Talk to anyone involved in the improvement of wildlife habitat and you will hear four words – food, water, cover, and space. These are the four essentials for wildlife. Without them you can have the best intentions in the world, but you won’t attract a wide variety of species to your property.

1. Talk to anyone involved in the improvement of W ildlife doesn’t just randomly
occur in a given area; it is
there in response to habitat
wildlife habitat and you will hear four words –
which meets its needs. As
food, water, cover, and space. beautiful as humans may find a
house surrounded by acres of
These are the four essentials for wildlife. emerald-green mowed lawn, such
Without them you can have the best intentions in a scene offers neither food nor
the world, but you won’t attract a wide variety of shelter for local species.
species to your property. If you want wildlife to be part
of your environment, you have to
do some planning to include
Food & Water suitable habitat in your
landscape.
Essential Elements
Food for Wildlife
of a Wildlife Habitat The first essential that we
tend to think about is food.
For more nature habitat information Indeed, one of the most popular
Visit these helpful websites: nature activities in this country
is bird feeding. What we may
forget, however, is that there
A Plant's Home are many species of birds, a
A Bird's Home great number of which are not
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seed-eaters and will never visit
our feeders, but all of which
need food throughout the year.
The same is true of other
wildlife, and this can give us the
basis of our landscape planning.
It also means that we need to
reconsider our attitudes
towards yard maintenance.
Insecticides can kill food
sources and poison many of the
species that we want to
attract, so its use needs to be
curtailed.
Choosing native plants and
limiting lawn areas will help
lessen dependence on
pesticides and herbicides. While
we view weeds and wild vines as
nuisance plants, wildlife sees
them as valuable sources of
food and shelter, so we should
look for areas where they can be
left to grow.
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 1 A Plant's Home

2. In addition to food, you might
want to offer supplements such
as grit or gravel to aid birds
with digestion, crushed
eggshells to add calcium during
egg production, and salt which
is necessary for many species.
A little research into the wildlife
in your area and its preferred
food should give you a number
of ideas on what to provide and
how to present it.
Water for Wildlife
Water, as we all know, is vital
for all living things. Many of us
supply bird baths in the
summer, but we tend to forget
about other times, especially
Instead of constantly these have evolved with the during the winter. Just as we
grooming our yards, leaving wildlife to best meet its needs. make sure that our household
perennial seed heads in place pets have fresh water all year
for winter food, allowing dead Some introduced plants and around, so do wildlife species
trees and logs to remain for developed cultivars also have a need a dependable source of
both food and shelter, and lot to offer wildlife, but try not water, especially when cold
refraining from raking up to add any exotic flora to your temperatures eliminate their
dropped nuts and fruits are all landscape that is known to be normal drinking locations.
changes that will attract a invasive to the point of
variety of wildlife to our overpowering local native
property – and save us money, species.
time, and effort as well.
If the size of your property or
other factors make it hard to
Variety is Best increase the variety of plants,
When choosing plants for consider adding wildlife feeders.
wildlife food, think in terms of Most of us are familiar with the
variety, both of the type of food many bird feeders now on the
offered and the season in which market, some even designed for
it will be available. Consider specific types of seed, but there
berries, other kinds of fruit, are feeders for other creatures
tender buds and bark, nuts, pine as well.
cones, crops such as corn or
sunflowers, seed-producing Suet feeders appeal to insect-
grasses, flowers high in nectar, eating birds, corn feeders can
and host plants for caterpillars. help deer and pheasants survive
heavy winters. There are nectar
If you have a pond, a number feeders designed to attract
of wetland plants also have both hummingbirds and
excellent food value. Whenever butterflies, and squirrels enjoy
possible, incorporate native dried ears of corn on spike
plants into your property since feeders.
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 2 A Plant's Home

