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Dawn
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| Posted: June 23 2006 at 6:29am | IP Logged
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I found this interesting article about turning a traditional yard into a wildlife habitat. This is something we've been working on, and I'd thought I'd ask what others do to attract and support wildlife in their yard. Birdfeeders? Pond? Toad home?
We're trying to do this for environmental reasons, but also because almost all of our nature study revolves around our suburban-sized yard and I want it to be as varied and interesting as possible. As I discussed in this thread, my youngest is a challenge in wide open areas, so it can be hard to relax and focus (nevermind sketch!) at a park or sanctuary. 
So it's in my best interest, for environmental and educational purposes, to attract as much flora and fauna as possible so we always have plenty to observe! 
So my question is, how do you make your backyard nature friendly?
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
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mom2mpr
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| Posted: June 23 2006 at 7:19am | IP Logged
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Well, for us it is easy....we do....nothing. Well, related to plants 
Really, the weeds grow(oh, and there are some pretty ones!), the grass grows-dh does mow around the house every week to try to keep the mice at bay, and I try to keep the dog to just the grass yard.
I like to let things go natually--even when I was in my little condo with a small spot for plants I researched the native plants I liked that would pretty much take care of themselves and planted them.
We do have a bird feeder in the winter only--I like them to eat the bugs in the summer. We enjoy seeing something alive in our backyard in January and February. I recently put out our hummingbird feeders and we just love those little guys so much! We have a bird bath and because the field is still field we see the deer.
I have toyed with planting milk weed but think there may be some out in the field since we can get some wonderful butterflies in the summer.
Anne
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: June 23 2006 at 7:58am | IP Logged
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Well, this isn't exactly what you asked, but it is how dh and I addressed this very topic.
"how do you make your backyard nature friendly?"
For us it was a matter of making a deliberate choice to live in a rural area with plenty of land around us. It was important that we live where our eyes are greeted each morning by more green than grey, and our feet tread upon more dirt than blacktop. Where the lines of the horizon rise and fall gently and the earth pours forth her bounty in cool rushing streams and rich black soil.
This meant that dh took a job making literally half of what he earned in FL, which was quite the sacrifice, but one that we never look back on.
And we look forward to the day when we move to Alaska (2 more years!) and our backyard nature study jumps to a whole new level.
But to answer your question more directly-we don't use herbicides or pesticides. Our lawn is a mixture of whatever grasses the Lord sends our way. We let it grow as long as we can stand it before we mow and we let the clippings compost where they fall. We leave as many areas around the farm as natural as we can. We DO NOT plant exotic species (except in the veggie garden) and encourage the growth of native plants. We let our woods take care of itself.
That's about it!
I have to say, though, that whatever YOU are doing, Dawn, must be right on, because I have never seen so much nature study come out of one suburban backyard!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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marcie
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 8:16am | IP Logged
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Well..according to the National Wildlife Foundation, to be a backyard habitat, it must provide shelter, food, water and a place to raise young.
We are in the process of being certified.
There is a great show on the Animal Planet called Backyard Habitat. We tivo it everyday and apply alot of what they suggest to our yard.
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Marcie Melancon
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Dawn
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 3:10pm | IP Logged
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marcie wrote:
| Well..according to the National Wildlife Foundation, to be a backyard habitat, it must provide shelter, food, water and a place to raise young. We are in the process of being certified. |
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Marcie, I was all set to post about these two things!  We actually have a certification sign, but have yet to post it in our yard.
marcie wrote:
| There is a great show on the Animal Planet called Backyard Habitat. We tivo it everyday and apply alot of what they suggest to our yard. |
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We love that program too!! We learn so much about wildlife *and* setting up our yard to attract it.
lapazfarm wrote:
| I have to say, though, that whatever YOU are doing, Dawn, must be right on, because I have never seen so much nature study come out of one suburban backyard! |
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We don't have a huge yard, and we live in a typical suburban neighborhood, but we do seem to get a lot of wildlife. Part of it is we live next to woods and a river. Part of it is we are home a lot and always looking out the windows or puttering in the yard. So, happily, we see a lot.
