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10-20-2007, 12:06 PM
NIKI SULLIVAN
The News Tribune
Published: October 20th, 2007 01:59 AM
For many gardeners, wildlife is the enemy: All it does is eat the fruits, vegetables and flowers of your labors.
But others celebrate the squirrels, rejoice in the birds and don’t squirm at the sight of snakes.
“We take the Walden last name seriously,” said Erin Walden, who lives on the Fort Lewis military base with her husband and twin daughters.
The Waldens transformed their backyard into a wildlife habitat by planting lots of native shrubs and trees, putting out bird feeders, providing water and avoiding pesticides that could harm the wildlife.
Earlier this year, they had their backyard sanctuary certified by the National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. There are nearly 300 households registered for the program in Pierce County.
In addition to the NWF program, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has a similar program, called the Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program. There are currently about 5,000 households in Western Washington registered with that program.
Chris Anderson, a wildlife biologist for the WDFW, said the program helps create a connection to nature for city dwellers.
“It’s something that is really valuable in an area where things are more developed, to really realize that a lot of these green spaces are really valuable,” he said.
For the Waldens, that’s been true. Erin Walden said it’s turned their yard into an interactive experience: The family loves to watch the birds and animals outside, and the girls enjoy learning more about each of the species when they’re indoors.
“The birds are so accustomed to us that they’re not bothered by us being out there,” she said.
Walden said caring for wildlife is a family tradition.
“My grandmother, her mother, my mother, my aunt, my cousin, they were all farmers and gardeners,” she said. “My mother has some of my grandmother’s mother’s plants on her farm.”
Walden’s love of nature goes beyond the easy-to-love species, like ladybugs and hummingbirds.
“We just had a bat,” she said – in the house.
“Bats are wonderful. Bats, snakes, spiders – all the things that people think are creepy are actually wonderful,” she said.
In addition to planting animal-friendly native plants, the Waldens eschew pesticides.
“It’s better to have a preying mantis to eat aphids than it is to put pesticides out and pollute the water,” she said.
The result is big, fat earthworms, plenty of bird nests, squirrels and all manner of other outdoor friends.
Janice Mileski, who lives in Tacoma, said building her backyard habitat has been a 20-year project.
But, she said, making your backyard wildlife-friendly isn’t that difficult. “Since I started here, I’ve made it a point to put in things that are native. After I started doing it, I noticed that I had a lot of bird life here. So it just grew by itself. … Sometimes all you need is water.”
She said she enjoys watching the birds from her window in the morning, “and for the fact that they need a habitat. More and more is being destroyed,” she said.
She’s right: According to the WDFW Web site, about 35,000 acres of habitat are lost each year in Washington to development.
Roxanne Paul, the coordinator for the NWF program, said she thinks the program is valuable because it’s a way for people to give something back. And they get something in return.
“Besides just helping, I think people enjoy watching the wildlife,” she said. It’s very soothing, especially because people don’t see wildlife as much as they used to.”
CreatE environment for wildlife
Want to make your backyard more wildlife-friendly? Follow these simple suggestions from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
1. Plant more trees and shrubs – and keep dead trees on the property if there’s no danger.
2. Add a source of water, like a birdbath or fountain.
3. Add a bird feeder – or several with different kinds of food.
4. If you can’t leave snags (dead trees), think about getting a birdhouse.
5. Cover places around the house where starlings or house sparrows might nest: They’re non-native and undesirable competitors for native birds.
6. Control cats: They’ll scare away birds that feed and nest on the ground.
7. Increase the habitat by getting neighbors involved. two programs to consider
The two programs – one from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the other from the National Wildlife Federation – have different requirements.
The state program costs $5 to join and doesn’t have exact specifications, other than the pledge that your backyard is an animal-friendly place.
The NWF program costs $15 and requires four things:
1. The yard must contain at least three food sources for native animals. Examples include native fruits and plants or bird feeders.
2. At least one water source. An example is a birdbath or pond.
3. At least two sources of cover, such as shrubs. This provides both a place to take cover and a place to raise young.
4. Show at least two sustainable gardening practices, such as mulching, conserving water or avoiding pesticides. To learn more
Visit the National Wildlife Federation at www.nwf.org or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at www.wdfw.wa.gov.
