by Barbara Allen
 

"Biodiversity has recently become a fashionable concept to promote, but should we try to enhance biodiversity just at the state and federal level and not at the county level or even in our backyards? Should we settle for small populations of species in distant parts of our state and nation, when with protection viable populations could exist as well in our own neighborhoods?"

W. David Shuford, The Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas

Point Reyes Bird Observatory.

One of the simple things many of us can do for wildlife–in our own yard–is to choose a section of it–as big as you can spare–and leave it wild. If your whole yard is manicured you might take a corner of it and in some decorative way separate it from the rest of the yard. Use a split rail fence or something a bit on the rustic side–just to differentiate it from the cultivated areas. Then plant a few native trees and shrubs, and an understory of wildflowers– preferably those native to your area. Water the plants well the first season until it they are established. Then let this area grow naturally and do as little as possible to it. Remove any noxious invasive plant species that move in, but allow any native plants that volunteer to grow, if possible. You may need to do a little research to learn the difference between these two kinds of plants, because you will see both in the wild.
 

Work in layers. First, plant a couple tall trees such as our native oaks and pines, then the understory trees, like the dogwood or wild cherry. Add a tall shrub or two – like the fringe tree, highbush native blueberry, or native yaupon. Throw in a few low growing shrubs like the saw palmetto and several patches of native wildflowers like black-eyed Susan and orange milkweed or wild violets and ferns, and you have a nicely layered habitat that many kinds of birds and other small creatures will enjoy. If it gets pretty dense after awhile that’s okay. This will make it even safer for many types of birds and small creatures to nest and raise young.
 

If you have a section of your place that’s already wild–for heaven’s sake, leave it that way. Resist the compulsion to control and plant it. You will accomplish two things. You are offering a space where small creatures will find safe haven even in a neighborhood that may be heavily cultivated. And you will relieve yourself of the extra work of caring for that area. Nature will be doing that.
 

If each of us had a space like this I think we might begin to make up for some of the vast amount of lost habitat that continues to happen across our country.
 

“Facts about Habitat Loss and Birds:

· More than 85% of forest habitats have been permanently destroyed or logged in the United States.

· More than 75% of riparian woodlands in the West have been destroyed, and this loss has caused several bird species to be placed on the federal Endangered Species List.

· 95% of the original 400,000 acres of tallgrass prairie in the United States have been permanently destroyed or converted to agriculture.

· More than 50% of all wetlands in the contiguous United States have been drained or filled since the time of European settlement. “
 

Did you know? “Most of the wildlife pesticide poisonings reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency result from home use. According to the EPA's wildlife mortality incident database, just three of the chemicals commonly used in the garden and home--diazinon, chlorpyrifos, and brodifacoum--kill thousands of birds each year.”

From an Audubon Magazine article by Joel Bourne: “When and where pesticides are used is also critical. The majority of bird kills occur in February in southern states, where the early growing season and spring migration coincide, followed by March, April and May, the months when birds as well as gardeners are on the move. Birds with the highest risk of exposure include waterfowl, such as brant geese, which have been known to eat large quantities of pesticide-treated foliage. Seed-eating songbirds, because they are attracted to pesticide granules and treated seeds, are also at high risk. A third hard-hit group includes scavengers as well as raptors such as red-tailed hawks or great-horned owls, which often feed on pesticide-poisoned prey.
 

…Kicking the pesticide habit isn't mission impossible. Just ask one of the nation's more than 6,000 certified organic farmers, or the City of Arcata, California, which, after 15 years of using nontoxic pest controls, banned all pesticide use on city property as of this past February.”
 

Why bother creating a wild place? Because, as scientists have pointed out, the survival of the human species is inextricably intertwined with the survival of the multitude of other species on our planet. Sometimes it’s not until something is forever gone that we realize its importance in the grand and intricate scheme of things. The biodiversity of our ecosystem is in danger. We have no way of knowing what wild plant will be found tomorrow to contain a cure for cancer. Or what small insignificant-seeming creature will be found to be an irreplaceable link in an important food chain. Our world is so complex and we are just beginning to understand the relationships on which it depends.
 

So anytime we have an opportunity to preserve even a small patch of wild space or perhaps make an attempt to recreate one, it behooves us to take it. Many small patches spread across the country, each a tiny reflection of the natural environment of the area, can make a profound difference. Just as one small letter or email added to thousands of others can change the course of events in our government’s process. Know that what you do matters. Every small step you take counts and adds something positive to the whole. Every vote DOES matter…
 

Resources:

The website of the Extension Service of the University of Maine has two good articles on backyard habitat and several other online publications that will give you much needed information. Check out the Internet for your State’s University Extension Service for specific ideas for your area. Or call the local office and talk to the Master Gardeners.
 

Principles for Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/habitats/7132.htm
 

The National Wildlife Federation has a page on creating wildlife habitat at your church and school and other public places as well as in your own backyard.

http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/beyondyourbackyard.cfm
 

The Florida Wildlife Federation web site has lots of useful information just for Floridians. Check it out at http://www.flawildlife.org/pubs/backyard/backtoc.htm

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This column comes to you courtesy of the Environmental Concerns Group of the DeFuniak Springs Garden Club.