Backyard Habitats

Winter is a good time to plan for the future success of your backyard habitat. Some thought now will enhance the wildlife-friendly nature of your garden.

Enjoy you backyard and provide data for science too. Project FeederWatch volunteers collect information that help calculate bird populations and winter range.

If you have been implementing our recommendations in the Backyard Habitats topic area your garden should be full of natural food for birds. Flowers that were not deadheaded have produced seed, carefully selected shrubs and trees are covered with berries.

However, for various reasons you may want to introduce feeders ...

The point of this article is to encourage you to think about the
interconnectedness of the natural world. As we become more and
more removed from that natural heritage the result is ill health for our bodies and gardens.

Many well-intentioned people inadvertently do the wrong thing and can unintentionally hurt animals in their backyards. This article gives some common examples of what not to do.

One of my major goals in this topic area is to encourage gardeners to discuss what they are doing in their gardens and to share information and experience. With that in mind I will send you occasional 'postcards' from the backyard to let you know what I am up to in ...

Gardeners who hope to attract birds and butterflies to their gardens may fail to realize that many common plants can serve a useful purpose in creating a wildlife-friendly garden. Many of these are familiar to us as vegetables or herbs, perennial or annual flowers, and shrubs.

The pressure of development brings humans and other animals into conflict. Recently in New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife has proposed to allow the recommencement of bear hunting which has been banned since 1971.

We should never forget that the need to make backyard habitats more wildlife friendly arises from human expansion into habitat. Recently I have been increasingly conscious of the fact that, while promoting earth-friendly gardening is clearly important, especially on the local scale, it treats the symptom while not curing the disease. ...

Wild animals often get injured. Whom should you turn to for help? This article features the important work being done by the Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford, New Jersey, just one of the many wildlife rehabiliators trying to save as many animals as possible.