Tips for a Wildlife-Friendly Yard

Want to see more wildlife in your backyard?  Want to make your yard more appealing habitat?  Not only is this great for the environment and the animals in it, it also can save on a lot of yard work for you.  I am a wildlife biology major in college, and last year I took a course called Wildlife Habitats.  We learned a lot of interesting things in that class, but one of the most interesting topics to me was learning how to make a backyard better habitat for wildlife.  Here are some of the tips we learned:

1.  Plant more native plants.
What many people don't realize is that many of the ornamental plants commonly used in landscaping are invasive or non-native plants.  At least in the northeastern United States, some common examples include autumn olive, burning bush, multiflora rose, and buckthorn.  These plants can often outcompete native plants and spread over the landscape.  The problem with these plants is that the food they produce is often of less nutritional value to animals.  Because native animals have not evolved with these plants, these animals can have trouble digesting the food of non-native plants.  This means that these species will have to search more for good quality food, and in doing so will have to leave your yard.  Planting native plants in your backyard will provide good, nutritious food for native wildlife, and you might even find a greater variety of animals visiting your yard.  Native plants are often better at absorbing water because they are more adapted to that specific environment.  In this way, native plants can help prevent flooding.  You can find a list of plants that are native to your area online, in field guides to planting with native flora, or simply by asking around at your local nursery.

2.  Plant more shrubs.
Many people like to plant ornamental trees, grasses, flowers, or hedges, and while these can all be beautiful, if you are looking to attract more wildlife it's a good idea to plant fruiting shrubs.  Planting a variety of native fruiting shrubs in your yard will attract a goldmine of birds.  Many small songbirds are attracted to shrubs for several reasons.  For one, shrubs provide dense cover.  Anyone who has attempted to trek through a thicket of shrubs can attest to this.  While this is a pain to try to walk through, it is an ideal place for a little bird to make a nest.
Shrubs provide protection from predators, a definite plus when you're a small bird.  Secondly, many shrubs produce berries that are of high nutritional value for songbirds.  Dogwoods are a great example of this.  Other ornamental plants fall short in this department.  If you like birds, PLANT SHRUBS.  As an added bonus, many other small species love shrubs as well, since these plants provide such excellent cover and food.

3.  Cut back on the size of your actual "lawn."
This is an option that some people might find less appealing, as I know many people like to have big lawns, but all that space is essentially lost habitat for many species.  Sure, you can get grazers like turkeys or deer occasionally feeding on an area of short grass, but they won't stick around for long, and for good reason.  Short grass is very open and makes animals very vulnerable, and is only true habitat for a limited number of species.  If you can cut down on the size of your grass lawn and replace parts of it with varied habitats like long grass, shrubs, or trees, you can attract a greater variety of species.  You will have more wild food sources on your property as well as more sheltered space where animals can feel safe.  I'm not saying you have to just "let your yard go" and have it look like you have just stopped caring about your property either.  You can plant "islands" of flowers, shrubs, trees, grasses, and end up looking like quite the landscaper!  As an added bonus, you will have less lawn to take care of if you let more of it go wild!

4.  Increase vertical layering.
Increasing the vertical layering of your yard means planting a variety of vegetation of different sizes and heights.  This will provide additional cover and more varied feeding opportunities for species that utilize different parts of vegetation.  Some species like to feed closer to the ground, while some exclusively feed higher up in trees.  Providing both types of habitat on your property will increase the diversity of species you will see.

5.  Provide sources of water.
This seems kind of obvious but many people don't have sources of water in their yards.  Water is an essential substance for wildlife, and having it available on your property will be a big attractant.  You may even see more aquatic species showing up, like turtles or salamanders or frogs!

6.  Build birdhouses.
Birdhouses, when built correctly, provide great nesting sites for small birds.  Be careful not to get one that is too tall and narrow.  My family has several bird houses on our land, and I recall once my dad installed one he had bought that turned out to be too narrow.  Birds would go into it to nest and would get trapped and die.  It was very sad.  Don't make the same mistake!

7.  Reduce pesticide use.
Some people use pesticides to protect ornamental plants.  While this may succeed in keeping the bugs away, it will also be a surefire way to discourage wildlife from visiting your yard.  Even if you are trying to target one specific type of bug, you can still kill off insects that are important to wildlife.  Insects are a key food item for most small mammals and birds, and allowing bugs to stay in your yard will attract the animals that eat them.