Why landscape for wildlife?
The world is losing its wildlife. Cities grow and extend into areas of natural landscape; and other human activities encroach on native plant and animal communities. As a result, wildlife must seek food and shelter in areas that decrease in size each year. We can bring some of this "lost" habitat back into our communities. The satisfaction of attracting birds to our yard is doubled when we realize that we are not only contributing to the well-being of wildlife, but rebuilding habitat in our corner of the world.
A crucial step in landscaping for wildlife is understanding the needs of the animals that you want to attract to your yard. To survive, all living animals need food, water, and some kind of cover for shelter and protection. They also need a certain amount of space. A yard that provides these will attract and support wildlife. Each species has its own needs for food and cover. The elements that meet a species' particular needs for food, water, cover and space make up its habitat. Some animals have very specific habitat needs and cannot meet them in a suburban residential area. However, a surprisingly high number of desirable wildlife species can be attracted to a residential yard. For many species of wildlife, plants are the fundamental source of food and cover and are, therefore, the most important features of wildlife habitat. Because of the key role that plants play, they offer some easy and exciting opportunities for creating wildlife habitat in your own yard.
Creating a backyard habitat involves landscaping that attracts different kinds of wildlife, such as birds,
butterflies, small mammals and other creatures. This could entail something as
simple as planting a few host plants for butterflies or as elaborate as creating
a place that provides food, water, summer shade, winter refuge, perches, nesting
sites, and hiding places for all kinds of wildlife. Natural
wildlife habitat is disappearing quickly. Creating a backyard habitat is the
perfect way for you, your family, and your schools to help conserve wildlife
while being able to enjoy observing it every day in your own backyard. |
