Providing for Backyard Wildlife

Transcription

1 Providing for Backyard Wildlife Presented by Nancy Nelson, CMG What kind of wildlife are you wanting to attract? Check out this site for Tennessee wildlife Downy Woodpecker Birds American Toad Amphibians Eastern Boxturtle Reptiles Eastern Chipmunk Mammals Painted Lady Insects 1

2 Popular Pollinators in Tennessee Hummingbirds Bats Butterflies Bees Beetles Moths The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Four Basic Elements Food Water Shelter (cover) Space (e.g., place to raise young) 2

3 Your Yard s Carrying Capacity What habitat element is the limiting factor for your desired animal populations? Image Source: esources/wildlife/publications/fs14_habitat_r equirements.html Types of Habitat Think Spatially Vertical Habitat Habitat Arrangement (interspersion) Edge Habitat Canopy Shrub Layer 3

4 Habitat Homework Animal Nesting/Foraging Possible Food Sources Bluebirds Hummingbirds Forage in open space with little understory; Nest in tree holes Mostly ground insects and spiders Meadows in Urban Centers Pollinator Garden Shading for House Food for the Monarch Larvae Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa uncategorized/ Open Spaces for Bluebirds Photo Source: 4

5 Urban Pocket Woodlands Image Source: re/permaculture-design-principles/7-smallscale-intensive-systems/ Benefits for Wildlife & Energy Conservation Plant deciduous trees on south side to cool during summer months and with leaves off in winter to allow rays to warm your home Provides nesting, food sources and cover Creates shade for the human and domestic animal species Plant evergreens as a windbreak on north and west sides Protect birds and mammals from cold winds Provides foraging area under the trees when other areas are covered in snow 5

6 Google backyard habitat images for ideas and inspiration! Create a virtual or actual scrapbook of ideas your dream book! Start With A Sketch Identify current home features House footprint Fences, sheds, rain barrels Shed Hardscapes - walkways, patios Above and below ground utility lines Low lying areas that retain moisture Include vegetation and other wildlife-supporting features Trees, shrubs, flower beds Bird baths, bird feeders Pond 6

7 With Your Sketch Create an Overlay Think like a plant. What are the growing conditions like in your yard? Lighting - full shade, part shade, sunny Soil textures sandy, loamy, clay Soil moisture well drained, poorly drained, compacted Soil acidity alkaline, acidic, neutral If you will be planting, conduct a soil test ph, nutrient levels, organic matter Soil can be tested by the University of Tennessee Soil, Plant and Pest Center. With Your Sketch Start Visioning While Walking Your Yard Consider spatial elements of habitat: Edges otallest trees on outside and stairstep down otrees already bordering, add shorter vegetation to increase vertical niches o Interspersion o Open space o Denser plantings o Vegetative islands Keep it practical, considering how you and your family use your yard 7

8 What plants will support the wildlife you wish to attract? Incorporate plants native to Tennessee Remove invasive plants Retain snags (dead trees), if safe Keep a brush pile in a corner of your yard Reduce your lawn area Bee Balm Incorporate native plants into your landscape They are adapted to meet the food, shelter and nesting needs of native animals Native Purple Milkweed Tropical Milkweed 8

9 Give and Take of Plants Considerations Soil type (clay, sand, silt mixes) Soil ph Moisture Light Functions Ecological Food sources year round considerations Summer soft mass (fleshy fruits) - protein & mineral rich Winter hard mass (acorns and nuts) fats & carbs Nesting Food for specific caterpillars Prime nectar/pollen sources Landscape color and fall foliage color, screening, fragrance Native plants that support pollinators Yarrow Wild Ageratum Butterfly Weed Black Eyed Susan Golden Rods (yellow) Asters (purple) Pink Swamp Milkweed 9

10 Native Plant Resource Tennessee Smart Yards Native Plants Website & Blog Contains over 650 species of Tennessee native perennial wildflowers, grasses, vines and shrubs!! Focuses on native plants that can be found commercially Features a blog for native plant enthusiasts to post information, stories, reviews, questions, and comments on native plantings in their landscapes! What plants will support the wildlife you wish to attract? Incorporate plants native to Tennessee Remove invasive plants Retain snags (dead trees), if safe Keep a brush pile in a corner of your yard Reduce your lawn area 10

11 Two Highly Invasive, Non-Native Plants Bush Honeysuckle Chinese Privet Comprehensive List of Tennessee Non-Native Plants TN Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Removal Strategies Privet removed with Weed Wrench Mechanical Removal Seedlings Hand pull Larger plants dig or pull up with mechanical tool like a Weed Wrench Cut Stump Herbicide Treatment Lop off branch or truck Spot spray cut surface area 11

12 What plants will support the wildlife you wish to attract? Incorporate plants native to Tennessee Remove invasive plants Retain snags (dead trees), if safe Keep a brush pile in a corner of your yard Reduce your lawn area Snags and Brush Piles May be less visually pleasing to some but Brush Piles Snags Pallet Type Tepee Type 12

13 What plants will support the wildlife you wish to attract? Incorporate plants native to Tennessee Remove invasive plants Retain snags (dead trees), if safe Keep a brush pile in a corner of your yard Reduce and diversify your lawn area Reduce and Diversify Your Lawn Area What is turfgrass? A monoculture of grass species Typically of European descent Formed by an interwoven root system (rhizomes) Benefits Fun for barefoot feet and for recreation Large expanses attractive to some For others, provides attractive contrast to gardens Can reduce velocity of stormwater flow (which can then reduce erosion) Can reduce nutrient runoff when managed appropriately 13

