Backyard Habitat
Observing and Living with Wildlife in Your Yard
Now that you are providing food, water, and shelter for wildlife, as well as managing your garden sustainably, you can make a family project out of observing and recording your visitors. Many citizen science projects allow you to contribute your valuable backyard habitat data to wildlife researchers.
Plants and Animals:
National Phenology Network
Plants:
Project BudBurst
All Animals:
NatureMapping Program
Amphibians:
FrogWatch
Birds:
Celebrate Urban Birds—Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Great Backyard Bird Count
NestWatch
Seattle Audubon Society Citizen Science
Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Insects and Spiders:
Spider WebWatch
Lost Ladybug Project
The Great Sunflower Project
Living with Wildlife
When providing for the basic needs of wildlife, you don’t get to choose which wildlife makes your habitat its home. Providing food, water, and shelter will invite animals that you may consider pests into your yard. There are ways to coexist peacefully with all your yard’s inhabitants, however.
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website Living with Wildlife provides great tips on how to discourage animals such as rats, raccoons, and coyotes from frequenting your yard as well as information on encouraging birds, amphibians, and other wildlife to make a home in your habitat.
- Audubon Society of Portland has several Living with Urban Wildlife brochures available that give information on cats, baby birds and squirrels, as well as such topics as West Nile Virus and birds flying into windows.
Predators: If you are lucky enough to attract predators such as hawks, owls, or bobcats to your yard, you’ll know you have provided excellent wildlife habitat that supports an entire food web.
Next up: Certify Your Habitat!