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/183628.html
The News Tribune
Published: October 20th, 2007 01:59 AM
For many gardeners, wildlife is the enemy: All it does is eat the fruits, vegetables and flowers of your labors.
But others celebrate the squirrels, rejoice in the birds and don’t squirm at the sight of snakes.
“We take the Walden last name seriously,” said Erin Walden, who lives on the Fort Lewis military base with her husband and twin daughters.
The Waldens transformed their backyard into a wildlife habitat by planting lots of native shrubs and trees, putting out bird feeders, providing water and avoiding pesticides that could harm the wildlife.
Earlier this year, they had their backyard sanctuary certified by the National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. There are nearly 300 households registered for the program in Pierce County.
In addition to the NWF program, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has a similar program, called the Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program. There are currently about 5,000 households in Western Washington registered with that program.
Chris Anderson, a wildlife biologist for the WDFW, said the program helps create a connection to nature for city dwellers.
“It’s something that is really valuable in an area where things are more developed, to really realize that a lot of these green spaces are really valuable,” he said.
For the Waldens, that’s been true. Erin Walden said it’s turned their yard into an interactive experience: The family loves to watch the birds and animals outside, and the girls enjoy learning more about each of the species when they’re indoors.
“The birds are so accustomed to us that they’re not bothered by us being out there,” she said.
Walden said caring for wildlife is a family tradition.
“My grandmother, her mother, my mother, my aunt, my cousin, they were all farmers and gardeners,” she said. “My mother has some of my grandmother’s mother’s plants on her farm.”
Walden’s love of nature goes beyond the easy-to-love species, like ladybugs and hummingbirds.
“We just had a bat,” she said – in the house.
“Bats are wonderful. Bats, snakes, spiders – all the things that people think are creepy are actually wonderful,” she said.
In addition to planting animal-friendly native plants, the Waldens eschew pesticides.
“It’s better to have a preying mantis to eat aphids than it is to put pesticides out and pollute the water,” she said.
The result is big, fat earthworms, plenty of bird nests, squirrels and all manner of other outdoor friends.
Janice Mileski, who lives in Tacoma, said building her backyard habitat has been a 20-year project.
But, she said, making your backyard wildlife-friendly isn’t that difficult. “Since I started here, I’ve made it a point to put in things that are native. After I started doing it, I noticed that I had a lot of bird life here. So it just grew by itself. … Sometimes all you need is water.”
She said she enjoys watching the birds from her window in the morning, “and for the fact that they need a habitat. More and more is being destroyed,” she said.
She’s right: According to the WDFW Web site, about 35,000 acres of habitat are lost each year in Washington to development.
Roxanne Paul, the coordinator for the NWF program, said she thinks the program is valuable because it’s a way for people to give something back. And they get something in return.
“Besides just helping, I think people enjoy watching the wildlife,” she said. It’s very soothing, especially because people don’t see wildlife as much as they used to.”
CreatE environment for wildlife
Want to make your backyard more wildlife-friendly? Follow these simple suggestions from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
1. Plant more trees and shrubs – and keep dead trees on the property if there’s no danger.
2. Add a source of water, like a birdbath or fountain.
3. Add a bird feeder – or several with different kinds of food.
4. If you can’t leave snags (dead trees), think about getting a birdhouse.
5. Cover places around the house where starlings or house sparrows might nest: They’re non-native and undesirable competitors for native birds.
6. Control cats: They’ll scare away birds that feed and nest on the ground.
7. Increase the habitat by getting neighbors involved. two programs to consider
The two programs – one from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the other from the National Wildlife Federation – have different requirements.
The state program costs $5 to join and doesn’t have exact specifications, other than the pledge that your backyard is an animal-friendly place.
The NWF program costs $15 and requires four things:
1. The yard must contain at least three food sources for native animals. Examples include native fruits and plants or bird feeders.
2. At least one water source. An example is a birdbath or pond.
3. At least two sources of cover, such as shrubs. This provides both a place to take cover and a place to raise young.
4. Show at least two sustainable gardening practices, such as mulching, conserving water or avoiding pesticides. To learn more
Visit the National Wildlife Federation at www.nwf.org or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at www.wdfw.wa.gov.
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/183628.html