Water for Wildlife - Birdbath Basics & More

Water for Wildlife - Birdbath Basics & More

Providing water can be something as simple as re-purposing a garbage can lid to building an elaborate wildlife pond. Assess your landscape needs, budget and resources (time and money) and take the next step providing water for wildlife today – at any scale.

Attracting Bluebirds without Boxes

Attracting Bluebirds without Boxes

I’m delighted to report that we might finally have bluebirds nesting in our home habitat. We’ve lived here in Poland Spring for over a decade, and have never put up a nest box…

Plan Your Habitat Garden

Plan Your Habitat Garden

Have you been thinking about creating a more intentional space for wildlife, but you’re not sure where to start? I’m here to tell you that you just need to start somewhere, and the best time to start is now. I'm also here to help! So make yourself a cup of hot coffee or tea, and grab a pen and paper. Set some goals and make some notes. A little planning now will go a long way to help you achieve your overall vision, and to help you conserve wildlife right where you are.

Give a Warm Welcome to Wild Bees (Super-pollinators Part 2)

Give a Warm Welcome to Wild Bees (Super-pollinators Part 2)

If you read Part 1, you know why it's so important to conserve this highly diverse group of super-pollinators. This follow-up post is intended to provide you with a few concrete actions you can take to provide these beneficial insects with safe places to nest and reproduce.

While the focus of pollinator conservation is often centered around planting flowers, providing nesting habitat is a critically important, but often overlooked step.

If you keep reading, I can almost guarantee you'll be charmed and surprised by the details of native bee nesting ecology, and want to know more about how you can help provide mother bees with a warm welcome in your own backyard, and beyond.

Wildlife Habitat Design in A Wounded World

Wildlife Habitat Design in A Wounded World

In today’s blog, we’ll explore what “ecosystem health” really means, review the biggest stressors acting on our wildlife populations today, and then I’ll offer some simple things you can do right now to help restore health and ecological integrity to the ecosystem right outside your own back door – and the front door, too! 

“Intelligent Tinkering” - How to Boost Biodiversity at Home (Leopold’s Wise Words Part 2)

“Intelligent Tinkering” - How to Boost Biodiversity at Home  (Leopold’s Wise Words Part 2)

Armed with the right tools and knowledge, we can intelligently tinker to restore the health of our ecosystems and secure a more stable future for wildlife – from bees to bears, and everything in between.

Dead and Dying Trees are Key to Life

Dead and Dying Trees are Key to Life

Dead or partially dead standing trees (snags) and cavity trees (live or partially dead trees with cavities) are important to the life cycle and habitat needs of over 40 species of birds and mammals, and countless species of insects and fungi. 

 

 

A Top Threat to Biodiversity: Invasive Plants

A Top Threat to Biodiversity: Invasive Plants

Plants are the basis for terrestrial habitats that support our wildlife. To conserve wildlife, we must first conserve native plants. Non-native plants don't serve a functional ecological role in our landscapes and have minimal wildlife value, in general. In fact, invasive non-native plants negatively impact wildlife habitat in a variety of ways, some of which we are just now beginning to understand.

Hallowed Habitat

Hallowed Habitat

Typical Halloween decorations, stories, and traditions invariably include “spooky” wildlife such as owls, bats, and spiders (oh my!). However, I invite you, my dear reader, to focus on these creatures in a fresh, new way this Hallow’s Eve, by providing them with ‘Hallowed Habitat’.

Baby Bats Need Love Too

Baby Bats Need Love Too

These furry, winged mammals have been the subject of so much mythology, lore, and horror stories – it’s hard to know where to begin. For starters, there’s the old-wives’ tale that bats often get tangled up in long hair (simply untrue), and let’s not forget the widely held belief that most bats have rabies and will attack. Like other wild animals, bats can contract rabies but less than ½ of 1% of bats actually have the disease. It is rare to be bitten by a bat because they are shy and avoid people, biting only in self-defense if handled.

Bring the Magic of Fireflies Back Home Again

Bring the Magic of Fireflies Back Home Again

Why are so many of us seeing fewer fireflies?  A lot of it has to do with habitat loss caused by increased development and our American obsession with massive lawns and “tidy” landscapes.