How to Give Back to Your Wildlife Community

As the holiday season approaches and we are reminded to be thankful for all the past year has provided, why not take a look outside to remember the wildlife. Ohio wildlife provide us with a number of benefits. Insects pollinate our crops, vegetables and flowers. Animals allows us the enjoyment of observing their behavior, both at the backyard feeder and in their natural environment, and many species of wildlife provide recreation and meat during hunting seasons. Winter is a particularly difficult time for wildlife. In the spirit of giving, let’s think about some ways we can give back to the wildlife.

Whether you have an apartment balcony or a 50 acre farm, there are many things you can do this time of year. All animals need the same things: food, water, shelter, cover, and a healthy habitat to be successful. By providing these things, it allows you the opportunity to see wildlife close up and helps the animals. The awesome thing about providing the things wildlife need is that it’s not costly.

Here are a few cheap and simple things that can help sustain our furred and feathered friends through the winter:

•Food is more difficult to find during the winter and animals burn far more calories both finding food and keeping warm. Bird feeders are a perfect way to supplement a food source. Placing several feeders with a variety of seed is ideal, but just a single feeder works as well. Providing unsalted peanuts is great for blue jays and squirrels, suet is essential for woodpeckers and blue birds, and thistle is great for those finches. It’s not too late to plant trees and berry-producing shrubs. Why not consider a live tree you can plant in your yard as part of your holiday decorations? Evergreen trees provide the next vital requirements for wildlife, shelter and cover.

•Cover provides wildlife with places to hide from people and predators, and protection during inclement weather. Evergreen trees and shrubs are ideal cover and shelter, but wildlife will also utilize other forms of native vegetation, brush piles, rock piles and even piles of dead leaves. These additions to your landscaping benefit wildlife year-around. Grass is a monoculture and one of the best things we can do for all wildlife is to mow less. Bird houses are also a great addition in the winter. Many birds that do not cavity nest during breeding season will utilize bird houses in the winter, and so will flying squirrels. Squirrel nesting boxes are great for screech owls and other birds, as well as squirrels. A rock pile near a small backyard pond is great cover and the pond provides the next essential thing, water.

•A water source is often overlooked when landscaping for wildlife, but it’s essential for all animals. A birdbath is perfect for anyone interested in providing water; the trick is to prevent freezing. Birdbath heaters are easy to use and inexpensive, or even a heated water bucket plugged into an outside outlet works well. Do not use any chemicals to keep the water from freezing. Antifreeze kills everything that drinks it, and bleach in the bird bath to prevent algae poisons animals as well. Make sure to add fresh water daily.

•Finally, a healthy habitat is essential for all wildlife during all seasons. Products containing chemicals to melt ice are especially detrimental to wildlife and water quality alike. Salt is also not a great option, since it melts, runs into storm drains and straight into the river. Both can also hurt your pet’s feet and kill grass. A snow shovel and some cat litter are a far safer choice and bird seed thrown on the grown provides great traction and feeds the birds too. Just make sure to use that bird seed to keep your feeders full as well. Once birds start depending on a feeder for food, it’s essential to keep providing food throughout the winter and well into the spring.

For more great information on how to help wildlife all year long, check out the National Wildlife Federation’s website at www.nwf.org. Happy holidays and don’t forget to give back to the wildlife in your backyard.

Nicole Hafer is an education and wildlife specialist for the Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District.