Certified Wildlife Habitat
Apr. 3rd, 2017 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithToday we registered our yard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. The National Wildlife Federation has a page on gardening for wildlife which lays out the components. I have boldfaced the ones I have.
Walk with me ....
FOOD
What food sources do I need to certify?
Your habitat needs three of the following types of plants or supplemental feeders:
Seeds from a plant
Berries
Nectar
Foliage/Twigs
Nuts
Fruits
Sap
Pollen
Suet
Bird Feeder
Squirrel Feeder (basically the same hopper and fly-through feeders as the birds use)
Hummingbird Feeder (I own one, which I hang in summer if I see hummingbirds; I also plant suitable flowers)
Butterfly Feeder
WATER
What water sources do I need to certify?
Your habitat needs one of the following sources to provide clean water for wildlife to drink and bathe:
Birdbath
Lake
Stream
Seasonal Pool (parts of the prairie garden flood)
Ocean
Water Garden/Pond (used to have, don't currently)
River
Butterfly Puddling Area (puddles at the end of the driveway)
Rain Garden (corner of house near main door)
Spring
I keep trying to coax the butterflies into puddling somewhere they will be safer. They drink from the puddles in the road too. :/ So far, they'll puddle if I put out a dish, but they won't quit drinking out of the driveway.
COVER
What kind of cover should I provide?
Wildlife need at least two places to find shelter from the weather and predators:
Wooded Area
Bramble Patch
Ground Cover
Rock Pile or Wall
Cave
Roosting Box
Dense Shrubs or Thicket
Evergreens
Brush or Log Pile
Burrow (rabbits dig their own)
Meadow or Prairie
Water Garden or Pond
Not listed on their site, but different and enormously popular: the giant piles of mulch. My detritus food chain is 3 days to apex. \o/ Shelter for beneficial bacteria, fungi, pillbugs, beetles, earthworms, centipedes, spiders, and toads.
And let's not forget the honeybee tree near the orchard. :D
YOUNG
How can I give wildlife a place to raise their young?
You need at least two places for wildlife to engage in courtship behavior, mate, and then bear and raise their young:
Mature Trees
Meadow or Prairie
Nesting Box
Wetland
Cave
Host Plants for Caterpillars
Dead Trees or Snags
Dense Shrubs or a Thicket
Water Garden or Pond
Burrow
In addition to the standing snags, we also have rotten logs.
Not mentioned on their page, dead leaves are important for many ground-dwelling species. What little raking we do generally gets dumped atop my flowerbeds, creating a cozy place for dead leaf likers.
SUSTAINABILITY
What sustainable gardening practices do I need to certify?
You need to employ practices from at least two of the three categories below to help manage your habitat in a sustainable way. To better help wildlife, we advocate using one or more practices from each category.
Soil and Water Conservation:
• Riparian Buffer
• Capture Rain Water from Roof (see Rain Garden)
• Xeriscape (water-wise landscaping) (because we water almost nothing)
• Drip or Soaker Hose for Irrigation
• Limit Water Use
• Reduce Erosion (i.e. ground cover, terraces)
• Use Mulch
• Rain Garden
I hand-water newly planted things, potted plants, and fancier things like herbs if the weather gets too dry. But for the most part, things I plant are expected to take care of themselves.
Controlling Exotic Species:
• Practice Integrated Pest Management (all my mantids, let me show you them!)
• Remove Non-Native Plants and Animals (well, I try)
• Use Native Plants
• Reduce Lawn Areas
Areas of lawn: space between house and orchard, south lot, ritual meadow. Everything else: orchard, forest in streetside yard, savanna, prairie garden.
Organic Practices:
• Eliminate Chemical Pesticides (rarely used to control invasives such as Japanese beetles nothing will eat)
• Eliminate Chemical Fertilizers (occasionally come in potting soil)
• Compost
I have neither the funds, patience, nor inclination to use pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or other agrochemicals. I use compost or composted manure most often. Sometimes potting soil comes with some added, and I've used a few soil amendments for fussy plants. But mostly I can't be bothered. I expect things to take care of themselves.
