Earthsky Interviews
Private: Backyard Wildlife Habitat
02-13-2002 - Biodiversity
_DB:_ To attract this wildlife to your yard, you’ll have to supply the things that all animals need to survive. Number one on the list is food, so if you’re planning a garden, think about choosing plants native to your area. Many native plants are a natural food source for birds and butterflies.
_JB:_ All animals need water, so you can help by supplying fresh unfrozen water even in icy weather. Or you might consider planning a backyard pond. A pond the size of a child’s wading pool can be home for frogs, toads and dragonflies. A few trees will give birds and squirrels a place to build nests. Or create a backyard brush or rock pile – a safe hideout for small burrowing mammals, snakes, and salamanders.
_DB:_ Or put out a birdhouse. Depending on what kind – and where you put it – you might end up providing a home for bluebirds, tree swallows, chickadees, or other species. And don’t forget bat houses – if you can provide a snug home for your neighborhood bats, they’ll help keep down the insect population in the summertime. We’ve got lots more on creating a backyard habitat at our web site.
_JB:_ Look for the “more information” section of today’s show at earthsky.org. Special thanks today to the “National Fish and Wildlife Foundation”:http://www.nfwf.org/ and to the “U.S. Forest Service”:http://www.fs.fed.us/. We’re Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.
The following individual was interviewed for today’s show. Our thanks to:
Craig Tufts
Chief Naturalist
Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program
National Wildlife Federation
The following books, articles and web sites were used in preparing this script:
The National Wildlife Federation’s “Backyard Habitat website”:http://www.nwf.org/habitats/
The USDA “Backyard Habitat website”:http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/WildHab.html
University of Maine Cooperative Extension Website: “Principles for Creating Backyard Wildlife Habitat”:http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/habitats/7132.ubs/htmpubs/habitats/7132.htmhtm
Berger, C., K. Kridler, and J. Griggs. 2001.The Bluebird Monitor’s Guide. New York: Harper-Collins.
Buchanan, Carol. 1999. The Wildlife Sanctuary Garden.
Kress, Stephen W. 1995. National Audubon Society: The Bird Garden. DK Press.
Stein, Sara. 1995. Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards. Houghton Mifflin.
For more information on garden plants that attract birds, you can also check these web sites:
“Plants That Attract Birds”:http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_wildlife_birds/article/0,1785,HGTV_3652_1378256,00.html (HGTV.com)
“Wildlife Gardening for Plants”:http://birding.about.com/cs/gardening/ (About.com) – many links to bird gardening websites
For more information on garden plants that attract butterflies, check these websites:
The Smithsonian Institution’s “Butterfly Habitat Garden website”:http://www.si.edu/gardens/butterfly/start.htm
“Butterfly Gardening”:http://www.butterflies.com/garden.htm – Butterflies.com
These websites have instructions for building a backyard pond:
“National Wildlife Federation website”:http://www.nwf.org/habitats/backyard/beyondbasics/hints/frogpond.ats/backyard/beyondbasics/hints/frogpond.cfmcfm
USDA “Natural Resources Conservation Service website”:http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/BkPond.html
Directions for constructing a backyard brush pile can be found at:
“Build a Brushpile”:http://www.mybackyard.com/current/10r1p1.htm (MyBackyard.com)
This “NWF website”:http://www.nwf.org/habitats/backyard/news/press/midwestwinter.ckyard/news/press/midwestwinter.cfmcfm also has many tips for improving backyard habitat that are specific to yards in winter
If you want to build your own nest boxes, plans are available at:
“The North American Bluebird Society”:http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/plans.htm is an authoritative source of information on how you can help all kinds of cavity-nesting birds.
“A website”:http://birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/bhbasics/nestboxplans. maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
These web sites have advice on positioning nest boxes to make them most attractive to birds:
“tips for positioning a bluebird box”:http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/start.htm (North American Bluebird Society)
Very complete information, provided by USFWS, about “nest boxes: what birds you can attract, how to build boxes, how to position, how to monitor, etc.”:http://www.bcpl.net/~tross/by/house.ttp://www.bcpl.net/~tross/by/house.htmlhtml
Here’s a fun project for kids: create a “Toad Abode.” All you need is an empty terracotta flowerpot and saucer. Put the saucer on the ground in a shady corner of your yard and fill with water. Turn the flowerpot upside down and put it on the ground near the saucer. Use a rock or a piece of a broken flowerpot to prop up one edge; now you’ve created a cool dark place where a toad can hide. Your guest will return the favor by gobbling up garden pests.
Another easy-to-make and worthwhile project: Create homes for solitary bees Not only will the bees benefit but you’ll attract pollinators to your garden. All you need is a piece of non-treated lumber (or a piece of firewood) and a power drill.
February is an ideal time to put out bee homes in your garden. Directions can be found “here”:http://www.nwf.org/habitats/backyard/beyondbasics/hints/beehouse.ats/backyard/beyondbasics/hints/beehouse.cfmcfm.