I've been looking around our yard and here is what I find makes it a welcoming habitat ...
Feeders:
3 tube feeders with black oil
1 hanging tray feeder with black oil
1 thistle tube feeder with plain nyger seed
2 suet cages
1 birdseed cake cage
* I used to scatter lots of seed and nuts on the ground but we've had too many casualties lately so I stopped. I want dh to make a couple of platform feeders to feed cardinals and doves etc.
* We have not had much luck with a hummingbird feeder. 
* I bought a squirrel feeding station - basically a wooden platform with a post onto which we stick dried corn cobs.
* I want to make some homemade feeders with the kids.
Water - We have a bird bath with agitator (heated in winter)
Shelter - Birdhouses and nests don't seem to "take" in our yard. I think first of all it's a very bustling area with all the feeders *and* with those deep woods behind us, they probably can nest more peacefully nearby.
* I'd like to make a toad house now that we've had several toad encounters.
* Would love to attract salamanders (and there was a Backyard Habitat episode about that too I remember).
* Thought about a bat house, but they already live in the woods.
Like Theresa, we don't use any chemicals in our yard (much to our neighbors' dismay ). We let things overgrow, too.
What I'd like to work on is planting more bird (and butterfly) friendly flowers and bushes. Still working on that list ...
Sorry to go on and on.  I love this subject, and love comparing notes with other nature enthusiasts. 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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Elizabeth
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Our neighborhood is actually a National Wildlife Federation Certified Community. I think this was more a vison of the first developer than of the second. It was much easier to certify our previous backyard--hedgerows were a priority in that phase of development. We're struggling now with too much flat, open space.
Here's what the NWF has to say about gardening for wildlife and here is a handy dandy habitat planner customized for your locality! Sounds like a perfect year-long science project for a teen or tween. I bought Attracting Bird, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife, hoping that this is the year we put all the components together.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Dawn
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 7:47pm | IP Logged
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Oh, I've had my eye on that book, Elizabeth! How do you like it? I noticed the author is David Mizejewski - he is one of the co-hosts of Backyard Habitat.
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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Elizabeth
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Dawn wrote:
Oh, I've had my eye on that book, Elizabeth! How do you like it? I noticed the author is David Mizejewski - he is one of the co-hosts of Backyard Habitat. |
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It's great. Everything is in it. And there are directions for lots of projects:
Bird Feeders
Birdbaths
Amphibian house
Bat box
three diferent nesting boxes for birds
bee nesting houses
butterfly garden plan
composting instructions
pond instructions...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Alice R
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| Posted: June 25 2006 at 9:33am | IP Logged
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I have to run (i'm cooking oatmeal!)
Dawn,
When we were on Long Island and literally got NO nature-interests in our yard...we bought Butterfly Bushes and they attracted so many butterflies! I don't know the proper name of them but I believe the common name is Butterfly Bushes. They are a green bush with deep, deep purple flowerly things (similiar to lilacs). They grew really large so plant accordingly!
Alice
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marcie
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Did ya'll see the episode this morning of Backyard Habitat? It was at a nursery school in Los Angeles. The episode was about ladybugs and butterflies. What I thought was so impressive is that the school is outdoors. These kids spend the whole day outside! What an awesome idea!!! They have a vegetable garden, all organic , of course. The team made them a butterfly, ladybug garden and even gave tips on raising butterflies. I thought it was a great episode!!
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Marcie Melancon
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Dawn
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marcie wrote:
| Did ya'll see the episode this morning of Backyard Habitat? |
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Ooh, I just checked our Tivo, fearing it got bumped for dh's World Cup games today - but it's there! I can't wait to see it - looks like a good one! 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: What makes your backyard a habitat?
