We recently attended a wild bird workshop that discussed creating and certifying a property such as our yard as a wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. The intention of the wildlife habitat certification program is to encourage people to make adjustments to their yards to benefit not only wild birds but also many other creatures, such as frogs, toads, bees, and butterflies. The program also results in increased species biodiversity and the support of native plants.
We've seen all kinds of wildlife on our property, but some are not visible during the full spring-to-fall growing season, and when they are present, they are not in great numbers. So, we're looking forward to adding a few elements to our property to attract and keep more wildlife around.
I'm especially interested in how we can make our yard, fields, and garden more attractive to frogs, toads, and gardener snakes. As you may recall, we had a mama gardener snake and her babies hanging around our front yard near the porch last summer, and the mama was also seen out in the garden and the farthest field near the creek. I'm pretty sure they were eating the voles that destroyed our garden, as the mama snake grew tremendously large, exceeding five feet in length and several inches in diameter. I had never seen a gardener snake of that size before, and she startled me each time I saw her to the extent that I would let out a bloodcurdling scream in terror each time. Despite my startled screams, I was amazed by her and wanted her to stick around and thrive. As fall approached and we stopped seeing her, I was sad and worried about what had happened to her. Hopefully, she is still around and will reappear in the spring. She and her offspring need to eat more voles before the growing season gets underway, as I don't want a repeat of last year's garden destruction due to voles.
Two summers ago, we had a toad out in the chicken run hanging out by the duck pool. The area under the pool is muddy all day. The toad grew enormous, and I was eager to see him whenever I went in there. But eventually, it disappeared, too. I've occasionally seen a few other toads and frogs in the garden during the growing season, so I know we have the potential to attract them here.
Frogs, toads, and snakes need water sources and cool hiding places. Since we don't get much rainfall during the summer, I'm thinking about creating several shallow watering stations I can put water into daily, which I'll place in shady spots or create shade to go over them. Clay flowerpots placed on their sides with a nest of dirt, moss, or straw inside can serve as resting and hiding places, which I'll place around the garden and in the flower beds. Below are links to two articles that show examples of the kinds of changes we'll be making to attract wildlife to our yard.
- Five tips to help frogs and toads in your yard
- Wildlife habitat yards - This one is from our state, which also has a habitat program and signage that you can get if you certify through them.
In reviewing the National Wildlife Federation's checklist to become certified as a wildlife habitat, our property meets all the requirements. Even so, there's always room for improvement, so we will do more this spring to see whether we can attract beneficial creatures in larger numbers and for greater duration. We also plan to purchase the signage to communicate with neighbors about the property's designation. There's a community trail that winds along our property, so placing a sign there will let neighbors know about the program and perhaps inspire a few to look into the program and participate in it with their own yards, as well.
To learn more about the National Wildlife Program's Wildlife Habitat program, click on the link below:
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