Water: All wildlife needs a clean water
supply for drinking. Many also use wa-
ter to bathe, clean their food or breed. A
TELL US HOW
lake, pond or wetland can be the most
exciting element in a wildlife garden,
WE’RE DOING!
because of the wildlife it attracts. Water
To help us serve you better, please
supplies can be supplemented with
participate in our online survey.
birdbaths or mini-ponds. Even shallow
saucers of water placed on the ground
Visit our website at:
or low-lying puddle areas will serve
www.NATriangle.com
as welcome water sources for some
wildlife.
Places to Raise Young: Many of
the same elements that provide shelter
also provide places for wildlife to raise
their young. Mature trees, dense shrubs,
fallen logs, hollow trees and dens in the
ground are good nesting locations for
many animals. Larval host plants may
be provided as places for nourishing
young in a butterfly garden. Nesting
boxes and platforms, bat boxes and toad
abodes also make intriguing additions
to a yard habitat.
Whatever the size, any backyard or
garden space can contain some of each
of the three essential habitat elements
for wildlife. Whether we plant a tree
for local bird nesting, create a modest
butterfly garden, eliminate chemicals or
choose to leave a small corner of native
plants for wildlife, each small decision
is a step in the right direction for pre-
serving the natural beauty of the world
around us.
It’s also a lovely thing to do for our-
selves and our families. When we catch
a quick glimpse of a fluttering hum-
mingbird or watch the transformation of
a caterpillar from chrysalis to butterfly,
and realize that we played a part in
their journey, we discover that providing
habitat for wildlife adds as much to our
lives as it does to theirs.
To play a role in the preservation of
butterflies, songbirds or even a regional
endangered species is a miraculous feel-
ing, and one we’ll want to nurture.
Betsy S. Franz is a freelance writer and
photographer specializing in the environ-
ment and may be reached at
NaturesDetails.net. She developed Proj-
ect Backyard Brevard in Brevard County,
FL to help residents maintain natural
habitat based on National Wildlife Feder-
ation principles (see
nwf.org/backyard).
natural awakenings March 2010 49
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