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.
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16 comments
add your comment »Lovely article. Thank you.
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I think the most rewarding experience is when I watched a hummingbird just sit on the backyard trellis, looking around, and deciding that it was a safe enough place for him to call "home".
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So who can help me get the fox & deer here. I know they are here in my front view along the creek. I hear the fox at night & I see their holes, but I can't see them this year. The deer are here, but don't know what exactly would draw them nearer. Can someone help. I get such a warm feeling in my heart when I see them. Another one of God's lovely gifts to us.
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I've been trying to put many of these wonderful ideas into practice, despite living in the middle of suburbia. Surprisingly we now have hosts of different birds visiting, a pair of mischievous but wonderful raccoons, a very friendly skunk, a pair of rabbits and the regular host of squirrels and chipmunks. I have left a corner of my backyard go "wild" and leave any cut branches or brush there for shelter. My garden is slowly becoming entirely indigenous with special attention on fruit bearing plants/trees and I never use any harmful chemicals in the yard, not just for the animals' safety but that of my family and the Earth.
People who come over are always surprised at the wildlife moving all around our home and I am as giddy as a kid at Christmas when I see my animal friends feeling safe enough to venture here and enjoying the spoils of Nature.
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I love this article. It sounds lovely, and it would be lovely to see it implimented.
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Davie, what you said was right on the nose. So many people wince at the thought of spending an afternoon in the wilderness, let alone living in it. It's such a treat to be able to sit back and enjoy whats out there, that's why I love Northern MN so much, it's easy to find such a place there, although I'am locally biased!
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My dying mother raised a zebra finch well beyond the natural years of such a creature....for sure 17 years...maybe more. She spoke regulary and lovingly to this little animal and when my mother passed, he did too. On her funereal urn I had the words written, "Now you are a bird, you soar in the sky and dance to the wind flying by." The birds out my sunroom window are ever a source of delight to me as well.....we live in Minnesota and it is fun to see them flocking to our feeders for nourishment and water in our cold, cold place. I always say when I think I cannot stand one more minute of winter.....if they can survive out there, I will make it in here. Our trees give them shelter and protection from the wind, our feeders give them food, and I talk to them. What more do they need? Sunshine....and they know just like we do that it will come...spring always does.
Cindy DeVries
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Davie Parker,
Are we healthy if nature is healthy?
That's a highly erroneous comment !!!
Instead, if we keep nature healthy - or allow it to stay healthy - then THAT´S a sign we are healthy.
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please help
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Call it Feng-Shui, or just being intelligent. I have done it for years.
About the Amish Puppy-mills, yep we have them in the area. My wife and I won't go to any of the Animal Sales here in the area for just that reason. But that is why we joined up, to make a difference.
I remember my Grand-father's Nursing home had a big Aviary in it, he just loved to talk to the birds.
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