SESSION TWO A Program of: Backyard Habitat Workshop 2015, Indiana Wildlife Federation. This material contained in this presentation may not be reproduced or distributed, wholly or in part, without the express permission of the Indiana Wildlife Federation. All attributed material contained herein retains protection under its original copyright.
Lesson 4: Sustainable Landscaping & Lawn Maintenance Lesson 5: Water Conservation and Recycling Lesson 6: Invasive Species Eradication Lesson 7: Overcoming Obstacles Lesson 8: Drawing Your Backyard Basemap
SMALL CHANGES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!
Becoming familiar with your yard s soil is a simple and effective way to help you decide which plants and techniques will work best. Native plants actually prefer unfertilized soil because they are adapted to nutrient-weak soils! If you must use fertilizer, make sure it s Phosphorus Free & follow the 4 R s! Right Place Right Time Right Product BONUS! Native plants need fewer nutrients! Right Rate 1. Plant in soil, 2. Healthy soil
Avoid herbicides if you can! Mow high! Release mower clippings back into your yard if possible! Mow only the top 1/3 of the grass so roots can develop and natives can choke out weeds. Leave some native plants & grasses uncut for thermal shelter for wildlife. Regular, light weeding will keep your yard neat and invasive-free! For large weedy areas, solarization (smothering weeds under a tarp) is effective. 3. Lawnmower, 4. Gardening tools
Composting is an easy way to reduce your kitchen and yard waste and repurpose it to feed your soil! Check out page 22 and the Resources in the guide for more composting how-to s Mulch will attract earthworms and good bacteria that will improve your yard s health! Mulch releases helpful nutrients and gives your yard a polished look. It can be bark, wood chips, leaves, straw, grass clippings, or other natural materials. 5. Compost tumbler, 6. Wood chip & leaf mulch
IMPERVIOUS PERVIOUS Impervious = prevents air and water from passing through VS Pervious = allows flow Start small by using pervious materials in any new hardscaping that you install! 7. Turf grass and concrete path, 8. Pervious pavers, 9. Crushed gravel
NATIVE PLANTS SMART WATERING RAIN BARRELS WATER FEATURES
The easiest and most beneficial way to cut back on water usage.. Natives need much less water than exotics and turf grass. They go dormant in very hot or cold weather and regrow by self-seeding. Try replacing a small patch of turf with native grasses. They offer food and shelter plus their mix of textures and colors will be a great focal point! 10. Wild bergamot, 11. Rattlesnake master
Try a smart system Water in the morning Use soaker or drip hoses Just a few simple changes can save gallons of water! 12. Watering can, 13. Rain irrigation, 14. Hose
Rain barrels are easy and affordable ways to use water that s already entering your yard. They can be as simple or as complex as you want! Check out the resource section in your program guide for more details. 15. Rain barrel diagram, 16. Rain barrel in downtown Indy
From the BASIC Choose your water feature based on your yard s size and your budget. Any size will benefit wildlife! Pick a sunny, open location for your water feature Locate it away from trees to help stop leaves & other debris from collecting Change the water frequently in a bird bath or dish Add a heater to keep the water from freezing in winter ALWAYS, before you do any digging, call 811! To the ADVANCED! 17. Bird bath, 18. Zionsville habitat pond, 19. Backyard pond
Rain gardens and bioswales are two similar features that help with water overflow, especially in low lying or depressed areas. Besides controlling runoff, they also filter pollutants, improve water quality, and provide habitat for wildlife. 20. Rain garden diagram
IDENTIFY PREVENT TREAT & REMOVE MAINTAIN
TREAT AND MAINTAIN IDENTIFY PREVENT Identify what you have in your yard use resources in the manual and on the IWF website for assistance Weeding, mulching, minimizing disturbance, and doing seed checks (on clothes & shoes) will help keep invasives out of your yard. Check out the chart on page 28 in your manual for tips on how to treat common invaders! 21. Boy with binoculars, 22. Native wildflowers, 23. Solarization
PERMITS NEIGHBORS HEALTH CONCERNS COSTS
Check your local rules and regulations before beginning any big project in your yard. Examples of landscaping rules include laws on weeds, rain gardens, and stormwater management Call 811 before you do any digging! 24. Construction, 25. Gardening with shovel, 26. Local permits
Tell your neighbors in advance what you are doing and why. Start your yard transformation slowly. Try using easily recognizable native plants to begin. Cluster flowers and grasses to create a planned look and feel. Consider having your wildlife-friendly yard certified and posting a sign. The Indiana Wildlife Federation offers a joint certification with the National Wildlife Federation visit the IWF website for details. 27. IWF Habitat Certification sign, 28. NWF Habitat Certificate
After installation, native landscapes actually require less money and upkeep than traditional yards. Less water, minimal trimming, and no fertilizing translate into savings. Less maintenance means more time to spend with friends and family or doing other fun activities! 29. Raking, 30. Costs, 31. Mowing, 32. Native plants
Most native plants use insects and animals for pollination and do NOT contribute to wind-borne pollen (the primary allergycausing kind). Maintain your yard and home and secure food sources (pet food and garbage) to discourage nuisance wildlife like raccoons and rats. Keep ticks away by discouraging deer from entering your yard. See the program guide for detailed tips! Use native plants to attract helpful predators like birds and amphibians that love to eat mosquitoes! 33. Allergies, 34. White tailed deer, 35. Raccoon, 36. Mosquito
WHERE DO I START?
Creating your BASEMAP 37. Colored pencils, 38. Sample basemap, 39. Drawing materials
Lesson 9: Strategies for Specific Wildlife Lesson 10: Identify Your Goals and Pick the Best Techniques Lesson 11: Start Creating Your Wildlife Haven! Don t forget to bring your basemap to the next session!
40. Identification field hike, 41. Discovering butterflies
There are many, easy-to-do techniques you can use to create an attractive and wildlife-friendly backyard. When creating your landscape plan, remember to ask yourself whether or not you ve provided food, water, shelter and a nesting place for wildlife. A little research and planning ahead of time will make creating a wildlife friendly backyard fun, educational, and safe. Be sure to check out page 34 in your manual for additional at-home activities and suggested readings!
Photo Credits: 1. Microsoft 2. Microsoft 3. Microsoft 4. Microsoft 5. IWF (Baird) 6. Morguefile 7. Micro 8. IWF (Baird) 9. Morguefile 10. IWF 11. IWF 12. Microsoft 13. IWF 14. Microsoft 15. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science 16. IWF 17. IWF (Baird) 18. Morguefile 19. IWF 20. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science 21. Microsoft 22. IWF 23. Central Texas Gardener 24. Microsoft 25. Microsoft 26. Microsoft 27. IWF 28. National Wildlife Federation 29. Microsoft 30. Microsoft 31. Microsoft 32. IWF 33. Microsoft 34. Microsoft 35. Microsoft 36. Microsoft 37. Microsoft 38. Microsoft 39. IWF 40. IWF 41. Indiana Department of Natural Resources