid using pesticides or herbicides, which can harm beneficial host and food plants and kill bird-attracting insects. |
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| Monitor | |||||||||||
| A
backyard wildlife habitat is a work in progress. You'll find some things that
work and others that don't, such as specific plantings you favor or critters
you may want to discourage. Keep a pair of binoculars and a pad with pencil near the best viewing window. Encourage your children to keep a record of sightings and observations. Review this journal with your children and acknowledge their interest and enthusiasm. As you learn from experience, you can "fine tune" your backyard wildlife habitat to encourage the species you most enjoy. |
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| "You
can observe a lot just by watchin'." ..............................................................Yogi Berra |
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