http://www.care2.com/greenliving/feng-shui-to-attract-backyard-wildlife.html
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.
Go to the Source
related stories
-
(15 comments)
-
(4 comments)
-
(5 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
50 comments
add your comment »sounds good
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
ps i also live on campus where we have several families of skunks, squirrels and possums. any ideas for how i can provide for these animals on campus without littering our campus?
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
i would love to find a way to create moe sanctuary to the various wildlife that already live in my yard (we have squirrels, a family of hedgehogs that live underneath our storage shed, foxes, raccoons, birds of all shapes and sizes, and even the occasional deer) i grow strawberries and herbs (that feed said animals) but i do have a vegetable garden that i don't want invaded. It actually been amazing that they have yet to try to eat any of my vegetables... though my tomatos (which i grow in buckets on a porch) this year for the first time started getting stolen.... so any suggestions to help wildlife while still protecting my source of fresh veggies would be extremely welcome!!!!
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
I live in the midst of the traffic and noise for now, however, I have a birdfeeder hung at the front entrance to the townhouse. I so enjoy the little birds that are now brave enough to venture from the one lonely hedge, to the tress I have built to separate my apt. from the next. I was concerned at first of the number of cats around me, so I no longer put a birdbath at their level for hunting. I couldn't bear knowing that I was luring birds to their demise even though I thought I was giving them luxury of a bath.I do hope others will notice where they may have the bird feeders and baths in their yard.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
I do everything I can to make my garden as attractive to wildlife as possible. It is a joy to see hegehogs, birds, insects, etc going about their business and taking advantage of my little 'feeding and resting' station.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
We feed the birds, squirrels and even put out frog food. We love waching the birds and squirrels eat and drink from the bird bath. We've also seen turtles, rabbits, butterflies, bees and ducks flying over. We love it!
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Hi i love to feed all the animals that visit my yard ,i have bird feeders that i fill every morning, i put toast and peanut butter out for the squirrels and nuts , we also have baby possums that like to eat the cat food that i leave out for the feral cats, and the odd raccoon and and skunk pay a visit .
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
dont throw left over food away feed the wildlife with it
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
My acre is a certified Wildlife Habitat. I am very proud of this accomplishment . I had been working on it for over 20 years. I really am a gardener but it seemed like everything I was planting was enjoyed by all the creatures as much as me. My favorite are the butterflies. I have hundreds of them. I love watching them flutter by without a care in the world. It is a lot of constant physical work but with gardens comes wildlife of all kinds shapes and sizes. I once had a farmers hog visit the yard and a herd of cattle broke lose one day and wandered by!
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Thank you for the wonderful ideas - it would be absolutely wonderful to be able to feed these beautiful wildlife creatures.
Brightest Blessings.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: