Creature Feature

My Resolutions for Wildlife 

By Wayne Bierbaum 

In this new year, I hope to do several actions to improve the natural world and improve habitat for wildlife. Maybe some of these ideas will inspire you, too. 

#1. Plant and promote native plants. Our native insects are part of the fabric of life, the ecosystem that was established hundreds of years ago. Using native plants in yards will reintroduce native insects in a balanced fashion. Predatory insects and birds should follow the plant consumers. The nuts and fruit of the plants feed bird and other animals.  

#2. Avoid using insecticides and herbicides, and dispose of unused chemicals properly. By using non-toxic means to control pests, I can safely control them. Fertilizers also will be used sparingly if at all.  

#3. Do as much composting and recycling as I can. I will compost many paper products as well as yard clippings and food.  

#4. Make bee homes. Native solitary bees use small tubes to nest in and bundles of 3-inch cane helps keep their numbers up for pollination.  

#5. Support groups that ethically improve the environment and wildlife habitat. One group that I like to support is the Nature Conservancy as they purchase and preserve ecologically sensitive land. 

#6. Use my vote to support a healthy Earth. 

#7. Keep a part of the yard wild with no mowing or raking. 

The photo is of a cedar waxwing enjoying a native winterberry holly. I planted the bush five years ago and now it is 7 feet tall and 10 feet wide. This year it was loaded with berries and when the fruit are ripe, the birds will eat thousands of them in a day.