Feng Shui to Attract Backyard Wildlife

In the month before my mother died, she took utter delight watching a robin who built a nest in the window box on her front porch, laid beautiful turquoise blue eggs, and then fed the chicks work. I have a picture of the nest full of eggs, nestled under the begonias, and remember my mother’s pleasure. Last winter we had a pair of foxes living in the nearby woods. I’d watch them scurry along their trails when the dogs were inside, and they brought no end of family discussion and interest. Are they still here? I hope so.

How to enhance attracting wildlife to your home? According to Norma Lehmeier Hartie, author of Harmonious Environments, a key is representing the four basic elements of water, fire, Earth and air.

Earth: Make sure there is food for animals–fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, seeds, fruits or nectar.
Water: Wildlife need still or moving fresh water.
Fire: Give wildlife places to shelter warmly–dense shrubbery, trees, fallen logs.
Air: Make sure they have safe nesting places to raise their young, protected from dogs, cats, and other wildlife. Meandering edges and less lawn will give wildlife more places to duck for safety. (And speaking of lawns, eliminate your use of herbicides so as not to harm wildlife.)

Hartie also recommends growing plants and flowers that are indigenous to your areas, and to decide what animals you would like to attract and research what habitats and food they need.

She also offers the thoughtful suggestion to find comfortable seating to encourage long periods of enjoyable time spent outdoors to watch the life around you. I’d add to make some special places inside your home, too, where you can watch the wildlife outdoors unobserved. I have a bay window that opens out to a black birch forest, and it is from here I have spent many an hour watching for the foxes. A friend has a similar bay window around their kitchen table, facing an array of bird feeders, and her family has many enjoyable meals watching the birds that come to visit.

Loss of habitat is a major threat to wildlife around the world, so every bit we can do to help them the better, especially because there is very little public land left.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KARLOLINA G.

1:25PM PDT on Oct 5, 2011

I have a bird sanctuary. I planted raspberry bushes in it. I keep 2 birdbaths for them. I have taken some fallen branches and stuck them in the ground in different spots to act as perches. I hold back on the seed in the nice weather and begin feeding regular in the late fall. In early spring I try to make sure to plant many black oil sunflowers, the canarys love them. I plant many other flowers in it as well. The sanctuary also has a trumpet vine, which the hummingbirds love.

send a green star

Berny P.

7:35AM PDT on Mar 16, 2011

anything to help nature is good!

Jennifer C.

9:02PM PDT on Mar 13, 2011

Thanks for sharing this article.

KrassiAWAY B.

3:56AM PST on Mar 7, 2011

Noted with thanks.

Nancy P.

3:51AM PST on Mar 7, 2011

Remember to always try and plant "native" plants.....

10:54AM PST on Feb 21, 2011

feng shuiing points for the animals ...

KS G.

1:27AM PST on Jan 23, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Jon T.

4:22AM PDT on Sep 30, 2010

Managing your garden / yard etc for wildlife is a good thing. Trying to claim it's Feng Shui or should be done along some of its principles (when it's actually just quoting simple ecology measures) seems to be just a desperate attempt to give some credibility to Feng Shui or to sell a book.

Leslie F.

9:00AM PDT on Jul 25, 2010

Looking after our gardens to suit the animals is always a good thing

Leisha A.

9:01AM PDT on Jul 20, 2010

Living in the 'burbs, birds are the main attraction in our yard. Feeders and water features are great for this purpose. We have spotted a raccoon, once, and a squirrel hung out for a while. Pheasants, quail, songbirds and an occasional hawk are our visitors. Love the early morning symphony.