Habitat Quality
​​There are 5 key elements that are essential to a healthy wildlife habitat:

1.  Food

2.  Water

3.  Shelter/ Cover

4.  Places to Raise Young

5.  Sustainable Practices

 

Food

We ensure there are at least three varieties of food sources for wildlife.  Though, honestly, other than supplemental feeding we are hands-off.

• We have planted flowers (or flowering plants) to provide sources of nectar and pollen for bees, bats, butterflies, moths, and certain birds. This includes flowers, and shrubs and trees that produce pollen or nectar.

• Birds feed on seeds from dried flower heads. We allow fading flowers to stay and go to seed. Some areas (like around some of our trees) go un-mowed since native grass and weed provide flowers and then a lot of valuable seed thereafter.

• Decaying wood, mulch, and leaf litter serve as food for insects, lichen and fungi – which in turn feeds other wildlife.  

• In addition to natural food sources, we provide supplemental food for wildlife – especially during seasons where other food is sparse.

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Water

With no natural water features available on our property we provide water sources for wildlife

• We are adding bird baths in several areas. Bees and butterflies enjoy shallow puddles of water.  We place rocks in the birdbaths for them to access the water safely.

• Shallow pots of water are maintained near the Toad-Abodes.

• Eventually we will have a modest water feature that will provide water and sustain a small habitat.

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Wildlife Shelters and Places to Raise Young

Homes, abodes, and shelters... everything needs a place to call home or have a place to get cozy, or just lay low for safety.  We have provided shelters for birds, bees and other insects, and toads as well as other wildlife, including, unwillingly, a groundhog. 

Simple wood and gourd birdhouses are placed across the property. Native bees have multi-unit Bee Hotels.  Toads have cool Toad-Abodes.  A wood pile, brush pile, and rock pile make a trifecta of prime animal shelters.  
 

Bird Houses

We are in the process of adding more bird houses across the property.  We are not just putting up boxes, gourds, and bottles and seeing what roosts.  We will be constructing and placing houses throughout the property to encourage a variety of species.  Check out NestWatch and their "all-about-birdhouses." 
 

Bee Hotels

Bee hotels are designed to provide suitable nesting opportunities for aerial, cavity nesting species that would usually seek out old beetle holes in wood, other small, pre-existing tunnels or hollow plant stems.  

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Toad-Abodes

Encouraging toads to live among a garden or Wild Backyard can be done with a Toad-Abode you can make yourself. Why would you want to give your toads a home? A single toad consumes thousands of bugs a year, so a natural alternative to pesticides is a garden full of toads. Along with bugs, toads eat slugs that chomp on plants and flowers. The best part is they provide this pest control without harming your vegetation themselves.

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Brush, Wood, and Rock Piles

Also known as Habitat Piles.  Made up of woody debris and loose leaf litter stacked together, these piles provide great shelter for small mammals along with amphibians and reptiles. Weasels, foxes, and hawks will also use them for shelter and hunting grounds. Many birds use these woody sanctuaries for cover and will often times nest along logs or under a pile of branches on the ground. Overtime, the decaying wood will bring insects for birds and small mammals to feed on and ultimately give nutrients back to the soil.   Rock Piles benefit cold-blooded wildlife. 

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Bat House

We are researching information and plans for a bat house.  We hope to have it installed soon.
 

Owl Box

We are researching owl boxes to see if we can support one.  

 

Sustainable Practices for a better habitat

There are small practices that can have a big impact on wildlife.  Below are many examples of what we do to make our Wild Backyard welcoming and safe.  

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Avian collision avoidance and dissuasion program

Birds striking windows is dangerous and often deadly to birds.  In daylight, birds crash into windows because they see reflections of vegetation or see through the glass to potted plants or vegetation on the other side. At night, nocturnal migrants (including most songbirds) crash because they fly into lighted windows.  Additionally, birds sometimes see their reflection in a window and attack it. This happens most frequently in the spring when territoriality is high.  

There are several ways to prevent or greatly reduce bird strikes.  All of the solutions depend on making the glass visible to birds.  Here is an article for more information. 

To prevent birds from striking our larger windows we have installed our own Acopian BirdSavers. 

 

No fertilizers or pesticides

We use compost tea to feed plants that may benefit from additional nutrients.  Plants are placed with a mixture of compost and topsoil.  Once established we may top dress plants with compost if needed.  Cages or netting are all that are used to deter pests.

We do not use pesticides except in the direst of circumstances.  They are selected for specific pests and then used in accordance with the manufacturer's directions.

 

Weed control and invasive species control

Eliminating noxious weeds and non-native invasive plant species is one of the most effective ways to improve wildlife habitat. These plants often have no benefits for wildlife, they out-compete native plant species wildlife rely on, and they reduce the diversity of natural plant communities.

Wildlife benefit most from native plants, which they rely on for food, shelter and reproduction. Simply removing and replacing invasive species with native plants or controlling the expansion of non-native species to conserve the biodiversity of plants in your yard will enhance wildlife habitat.

Weeds are pulled and added to the compost pile.  We are on constant watch for invasive plants, and they are removed as completely as we are able as soon as we are able.  

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We avoid the use commercial herbicides.  The one exception is the application of herbicide to control poison ivy and related plants.  This is done only as needed and according to manufacturer instructions.  On occasion, for expediency, we may sparingly use a vinegar spray to eliminate patches of unwanted growth-- on our drive typically. 

 

We maintain an Invasive Pest management plan.  This allows us to identify, monitor, and track invasive pests and records our actions used to control or eliminate them.  Information about Invasive Pest Management can be found here.

 

Outdoor lighting

Why the concern about outdoor lights?  It's not natural!  Skyglow and general light pollution is something to be considered even beyond the back yard.  We limit the use of outdoor lighting.  No exterior lights are left on throughout the night.  Our brightest exterior light is tied to a motion sensor with a minimal field and short duration.   

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Lighting Guidelines

·  Turn off all non-essential lights from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. each night during migration season.

·  Do not use landscape lighting to light up trees or gardens where birds may be resting.

·  Close blinds at night to reduce the amount of light being emitted from windows.

For essential lights, like security lighting

·  Aim lights down

·  Use lighting shields to direct light downwards and to avoid light shining into the sky or trees

·  Use motion detectors and sensors so lights are only on when you need them

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Bug control

Enjoying the outdoors with bugs can be challenging for anyone.  We use small fans around food to deter flies and bees.  Citronella plants and candles have proven reliable.  Evening lights are few and dim.  We do not use Bug Zappers.  We do use bug repellent on our clothing when working in the woods against Ticks.

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