Not mentioned on their page, I'm also into permaculture, including guilds. Rather than trying to make a fancy garden out of everything, I draw much of my inspiration from local ecosystems and from indigenous food forests. My permaculture principles boil down to "Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can." Gaia is sufficiently pleased with this arrangement to have planted an elderberry tree in the orchard that I didn't have to pay for. \o/
Learn more about how to design a wildlife garden and attract wildlife to your yard. Short on space? Use containers. Here is a video series on gardening for wildlife.
Walk with me ....
FOOD
What food sources do I need to certify?
Your habitat needs three of the following types of plants or supplemental feeders:
Seeds from a plant
Berries
Nectar
Foliage/Twigs
Nuts
Fruits
Sap
Pollen
Suet
Bird Feeder
Squirrel Feeder (basically the same hopper and fly-through feeders as the birds use)
Hummingbird Feeder (I own one, which I hang in summer if I see hummingbirds; I also plant suitable flowers)
Butterfly Feeder
WATER
What water sources do I need to certify?
Your habitat needs one of the following sources to provide clean water for wildlife to drink and bathe:
Birdbath
Lake
Stream
Seasonal Pool (parts of the prairie garden flood)
Ocean
Water Garden/Pond (used to have, don't currently)
River
Butterfly Puddling Area (puddles at the end of the driveway)
Rain Garden (corner of house near main door)
Spring
I keep trying to coax the butterflies into puddling somewhere they will be safer. They drink from the puddles in the road too. :/ So far, they'll puddle if I put out a dish, but they won't quit drinking out of the driveway.
COVER
What kind of cover should I provide?
Wildlife need at least two places to find shelter from the weather and predators:
Wooded Area
Bramble Patch
Ground Cover
Rock Pile or Wall
Cave
Roosting Box
Dense Shrubs or Thicket
Evergreens
Brush or Log Pile
Burrow (rabbits dig their own)
Meadow or Prairie
Water Garden or Pond
Not listed on their site, but different and enormously popular: the giant piles of mulch. My detritus food chain is 3 days to apex. \o/ Shelter for beneficial bacteria, fungi, pillbugs, beetles, earthworms, centipedes, spiders, and toads.
And let's not forget the honeybee tree near the orchard. :D
YOUNG
How can I give wildlife a place to raise their young?
You need at least two places for wildlife to engage in courtship behavior, mate, and then bear and raise their young:
Mature Trees
Meadow or Prairie
Nesting Box
Wetland
Cave
Host Plants for Caterpillars
Dead Trees or Snags
Dense Shrubs or a Thicket
Water Garden or Pond
Burrow
In addition to the standing snags, we also have rotten logs.
Not mentioned on their page, dead leaves are important for many ground-dwelling species. What little raking we do generally gets dumped atop my flowerbeds, creating a cozy place for dead leaf likers.
SUSTAINABILITY
What sustainable gardening practices do I need to certify?
You need to employ practices from at least two of the three categories below to help manage your habitat in a sustainable way. To better help wildlife, we advocate using one or more practices from each category.
Soil and Water Conservation:
• Riparian Buffer
• Capture Rain Water from Roof (see Rain Garden)
• Xeriscape (water-wise landscaping) (because we water almost nothing)
• Drip or Soaker Hose for Irrigation
• Limit Water Use
• Reduce Erosion (i.e. ground cover, terraces)
• Use Mulch
• Rain Garden
I hand-water newly planted things, potted plants, and fancier things like herbs if the weather gets too dry. But for the most part, things I plant are expected to take care of themselves.
Controlling Exotic Species:
• Practice Integrated Pest Management (all my mantids, let me show you them!)
• Remove Non-Native Plants and Animals (well, I try)
• Use Native Plants
• Reduce Lawn Areas
Areas of lawn: space between house and orchard, south lot, ritual meadow. Everything else: orchard, forest in streetside yard, savanna, prairie garden.
