Whether you live in the city or a more rural setting, maximizing your backyard space for local wildlife inviting habitat including birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife is relatively easy to do. Join landscape designer Doug Scott to learn how to craft a wildlife plan that will attract birds and butterflies and other wildlife to your yard.
WILDLIFE PLAN DEVELOPMENT STEPS
When developing an overall wildlife habitat plan, and choose the best, most logical progression of steps for implementing in your yard.
- Research
Visit the USDA website for list of introduced, invasive and noxious plants, as well as search your state to see which invasive species are common to your area.
- Identify Invasive Species
If you find there are invasive species in your yard, replace them with native plants or ornamental grasses that are better suited to sustaining local wildlife.
- Include Nectar-rich and Host Plants
Butterflies can will be attracted with nectar-rich plants. In order to support their full life cycle, you’ll want to also plant host plants for eggs and caterpillar habitat. For example, Monarchs love milkweed. Leverage your local knowledge base for the butterfly species common to your area, and the plants they prefer for habitat. Remember to reduce pesticide use to better support their healthy life and reproduction
- Invite your Neighbors
Get your neighbors on board with your wildlife plans. This will increase the chances of them wanting to work with you toward common goals in their yard. Which, in turn, will increase the chances of more and more wildlife wanting to spend time in or near your yard.
For more backyard builds, check out:
How to Build a Backyard Tire Swing or
How to Build a Backyard Fire Pit
