| Your Backyard
#1: NATIVE
PLANTS have co-evolved with native birds, so they are
more likely to provide the right size food and the right amount
of nutrients at just the right time of year. To learn more,
visit
#2: Simply
the way you maintain your garden can supply additional food
sources for wildlife. LEAF LITTER raked under and in
front of shrubs provides foraging areas for ground-feeding
birds such as sparrows. To learn more, visit
#3: Birds need
water for drinking and bathing. A SOURCE OF WATER in
your yard will attract a variety of species, including those
that do not visit feeders. To learn more, visit
#4: MULTIPLE
LEVELS OF PLANT GROWTH mimic natural areas and serve the
needs of a variety of bird species that use different layers
for different purposes, such as nesting, feeding, and singing.
To learn more, visit
#5: A DEAD
TREE that is a safe distance from the house and from human
activity can provide a nesting cavity as well as perches to
sing from. To learn more, visit
#6: A dry STONE
WALL, with its nooks and crannies, offers hiding spots
and shelter from predators for a variety of wildlife, including
insects, toads, chipmunks, and small birds. To learn more,
visit
#7: INVASIVE
PLANT species threaten biodiversity and can displace native
plants, which are better adapted to provide food and shelter
for native wildlife. Thus, it’s important to control the spread
of such plants, which often are non-native species. To learn
more, visit
#8: LAWNS
can be a drain on your wallet, your time, and the environment
due to misguided planning and maintenance. Minimize the lawn
to match your needs and adopt ecologically-friendly practices.
To learn more, visit
#9: Each
year in the United States, 66 million pounds of insecticides
and herbicides are applied to homes, lawns, and gardens. These
chemicals kill an estimated 7 million birds a year. BENEFICIAL
BUGS are among the alternative methods to controlling
garden pests. To learn more, visit
#10: COMPOST
improves soil health by increasing nutrient and water retention,
preventing erosion, and resisting disease. No wonder it’s
often referred to as “black gold.” It’s also an ecological
way to dispose of kitchen scraps and yard waste.
#11: A
healthy yard teems with life. It’s home to a diverse number
of species carrying out many important functions, including
the POLLINATION of plants. To learn more, visit
#12: CATS
are estimated to kill hundreds of millions of native birds
and other small animals annually in the United States. Love
’em but leave them indoors. Be responsible and protect wildlife
from this and other potential hazards in your yard. To learn
more, visit
#13: Nonpoint
source pollution, caused by storm water, is the nation’s leading
source of water quality degradation. PERMEABLE PATHWAYS
such as mulch or gravel allow water to seep into the ground,
thus limiting runoff. To learn more, visit
#14: Everyone,
everywhere lives in a WATERSHED, an area that drains
into a common waterway. It doesn’t matter whether or not a
natural water source flows in your yard, what you do in an
around your home has ecological impacts beyond your yard.,
Get to know your watershed and actions you can take to stem
pollution.
#15: What lived
in your yard before you did, say 250 years ago? Was the area
a grassland? A forest? What type of trees grew in the forest?
Which plants and animals called it home? By knowing the ECOLOGICAL
ADDRESS of your land and neighborhood you may be able
to restore some of the fauna and flora that once thrived there.
To learn more, visit
#16: In the
United States, 54 million people FEED BIRDS and other
wildlife around their home. Tens of thousands participate
in citizen science projects, conducting bird censuses in their
own backyards to help ornithologists track population trends.
To learn more, visit
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