Resources
Here are some resources available to help you learn about, and hopefully, create, a Wild Backyard.
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Summit Metro Parks Wild Back Yard Program Wild Back Yards - Summit Metro Parks
Our go-to source for creating our wild back yard is the SMP Wild Back Yard Program. For complete information and how to sign up visit their site here. The checklists used for the program are what we used to plan and track our progress for our own Wild Back Yard can be viewed here.
Summit Metro Parks Summit Metro Parks
“We conserve, sustainably manage, and value natural resources for the health and enjoyment of our community, and inspire people to connect with nature through clean and safe parks.”
Founded in 1921, Summit Metro Parks is the second oldest park district in Ohio. We manage 15,000 acres throughout 16 parks, three nature centers and more than 150 miles of trails, including 22 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Annual attendance averages 5 million visits."
Let’s grow Akron letsgrowakron.org
Shout out to Let’s Grow Akron for their commitment to creating and supporting community food gardens in neighborhoods where access to fresh food has been unfairly limited. They work with neighborhoods to transform unsightly vacant lots into productive community gardens.
SEEDS & PLANTS
OPN Seeds Native Prairie Grass Seed Mixes and Native Wildflower Seed Mixes (opnseed.com)
We purchased the seed packs from OPN Seeds for the Wildflower Meadow. We will also be using their seeds in planned projects. A good source of resources as well.
Prairie Moon Nursery Prairie Moon Nursery: Storefront
Another wonderful source for native plants. We used their seeds and will likely continue to. They are a good source for education as well.
WILDLIFE & HABITATS/ SHELTERS
NestWatch Homepage - NestWatch
NestWatch is a monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive. Our database is intended to be used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time because of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals.
NestWatch birdhouse resource here. All About Birdhouses - NestWatch
Bee hotels How to make a bee hotel | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Just one source on information about and how to build a bee hotel. Includes information on where to put it and what to expect.
Toad abodes How to Make a Toad House for Your Garden (thespruce.com)
A good source we used to make our toad abodes.
Brush Piles Reclaim Nature and Add Habitat with a Brush Pile (nurturenativenature.com)
An article on how to build a brush pile (It’s a bit more than just tossing brush into a pile. But not much more.)
Rock piles Habitat Rock Piles.pdf (wildlifecenter.org)
A pdf on constructing a rock pile.
BIRDS AND WINDOWS
It’s not just large windows on any building and skyscrapers clad in glass. It’s residential windows as well. These pages discusse why birds hit windows and what can be done to protect them.
Why Birds Hit Windows—and How You Can Help Prevent It | All About Birds
Make your windows bird-safe | The Humane Society of the United States
Acopian Bird Savers a.k.a. Wind Curtains Acopian BirdSavers — Prevent birds from flying into windows.
This page gives information on Acopian Bird Savers. We used information provided to make our own.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
After finally seeing the Milky Way on a trip West I began to take an interest in light pollution.
An article discussing light pollution featuring a map of sky brightness. Light Pollution (nationalgeographic.org)
The sobering World Atlas of Night Sky Brightness. Light pollution map
An introduction to the problems of outdoor night light from a homeowner’s perspective. Dim the lights for pollinators and plants at night | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov)
The SkyGlow Project SKYGLOW - Light Pollution Awareness Project in collaboration with International Dark-Sky Association (skyglowproject.com)
SKYGLOW is an ongoing multimedia project spanning 150,000 miles and 3,000,000 pictures taken, which explores world’s remaining magnificent night skies and the grave threat of light pollution to our fragile environment.
DEALING WITH POLLUTANTS
The Ohio EPA Dispose of Hazardous Waste | Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Take a look to see what potential pollutants you have at home.
Summit County Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) 2024 Season Complete - Resumes June 5th 2025 | Summit County Reworks, OH (summitreworks.com)
Summit County is fortunate to have a program available to dispose of household hazardous waste. Please consider proper disposal of hazardous waste and residential pollutants.
Deicing damage and alternatives
Using salt on drives and walks may seem harmless but alternatives exist that are better for your Wild Backyard.
What’s the harm? The effects of deicing salts on landscapes | UMN Extension
What are the alternatives? 7 (Better) Alternatives to Salt for De-Icing - Mr Pavement
COMPOSTING, RAIN BARRELS, AND LEAF MULCH
Information on Composting Food waste is not garbage! | Trash Hero World
Information on Rain Barrels 5 Benefits of Rain Barrels (And 1 Drawback) (lawnlove.com)
Information of Leaf Mulch Leaf Mulch: Nature's Gift to Gardeners (fiskars.com)
Information on Soil Amendments 12 Miracle Soil Amendments to Set Your Garden Up for Success — Seeds 'n Such (seedsnsuch.com)
THE BEES
Anyone interested in classes on beekeeping are encouraged to connect with the Summit County Beekeepers Association Summit County Beekeepers Association | SCBA since 1977 (summitbeekeepers.com)
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