3. It takes a little more effort berries and other fruit are high Diagram of a small pond
to supply water when in moisture content, so try to
temperatures dip below create safe feeding areas
freezing, but the rewards are where these are available.
great as you watch wildlife –
including species that you
won’t see at feeders – take Sand Pile for Butterflies
advantage of a chance to Butterflies and other insects
drink and bathe. will be attracted to a shallow
container of wet sand placed
Water can be provided in a on the ground. However it is
variety of ways, but as you presented, water needs to be
plan your habitat keep in mind fresh, clean, plentiful, and
that moving water – whether dependable.
flowing or dripping – is the
most attractive to wildlife. There are many commercial
models of bird baths available,
Also, think about location. but a trash can lid partially
Bird baths need to be located sunk in the ground can also
at least 15 feet from shrubs work, as can hollowed-out
that might hide cats, yet stone or concrete forms.
close enough to taller trees to
allow escape from hawks. When the water is at ground- Keep Water From Freezing
level, having a dripping hose or For the winter, commercial
Other animals may enjoy a a bucket with a small hole in it bird bath heaters are available
more sheltered spot to drink, suspended above the bath will which draw very little electricity
but most want to have a clear attract more visitors. and will ensure a supply of open
view of any approaching water all season.
predators. The sides of a bird bath need
to be rough and slope gently to A landscaped bird bath or
Dew on grass and leaves can a water depth of not more than fountain can become the focal
supply some water for rabbits three inches. This will prevent point of your property. If you
and other rodents, while slipping or drowning. are feeling more ambitious, a
small waterfall will add the
soothing sound of moving water.
If your property has a pond or
stream on it, you will probably
already be attracting wildlife.
If water doesn’t occur
naturally, it is easier than ever
to create a pond using the
many kits and instruction
books now available.
A small pond only needs to be
one or two feet deep and eight
to ten feet across, lined with
either plastic or concrete. Soil
in the pond will allow you to add
water plants, and moisture-
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 3 A Plant's Home

4. loving species can be planted
around the edges.
Suggested Plants With Ledges create different water
Food Value For Wildlife depths, while logs and partially
submerged rocks offer safe
perches for small mammals.
Summer
wild plum raspberry The pond should be located
blackberry apple where it can receive four to five
serviceberry mulberry hours of sunlight a day, and a
plum blueberry recirculating pump will keep the
American elderberry water fresh and moving.
There are also devices to
Fall create waterfalls or sprays of
dogwood wild cherry mist. Placing the pond within
cotoneaster corn reach of your garden hose will
oats wheat enable you to fill it during
winterberry grape periods of limited rainfall.
viburnum spicebush
mountain ash
What Species Do You Want.
Think about the wildlife you
Winter
want to attract. Including fish
black/red chokeberry holly
Virginia creeper crabapple
will cut down on the number of
amphibians, since they eat the
highbush cranberry bittersweet
eggs of creatures like frogs and
mountain ash
salamanders, but will increase
staghorn sumac
the attractiveness for birds
such as kingfishers and herons.
Nuts & Acorns
black walnut red oak If you have a large property,
shagbark hickory pecan talk to your local Extension This article was written by
Service or state Department of Maryland Master Wildlife Habitat
white oak butternut
American hazel beech
Natural Resources for Naturalist Cathy Gilleland.
information about constructing
a bigger pond or a marshy area. For more information or for the
name of a Master Wildlife Habitat
Wetland These will attract many wildlife Naturalist in your area, please
smartweed cattail species including larger birds, contact:
bulrush wild millet ducks, raccoons, and muskrats.
WindStar Wildlife Institute
pondweed spike rush
wild rice Restoring wetlands is E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org
invaluable for the environment, http://www.windstar.org
and will offer you wonderful
Nectar opportunities for watching
cardinal flower bee balm wildlife.
WindStar Wildlife Institute is a
morning glory petunia national, non-profit, conservation
trumpet honeysuckle Moisture-loving plants include organization whose mission is to
cattails, marsh marigold, help individuals and families
duckweed, water lily, arrowhead, establish or improve the wildlife
and rushes. habitat on their properties.
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 4 A Plant's Home