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Create a Backyard Habitat
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Habitat is the space where all animals live. For humans and wildlife alike, there are three main elements required in any living space: food, water, and shelter.
In recent years, human development and a depreciating attitude towards native vegetation have encroached upon the habitat of wild creatures.
Green spaces in urban areas are important for preserving these animals, but they are fragmented and isolated, and the planting |
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of vegetation indigenous to our region is often dismissed in favour of more exotic species.
A backyard habitat is a space created in your garden specifically for wildlife, with their basic needs in mind. One of the easiest ways to meet these needs is to incorporate native vegetation into your yard.
Native Plants
Native plants are of great importance to Delta’s wildlife. They have evolved to grow best in our mild climate, and therefore are ideal for supporting native creatures. They are also beautiful, easy to maintain, and may provide interest during all four seasons. Some of the native plants you might find in DRS Earthwise Society’s Earthwise Garden are:
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It is best to plant vegetation which will flower and berry at different times throughout the year. Red Flowering Currant is an important shrub because it is one of the first plants of the year to flower. The nectar it provides is essential to hummingbirds just beginning to migrate north again from Mexico. Additionally, the berries it produces in August stay on the branch late into the year, providing a good winter food source for birds. Some other native food sources to consider incorporating into your garden are Bunchberry and Coastal Strawberry, both ground covers which bear fruit in the late summer, and Red Osier Dogwood, a shrub which berries in the Fall. At times when natural food sources are very scarce you may want to supplement them with feeders. Shelter
Food is one important factor in a habitat for wildlife; another is shelter. There are many valuable native ground covers, shrubs, and trees that provide places to hide from predators or to build nests. One example is the Sword Fern, an ideal shelter for small mammals or ground nesting birds such as Juncos, birds who feed heavily on insects and seeds of weeds. Tall, established trees like the Western Red Cedar are also common places for sapsuckers to forage, and excellent nesting sites for Steller’s Jays. Bird boxes, butterfly boxes, mason bee houses etc. also provide animals with much needed shelter. They should be placed somewhere in your yard where the animals can feel safe from predators. It is important to leave an area of your garden undisturbed, reserved for wild creatures. This will encourage them to stay and use the resources you have provided them with. Water
A source of water is essential in your habitat. Animals use water for drinking, bathing, cooling down, and cleaning food. For some creatures, such as amphibians, a source of water is critical to the life cycle. There are several ways to supply water to the animals in your yard. Building a self-sustaining pond is complicated but worthwhile. If you don’t have time or room for a pond, an old oak barrel cut in half or even a dish filled with water will suffice. It is important to keep your water source clean and fresh. Why Garden For WildlifE?
By creating a safe place for wildlife in your yard, or even on a small balcony, you will contribute to a patchwork of urban green spaces that link together and provide wildlife corridors to different areas. These corridors stabilize wildlife populations, increase biodiversity, and conserve species. You will also be fostering a personal connection with nature that may contribute to your physical and emotional well being. Gardening for wildlife is beneficial to the environment, it is a fulfilling pastime, and it creates beauty. Links: Pacific
Northwest Native Gardening North American Native Plant Society Living Landscapes – Natural History: Wildlife
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