By Catie Resor
As a land trust, we seek to preserve pockets of natural habitat in the face of increasing development. Despite our continued efforts, the reality is that much of the land area around us has already been cleared for businesses and neighborhoods. Even with this loss of natural habitat, we can all still contribute to supporting wildlife with the choices we make around our lawns and gardens. Travel through any neighborhood and you will notice that most properties are planted primarily with non-native turf grasses and shrubs. Introducing a diversity of native plantings can turn your landscape from a resource desert into a supportive habitat for birds and other wildlife. The good news is that even small changes can make a difference.
Here are four ways you can make your yard more welcoming to birds and other wildlife:
1. Plant natives! Native plants are uniquely adapted to our climate and soils, making them easy to grow without supplemental water and fertilizers. They evolved here in Connecticut alongside our native insects, birds, and other wildlife and are important and recognized food sources for these creatures. If you enjoy flower gardening, there are many beautiful native perennials that make wonderful garden specimens. Don’t forget that the choices you make in terms of trees and shrubs matter as well. Native woody plants like oaks and spicebush offer a wealth of resources to insects and other wildlife. Native flowering plants provide habitat for native insects, an important food source for birds. After flowering, many also provide seeds and fruit for hungry birds.
Here are a few examples of native plants that provide food and habitat:
2. Leave it messy! Gardeners often spend a good deal of energy neatening up their garden spaces. This is often detrimental to our native wildlife. Here are a few ways to leave your yard a little wilder:
- Don’t deadhead your flowers. Even when it’s no longer the growing season native plants are important food sources. Leave the seeds for hungry birds!
- Mulch your garden with fallen leaves rather than bark mulch. Native insects rely on leaf litter to overwinter. Bark mulch does not behave the same way and can prevent insects like native bees, fireflies, moths and butterflies from burrowing under leaves for protection from the winter cold.
- Keep a brush pile. Birds can use the structure for protection from predators and inclement weather.
- Leave dead trees and stumps when possible. Birds can nest in any cavities and the insects that move into decaying wood are an additional food source.
3. Offer water. Keep a small birdbath or saucer with fresh water available for your birds. This can be particularly important during the winter months. Consider offering a heated/ice free winter water source.
4. Keep birds safe. Avoid using pesticides and keep your cats indoors. Cats are a major predator of wild birds. Window collisions are another major source of mortality. Think about breaking up the reflection of your windows especially during spring and fall migrations.
Resources: For more information on landscaping to support birds, check out…
The CT DEEP: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/plants/plants
The National Audubon Society: https://www.audubon.org/plantsforbirds
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/attract-birds-gardening-native-plants-insects/