14 Reduce and Diversify Your Lawn Area Drawbacks Limited biodiversity Negligible wildlife value Water-intensive Mismanagement can result in excessive nutrient runoff When misplaced (located next to streams), can result in streambank erosion High energy consumption collective transportation of fertilizers & pesticides; mowing Air and noise pollution So how much do I really need? One gas mower running for an hour emits the same amount of pollutants as eight new cars driving 55 mph for the same amount of time. Reduce and Diversify Your Lawn Area Three-Step Plan Step 1: Evaluate your turfgrass footprint Step 2: Consider a low maintenance lawn (follow UT soil test result guidelines; leave clippings on lawn to reduce fertilizer needs ) Step 3: Intentionally diversify your lawn to attract pollinators (clovers, dandelions) Study assessing lawns with 30% white clover or dandelions 50 insect pollinator species collected at each site 37 bee species honey bees particularly attracted to white clover Tapestry Lawn created by Dr. Lionel Smith, University of Reeding, England Source: Larson, J. L., A. J. Kesheimer and DA Porter, 2014 Journal of Insect Conservation 18:

15 Just add water Wildlife need clean, fresh, accessible water sources! Functions Drinking Bathing Reproducing Beyond wildlife, the sight and sounds of water can bring tranquility to your home landscape Simple Water Sources Terra cotta pot bird bath Homemade Birdbath Dripper Photo Source:

16 Simple Water Sources Making a Butterfly Puddler Butterflies drink by puddling. They sip at shallow puddles of water in mud or sand instead of landing in large open water areas. Use large shallow dish Place sand in three-quarters of bottom Add water until sand is moistened, with shallow pockets of water. (can add butterfly nectar or stale beer) Add stones for butterflies to rest Option: Add cut up fruit as nectar source Notes: Do not overfill - butterflies cannot land in open water; Change water frequently to avoid mosquitoes Bird Feeder Tips & Types Look for: 1. Easy to clean and refill 2. Sturdy 3. No sharp edges that could harm the birds Hopper Feeder Tube Feeder Platform Feeders Nectar Feeder 16

17 Bird Feeder Tips & Types Suet Feeders Thistle Feeders Peanut Feeders Make Your Own Feeder Keeping Birds Safe Bird Feeder Maintenance Clean every two weeks - wash in soapy water, then soak or rinse in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water (if not dishwasher safe) Dry before refilling Clean hummingbird feeders at least once a week Windows Place feeders at least 30 from house or within 3 ft. Consider decals on windows; some specifically reflect UV light, providing further deterrence Cats Most numerous pet in North America Kill millions of birds each year Consider keeping inside; safer for cat as well! 17

18 Bird Houses Purple Martin House Bluebird House Cats Hummingbird House Songbird House Bat Houses How to Build this Bat House Instructions on This Old House website (7 years old and up) ture-and-environment/wildlife/bathouses-for-mosquito-controlzm0z15jjzkin.aspx 18

19 Make A Gourd Bird House What is this scary looking thing? 19

20 RCMG Butterfly Garden Zebra Swallowtail Tennessee State Butterfly Paw Paw Tree host plant RCMG Butterfly Garden Top right photo 5/11 bottom right 5/15 A Butterfly is a flying insect with large scaly wings. It s body is covered with tiny sensory hairs that are used to smell and feel. What is a Butterfly? They have a long tube-like proboscis that is used to sip liquid (nectar). Butterflies are cold blooded and need the sun to warm them on cool days. Many butterflies migrate to avoid the cold or overwinter in leaves or crevasses. Most Butterflies live only 2 to 4 weeks. 20

21 Essential Elements for a Butterfly Garden Food: Plants that provide sugary nectar. They like plants with clusters and a sweet scent. Like pink, orange, red, purple, yellow, white flowers. Place to raise their young: Host Plants to lay their eggs. These plants act as food when eggs become caterpillars. Water: mud puddle or saucer with mud/sand mixture kept moist to get minerals they need. Animal feces, rotting fruit. Shelter: Rows of shrubs, trees, mass of tall nectar plants. Rocks to land on and warm their wings. Body temp needs to be 86 degrees to fly. NO pesticides should ever be used in or near your Butterfly Garden. 21

22 Egg: hatch in 3 to 5 days. Butterflies will only lay eggs on plants the caterpillar will eat, Host plants. Caterpillar (Larva) 2 weeks. Eating machines! Molt (shed their skin) up to 5 times, depending on species, weather and availability of food. Should not be disturbed during this process. Chrysalis (pupa) last days in warm weather; cool weather may hibernate over winter. During this phase caterpillar liquefies inside pupa and reorganizes, transforming into a butterfly. When Butterfly reaches maturity, a special hormone is released, triggering events that allow the adult insect to break free from chrysalis. 22

23 Early bloomers Pin Cushion Phlox Dianthus Chives May night Sage Homestead Verbena Summer to frost flowers Phlox Monarda /Bee Balm Lavender Black-eyed Susan Daisy Red Admiral on Lantana 23

24 Late Bloomers Pineapple Sage New England Aster Joe Pye Weed Iron Weed Sedum - Autumn Joy Host plants Asters Coneflowers False Nettle Hollyhocks Milkweeds Passion Vine Queen Anne s Lace Snapdragon Cleome Violets White Clover Pipe Vine Rue Fennel Dill Spicebush Sweet Bay Magnolia Willows Tulip Poplar Pawpaw Tree 24

25 Nectar Plants Tall Verbena Coneflowers Lantana Butterfly Bush Milkweeds Butterfly Weed Mexican Sunflower Tall Garden Phlox Sunflowers Zinnas Cosmos Sweet William Penta Petunia Black-eyed Susan Thank You! Eastern Tiger swallowtail Questions? 25