Create Wildlife Habitat Anytime, Anywhere

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Leave three- to ten-foot strips of uncultivated land along roads and fences where pheasants, grouse, quail, and other ground birds can find nesting cover. The "breaks" will also cut the force of the wind across the surface of plowed fields, and result in less blowing dust and loss of topsoil.

IN THE WETLANDS

Swamps and marshes—in shallow, saltwater estuaries or in wide, low plains where sluggish rivers meandered and overflowed—were common at one time. Herons, raccoons, beavers, turtles, and songbirds were abundant in such areas then. Ducks, geese, cranes, and other migratory water birds used the wetlands for nesting, and predators (including coyotes, foxes, and hawks) found that the regions could be counted upon for an ample food supply.

Now, too many of our swamps and marshes are drained . . . dikes are built . . . and rivers are dammed and contained in sterile channels. The beavers are gone from numerous areas of North America, and the varieties and numbers of reptiles and birds are vastly diminished. There are fewer stands of rushes and grasses available for the use of nesting water birds . . . and, while populations of predatory animals are also reduced, the prey of such species are more vulnerable because of their increased visibility. A few potholes do remain, but—as is the case in the prairies—heavy livestock use and continuous farming have often eliminated their edge cover.

Worse yet, land developers have gobbled up many swamps and buried them under airports and housing tracts. We can't very easily retrieve such valuable habitat, but we might be able to restore a few pockets . . . to insure the survival of some of the species that are dependent on wetlands.

For one thing, we can limit livestock access to watering holes by fencing a portion of our ponds. This protection will let the tall grasses and rushes thrive. Or we could create ponds and marshes . . . by flooding a few acres of our less productive fields. Then we could stock native fish and encourage birds—which would help control insects—by establishing native grasses and brush along the banks.

SMALL BACK YARDS

There's a lot that you can do—even if you don't own farmland—to invite some wildlife into your yard. For example, plant bushes and trees that flower and fruit at different times of the year, and you'll extend the feeding season and accommodate more species.

Tall grasses, such as red or green fescue, will—if left unmowed—nourish the seed-eaters and offer winter protection for ground birds . . . while a combination of tall and short shrubs and trees will offer a variety of nesting and cover habitats for diverse species. Evergreens, in particular, will provide food for seed-eaters . . . cover for wintering birds . . . and a windbreak for you!

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