Organic Practices:
• Eliminate Chemical Pesticides (rarely used to control invasives such as Japanese beetles nothing will eat)
• Eliminate Chemical Fertilizers (occasionally come in potting soil)
• Compost
I have neither the funds, patience, nor inclination to use pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or other agrochemicals. I use compost or composted manure most often. Sometimes potting soil comes with some added, and I've used a few soil amendments for fussy plants. But mostly I can't be bothered. I expect things to take care of themselves.
Not mentioned on their page, I'm also into permaculture, including guilds. Rather than trying to make a fancy garden out of everything, I draw much of my inspiration from local ecosystems and from indigenous food forests. My permaculture principles boil down to "Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can." Gaia is sufficiently pleased with this arrangement to have planted an elderberry tree in the orchard that I didn't have to pay for. \o/
Learn more about how to design a wildlife garden and attract wildlife to your yard. Short on space? Use containers. Here is a video series on gardening for wildlife.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-04-04 06:22 am (UTC)Absolutely yay!
(no subject)
Date: 2017-04-04 11:43 am (UTC)Well...
Date: 2017-04-04 04:37 pm (UTC)For your own interest, however, the most popular type of bat house offers different sizes of roost inside:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d6/9e/52/d69e522572eebc27ca212c6c9d646d5d.jpg
http://www.vsgram.net/?image=http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/for/for48/figure%204%20copy.gif&title=bat%20house%20plans%20pdf&tag=bat%20house%20plans%20pdf
(no subject)
Date: 2017-04-04 01:34 pm (UTC)(Hey I bet once my Dad gets going on his new garden it'll be certifiable...)
Yes...
Date: 2017-04-04 04:20 pm (UTC)Re: Yes...
Date: 2017-04-05 02:26 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-04-04 03:41 pm (UTC)Sidenote: walked to the levee yesterday and spotted Swainson's hawk, the gray squirrel that has been noising about the neighborhood the past 4 days, and either an otter or muskrat - couldn't tell at a distance. Kiteflying was an added attraction, too.
Thoughts
Date: 2017-04-04 04:25 pm (UTC):D Some of the most prominent wildlife is spineless. I can't scrape aside a layer of leaves or bark without finding ladybugs, or stick a trowel in the soil without finding earthworms. The mulch piles are crawling with life. So are the raspberry patches. One year I was just amazed at the massive layer of insect life and the berries still fine. The bugs were eating each other.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-04-04 04:09 pm (UTC)Congratulations, you! Your local habitat is very nice to hear about.
Thank you!
Date: 2017-04-04 04:22 pm (UTC)Now you know what the categories are, will you try to fill in what you're missing?
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2017-04-04 06:25 pm (UTC)We also benefit from a nearby cattail marsh, and we may be able to coax part of it onto our land, which would neatly meet the requirement, and protect that part of the cattail marsh from future development. I'd need to lower some area, but that's entirely doable.
I blogged about this here to avoid putting a wall of text in your comments. Thanks!
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2017-04-04 06:33 pm (UTC)Woohoo!
>> Water is the sticking point for me, too - this is a desert, after all. Things like a bird bath or a butterfly dish wouldn't be difficult to set up and maintain; we'd just have to keep the feral and semi-feral cats from making them a worse deal than no water at all. <<
Possibilities:
Create a butterfly puddling station. This is easy to do with a birdbath or clay pot tray. Fill with a mix of sand and soil. Add a small amount of wood ash and a few pinches of mineral salt or sea salt for trace elements. Water it enough to make the surface moist but not soggy. If you keep this in the shade and water it in the morning, then it doesn't take much water to stay damp through the day.
If you want a birdbath but worry about predators, consider a hanging dish.
>> We also benefit from a nearby cattail marsh, and we may be able to coax part of it onto our land, which would neatly meet the requirement, and protect that part of the cattail marsh from future development. I'd need to lower some area, but that's entirely doable. <<
That would be awesome.
>> I blogged about this here to avoid putting a wall of text in your comments. Thanks!<<
Yay! I'll have to check that out.
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2017-04-04 08:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-04-05 12:29 am (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2017-04-05 01:08 am (UTC)And yes, a key reason much of our yard is landscaped for wildlife is to reduce mowing. It's less work, better for the environment, so we only maintain the amount of yard we need.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-04-09 04:59 am (UTC)