Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife.
At any point in a walk through the neighborhood you might come across – Geese, Herons, Squirrels, Foxes, Snakes and Hawks.
At night you can hear Owls – and possibly Coyotes.
With the endless push to build more houses – every day we tear down trees, pave over fields and destroy miles and miles of wildlife habitat.
As we destroy their habitat they have to adapt more and more to living in ours.
Wildlife isn’t invading our neighborhoods.
In truth they were here first.
We are sharing the space with wildlife.
We are part of the problem until we know better.
Until we act.
Let me qualify that – until we take Educated Action.
Because lets face it – sometimes we start down a path and become so consumed we see “Need” even where there is none, feel the need to “Rescue” even though we do more harm than good.
So what can we do:
- Drive carefully around wildlife inhabited areas
- Plant Native Plants and attract pollinators.
- Leave a small wood pile and leaf litter in a corner of your yard year round. Bugs lay eggs in leaf litter. The baby Cardinals that will be born in your yard – and in fact most baby birds – eat only insects early in their development.
- Don’t use chemical treatments. If for HOA reasons you need to treat the front yard – try keeping the back yard as natural as possible. If we kill the bugs we kill the birds.
- In drought conditions – or year round if you are so inclined – provide a water source like a bird bath. A shallow puddling bowl with some water and stones in it is helpful for butterflies and bees.
- Encourage frogs into your back yard – they consume massive amounts of mosquitos and spiders.
- If you live near a lake – take a regular walk around it picking up discarded fishing line. Hundreds of birds get tangled in fishing line and are severely incapacitated, dying horrible painful deaths as a result.
- Teach children respect for animals. They will set the tone for the future health of our planet.
- Support wildlife rehabbers. There are not a lot out there. It is back breaking, soul destroying work. Support can be by volunteering or providing financial assistance or donating supplies.
Additional Thoughts:
Native plants are essential in a back yard to provide food and shelter to neighborhood wildlife.
If you want to supplement the shelter and food supply offered to backyard wildlife we suggest:
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