Nature in Our Own Backyards

If you are someone with a perfectly green, weed free yard you might have some trouble attracting nature. Sure, you can add some bird feeders and pretty flowers to attract butterflies but did you know you can easily multiply the number of birds, animals and plants you can find in your yard if you're a little more eco-friendly?

There are some critters we don't want coming into the house of course so as you plan to make your garden and yard more eco friendly you might want to consider the big picture. If you don't like mice and snakes, don't put the wood pile up by the back door or next to the garden where you will be more likely to see them. Also, don't put wood or plant material right up next to any wooden parts of your home since this gives termites, carpenter ants, etc. access to your home. You might also be aware of where the bees, wasps and hornets are congregating early in the season to discourage their nesting in the vicinity of your sitting or play area. Remember that some, like yellow jackets, nest in the ground, while others may choose to build a nest under your gutters....be careful where you spray poison, though. Remember that all the honey bees and butterflies are insects, too....

Remember catching fireflies in mayonnaise jars with holes poked in the top? Maybe you caught tadpoles or polliwogs with a net and put them in a bucket. Did you catch grasshoppers and butterflies? Did you collect feathers, rocks or arrowheads?

Kids love to use tools like nets and shovels and they love to catch things, too. Most kids are not going to hurt the animals they catch and we adults can teach them many lessons of kindness and compassion as they learn to handle small animals with us. Keeping an animal for a brief period of time to study it or draw it will not hurt most animals however don't leave them out in the sun to get cooked....also, after a few hours, let them go. There will be others to catch and wild animals, even teeny tiny ones deserve their own wild life.

Yard sales and flea markets are great places to find nets if you can't find one in a nearby store. You'll want several different kinds and sizes depending on where and what you are catching. Most of us recycle jars, etc. so just keep a few plastic ones to hold small critters in or buy one of the small animal carriers or cages that come with handles and ventilated tops and are sold in most pet food stores. You can also order all sorts of gadgets online but I am a big believer in free and in recycling. Kids have been creating cages and shelters for years so maybe let them design and build their own.

A chemically clean swimming pool may be great to swim in but it isn't going to do much to attract nature and in fact, may kill any animals that try to drink it or fall in it. Does that mean you should give up your pool? Of course not.

Offer an alternative spot for wildlife.

You might just put out a shallow bowl or two with water in the garden. You might put out decorative bird baths. If you can add a fountain mechanism (you can usually find these quite inexpensively) that is even better. You should empty containers of still water each day to keep the mosquitoes and other unfriendly bugs at bay but moving water will have to be changed less frequently.

Add a water feature with a fountain or small rechargeable water fall. If you can do it, these make great places for kids to explore for they often attract all sorts of wildlife, including frogs and toads, small snakes, birds, mammals and many insects, depending on the area you live in.

There are so many great ideas for adding water features out there today that a casual internet search or visit to a local garden center should give you tons of ideas.

Remember, small is great. It doesn't have to be fancy to attract a variety of wildlife. You can put out a bowl today....

It doesn't take much to encourage wildflowers to grow in our yards. We just have to change the way we think about weeds. Most are native plants that offer food and shelter to all sorts of insects, animals and birds and it is a great way to show children the cycle of life all year long. Many weeds are planted in our yards by birds that eat a fruit or berry in one place and poop it out in another....other plants blow in on the wind, like milkweeds.

Butterflies and other insects are mostly not born looking the way they will turn out so offering a good mix of native plants allows the entire life cycle of these animals to take place in your own backyard. Many beneficial insects such as ladybugs and praying mantises will move right in as long as you do not cut down the old weeds until after the eggs hatch in the spring. In many cases you can see the egg cases right on the plants and the kids can watch for the hatch date. There's nothing quite like watching hundreds of tiny mantises emerge from their egg case!

Spiders will also move right in and the kids can learn about the different types and strategies of webs. Did you know that most types of garden spiders are beneficial to your garden since they eat the insects that may want to eat your flowers or vegetables?

Learning to love weeds may take longer for some than for others but who cannot enjoy the beauty of a Queen Anne's lace? Also, many so called weeds are edible and can be used in salads, to make teas and other things. Get the kids involved and see what you can come up with.

Sometimes just hanging out with the flowers, bees and butterflies can be good for everyone. It can lead to daydreaming and lazing in the sun....and we can all use more of that!

One word of caution here: beware of poisonous plants with very young children, such as deadly nightshade. This is a very recognizable plant and easy to pull out. Also, beware of poison ivy and other such plants that can cause bad rashes.

Depending on where you live you can invite even more wildlife to your yard by adding feeders and the right kind of shelters. A little homework at local nature centers or bird feed stores will help you figure out what might work best for your area.

Do you have bats in your yard at dusk? Maybe add a bat house.

Do you have birds in the neighborhood? Bird feeders are very common but to attract the birds you want to see check out which kind of seed to offer. Don't forget that bird feeders may also attract other wildlife such as rodents and the things that feed on them. Some people love this and watch their feeders at night, too, but if thinking about mice under the bird feeder gives you the heeby jeebies you might look for a spill proof feeder.

And then there are the squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and woodchucks.....

Squirrels...you either love 'em or hate 'em but they are here to stay. You and the kids can entertain yourself trying to rig the feeders so the squirrels can't get in them. Good luck.

Chipmunks will make holes everywhere and many folks really hate them. They have a LOT of predators so a well balanced yard or area should see some natural moderating going on in this department. As for the rabbits and woodchucks? Why not put up fences around the areas you don't want them in and let them nibble away on the wildflowers?

In some areas deer have become real pests and are eating ornamental plantings. You may find that adding real native bushes, trees and flowers will attract them away from your expensive ornamentals....

Every homeowner has to be honest about their own comfort level with wildlife but even those that are afraid of certain animals or hate others have something to teach the kids if they are calm about it. Cutting the scary snake in half with a shovel is probably not the best lesson to teach your kids but for those living with poisonous snakes keeping your yard free of them can be an issue that should be discussed and could become a lesson. Also, common sense living in areas with wild cats and bears is a good thing, too. I happen to live in an area that has none of those concerns and no poisonous snakes. We do have some pretty feisty seagulls though....