8/8/2019 Poster - An Invitation to a Healthy Residential Yards

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/poster-an-invitation-to-a-healthy-residential-yards 1/2

Yards are personal havens for recreation, rest,and relaxation. By adopting a few basic princi-ples, your yard can become a sanctuary for

wildlife as well. As you create habitat that supportsbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife, you also ensurethat your yard remains healthy for you and your fam-ily. And by learning about the plants and animalsnative to your area, you renew your connection withthe natural world.

 WHY “BIRDSCAPE”?Birdscaping—providing food, water, protective cover,and nesting sites for birds—offers a lifetime of learn-ing, excitement, and entertainment while helping localbird populations. Over 650 bird species nest inNorth America, and a birdscaped yard can connectyou with dozens of local resident birds and manyadditional migratory species that will stop by as theytravel across the hemisphere. Many backyard birds

are summer visitors that spend their winters inCentral America and South America, while others arewinter visitors that spend their summers in northernboreal forests. Birdscaping can help to ensure thesurvival of the many individuals that winter, nest, ormigrate through your area each year.

While bird feeders and a source of water willeasily attract the more common bird species to youryard, the best way to attract and help most birds isto plant native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Theseplants provide the nesting, roosting, and foragingopportunities that your local birds need, and canhelp to replace natural habitats destroyed, degraded,and fragmented by development. Consult with yourlocal NRCS office to identify native plants suited tothe local soil conditions. For more information onhow to attract and help the birds in your area, visitwww.audubonathome.org/forthebirds.

BATS

Bats are an often overlooked part of our localenvironment. In the United States,47 bat speciesinconspicuously patrol the night skies. Many can

consume 30–50 percent of their body weight ininsects each night. Since some species can devour upto 600 mosquitoes or other insects each hour, bats

are an important part of a natural insect controlsystem. Other bats eat fruit and nectar and play animportant role in pollinating native plants anddispersing seeds. Contrary to popular opinion, batsare not aggressive and they do not play a significantrole in transmitting rabies to humans. To invite thesesophisticated creatures to your yard, you can install abat house at a height of at least 10 feet on astructure that faces the morning sun. For bat housedesigns and more information, visitwww.audubonathome.org/bats.

BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies can be persuaded to visit a yard of anysize. Over 700 butterfly species inhabit the UnitedStates, and local species will visit your yard if you

invite them by planting appropriate flowering plantsas food for the adults, and additional vegetation ashost plants for their eggs and the caterpillars. Somebutterfly species are declining in number due topesticide use, habitat loss, or unusual climateconditions; providing the appropriate plants forthese species may help them to recover. For moreinformation about which species reside in ormigrate through your community, and to learnwhich plants to provide for them,visitwww.audubonathome.org/butterflies.

THE OTHER “B”Most of the bees that pollinate native plants do notlive together in hives.Many of these native solitarybees are declining, but you may be able to help them

by building a bee box. Simply drill small holes into anuntreated block of wood,or tie a bundle of driedstems together and place them outdoors. Solitarybees will lay their eggs in the holes, which thenserve as a nursery. For more information onhowto help these beneficial insects, visitwww.audubonathome.org/solitarybees.

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR

Share your wildlife habitat with your humanneighbors as well. Show them your native plants andyour efforts to help birds and other wildlife. Tellthem about your stand against pesticides and yourcommitment to making your property as welcomingto wildlife as possible. Then invite them to takeactions of their own. Begin a neighborhood natureclub or wildlife association, and challenge people todedicate part of their yard to wildlife. Link yourhabitat with that of adjoining neighbors to create alarger area of viable, pesticide-free and cat-freehabitat. Note the changes you begin to see. Arethere more birds and what kind? How aboutpollinators? What new animals tend to linger in youryard or community? Keep a record of what you see,and celebrate each exciting wildlife encounter withyour friends and neighbors. For more informationon working together to help birds and otherwildlife in your community, visitwww.audubonathome.org/neighborhood.

HEALTHY YARD PLEDGE

Create and maintain a healthy environment for you,your family, and local wildlife by pledging to:

U Reduce pesticide useU Conserve waterU Protect water qualityU Remove invasive exotic plantsU Plant native speciesU Support wildlife on your property

Visit www.audubonathome.org/pledge tomake the pledge online.

CREATING A HEALTHY YARD

The AUDUBON AT HOME website contains informationand downloadable resources to help you plan anddevelop your property in a wildlife-friendly way. You’llfind regional resources and information about the birds,other wildlife, and native plants in your area. Visitwww.audubonathome.org.

NRCS’S BACKYARD CONSERVATION website alsoshows ways to help the environment and to make youryard more attractive and enjoyable.Visitwww.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard.

AN INVITATION TO A HEALTHY YARD

This publication is printed cooperatively by Audubon and the Natural ResourcesConservation Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service © National Audubon Society, Inc., 2006

8/8/2019 Poster - An Invitation to a Healthy Residential Yards

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/poster-an-invitation-to-a-healthy-residential-yards 2/2

Invite Birds, Bats, and Butterflies toYOUR YARD

NATIVE PLANTS, including trees,shrubs, and groundcover, createmultiple layers of attractive habitat forbirds and beneficial insects. Plantshrubs in a way that best mimicsnatural habitat, and use them aroundthe foundation of your home and theborders of your yard.

Tree cavities can be difficult for nestingbirds to find in many developed areas.BIRDHOUSES offer a goodalternative.Chickadees, titmice, wrens,and even screech-owls are some of thebirds that might take up residence inappropriately sized nest boxes.

Carefully placed BIRD FEEDERSprovide opportunities to watch birds atclose range. Different feeders aredesigned for different seeds, so chooseappropriate seeds and feeders for thebirds in your area.

A source of  WATER, such as a well-maintained birdbath or small pond,will attract birds and beneficial insectssuch as butterflies. Shallow edges allowbirds to bathe and drink withoutgetting too wet.

An estimated 1 billion birds die eachyear from crashing into windows.Decorate the outside surface of your WINDOWS to make the glass visibleto birds, or install screens as a barrierto keep them at a distance.

Hummingbirds may be attracted toa HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER,especially when the feeder isplaced among red or yellow tube-shaped wildflowers.

A BUTTERFLY GARDEN of nativewildflowers, including plants that providefood for caterpillars,will attract a host of winged jewels to your yard.

A BAT HOUSE mounted on yourhouse may provide an important roostingsite for these nocturnal insect hunters.

CATS kill millions of birds and othernative animals each year.Keep your catindoors to protect birds, as well as tokeep your cat safe and healthy.

BIRDS TO HELP IN YOUR YARD

When designing and maintaining the habitat in your yard, try to provide food, shelter,and nesting sites for five or six bird species that need the most support in your regionof the country.Then keep a close watch to see how the birds respond to your efforts.To determine which species near you need the most help, and to find ways to helpsupport them on your property, visit www.audubonathome.org/birdstohelp.

My target species Action points

8 965

3 421

ILLUSTRATION BY RICK BROWN

For more information, visi t www.audubonathome.org/yard • For individual copies of this poster, call 1-888-LANDCARE.

7

8

6

5

3

4

2

1

9

7