Landscaping for Backyard Wildlife

Urban sprawl is rapidly advancing across the United States. Dense forests and vast prairies are being broken up, deforested and developed in a patchwork of neighborhoods and shopping malls, cutting animals off from hunting grounds, breeding areas and protective habitats. The grass lawns, streets and parking lots that are resurrected in their place do little to provide any of these important functions to local wildlife populations threatened by urban or suburbanization, creating a significant risk for entire species of wild animals.

Urbanization is a problem for the environment. However, there is a solution. Urbanization does not have to mean an "us or them" proposition between humans and wildlife. The two can co-exist, bridging the patchwork of neighborhoods to existing wildscape areas by providing basic elements to benefit both wildlife and the neighborhood; food, a water source, nesting sites and a place to raise young.

Creating a backyard wildlife habitat is a simple matter of devoting time to research. A homeowner must simply choose and plant a variety of native plants, install a water source such as a birdbath, a puddling area or a pond or stream, and provide trees, bushes and shrubbery for food, shelter and nesting sites. Nesting boxes can also be installed for butterflies and birds to encourage spring nesting. Even apartment dwellers can help wildlife by creating small habitats on balconies or rooftops. A small space can have a few pots of colorful flowers which provide beneficial nesting sites, larval host plants and nectar next to a small saucer with moist mud to create a puddling area for butterflies.

There is a great significance to landscaping with native plants. Native plants are specially designed for the area in which they grow. They are hardy to their native regions and provide low maintenance yet beautiful plants often under extreme conditions. Also, native plants need little water once established and thus reduce water usage and provide texture and color from the otherwise stale, thirsty, grass lawn. Non-natives, or plants that have been imported from another region, lack the natural predators that provide populations control. Birds eat and digest the seeds, dropping them in undeveloped areas where, left growing unchecked will choke out entire native populations of plant life that wildlife depends upon for food, nesting and shelter. A good example of this is an herbaceous weedy vine known as kudzu, imported from Japan and planted heavily in the 1930's and 1940's to prevent erosion in the southeastern United States. Unfortunately, in this warm, moist environment, kudzu can grow at the rate of 1 foot per day, quickly taking over and choking out native vegetation including trees, plants, vines and anything else in its path. Kudzu is a wildly respected plant in Japan where it is used as a food additive and for medicinal purposes. However, without its native insects to keep it in check, as in Japan, it simply grows out of control, destroying entire forests and wild areas. The example of kudzu should caution any homeowner from planting non-natives in their areas.

State and federal organizations and governmental entities are beginning to recognize the importance of compensating for the destruction of habitat loss and the increasing threat of non-native vegetation. In response, they have developed programs to encourage people to create habitats in their backyards. Homeowners can certify their backyard wildlife habitats with the National Wildlife Federation and receive a sign, certificate and information from the National Wildlife Federation on programs designed to protect wildlife and the environment. As well, many states offer another certification through wildlife and habitat loss programs. For example, Texas residents can certify with the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife and Washington offers certification through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Humans have an awesome responsibility as stewards of the environment. If we destroy habitats for our own purposes, we must do all we can to compensate for the destruction. With a little work and a lot of dedication, humans can help guide the wildlife into a new generation.