How can you have a positive impact on wildlife in the spring?
When you search on Google, ‘How can I help wildlife during the spring,’ you are likely to find two different options: donate and volunteer. What if you don’t have the money to donate? You have kids and work a full-time job, so volunteering isn’t an option for you. Maybe you just want to know what you can do to make your backyard a safe haven for animals during the spring? We should be educated on how we can reduce our negative impact on our local ecosystem regardless, and the typical public school doesn’t necessarily focus on this subject in a practical way.
In the modern age, there have been many new inventions and advancements that affect what the modern home and lawn look like today. Some of these new advances can potentially be harmful to innocent creatures who are unassuming of these new dangers. It is up to us to become aware of these risks and form good habits to protect our local wildlife especially when approaching the spring.
We Should:
1. Protect birds from our windows
It is estimated that 100 million to 1 billion birds die from window collisions each year in America alone!
Study Citation
Scott R. Loss, Tom Will, Sara S. Loss, Peter P. Marra, Bird–building collisions in the United States: Estimates of annual mortality and species vulnerability, The Condor, Volume 116, Issue 1, 1 February 2014, Pages 8–23, https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-13-090.1
There are more car accidents that happen during the holidays for many reasons. One of the main reasons being that more people are out and about than usual. People are rushing from place to place and folks that aren’t used to going out are even on the highways. Well the springtime is like the holiday season to birds. They are all out in a hurry going to and fro. Therefore there are bound to be more accidents. Humanity does not help matters in this subject by displaying perfectly clear (and deadly) glass windows all along their walls.
One way that we can help our feathered friends during this lively time is to decorate our windows. It is recommended to clearly mark the exterior of windows with material that is visible to birds. While spacing this visible material at a maximum of five centimeters apart horizontally and by ten centimeters apart vertically.
It is important to provide safe refuge for native critters that are struggling with a decrease in available space.
I would be rightfully annoyed, to say the least, if someone decided to bulldoze a little more of my home every year. Unfortunately, this is precisely what is happening to many of our beloved creatures. While you may not be able to offer real estate for, let’s say, a bear or moose, there are smaller homes that can easily be provided for some of the more petite wildlife to start out spring.
When deciding which homes to provide, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions: What kind of predators are in my area? Are stray cats rampant in my yard? What type of critter is most likely to take advantage of this habitat? Do I want to try and build the habitat myself? If you do have stray cats or certain predators, you may need to put a little more thought into your habitat building. There are ways to discourage and make it more difficult for predators to infiltrate critter houses, such as installing cone-shaped aluminum around a birdhouse pole or purchasing predator-proof houses. Whether you decide to buy or build, it’s important to do your research regardless. Most bat houses that I’ve seen for sale are not big enough for bats to properly thermoregulate their housing. Therefore, if you want a bat house, building might be the better option. If you have squirrels, be aware that they are known to eat hummingbirds and similarly small creatures. So, you’ll need to squirrel-proof anything close to their trees or frequented areas. For example, in my area, there are squirrels all along the woodline behind the backyard, but they never frequent near the house. This is why I feel comfortable placing toad houses under my porch. Do you live near a small creek or stream? If so, you may be able to provide shelter to one of the most vulnerable types of animals: amphibians. Salamanders, in particular, would appreciate dead logs, dry bark, or even aluminum siding placed in close proximity to a water source. This is an easy, low-maintenance home that could make a huge difference for a vulnerable species.
3. Familiarize ourselves with local wildlife rehab/rescue centers and their protocols
If you have already familiarized yourself with wildlife rescue procedures you will be able to more confidently handle finding a sick or stranded animal.
During spring, it’s more likely to stumble upon situations where wild animals need professional help. Spring is a time of high activity in the animal kingdom, with more baby animals potentially needing assistance and an increase in accidents involving wildlife.
A helpful tip is to delay any landscaping or major yard work until all animals come out of hibernation. Wooded areas with dead leaves covering the ground are prime hibernation spots for queen honey bees, as well as other important critters. You may unknowingly disturb nests or burrows when landscaping in the spring, which could be detrimental to newborn baby animals.
Step 1
Find your official local Fish and Wildlife or DNR website for your area. Once you find their website take time to familiarize yourself with it.
Step 2
Find their wildlife section. There are usually several resources in their wildlife tab that are helpful to know about. In this section they will usually provide information about the wildlife rescue and rehab centers in your area.
Step 3
Search for wildlife rescue centers in your area. It is also a good idea to take note of which ones will take mammals, birds, birds of prey, reptiles, and/or other wildlife that may require a special license to provide care for.
Step 4
Go to your local wildlife rescue center’s website and find out what their guidelines are for finding a sick or injured animal. Most guidelines are the same, however they can differ in specific locations.
We Shouldn’t:
1. Introduce harmful chemicals into the environment.
We should never carelessly purchase chemicals to use indoors or outdoors. Always do your research when buying yard spays or other man made products that are similar.
If you are reading this now, you have already shown your commitment to caring for the creatures around you. By reading this article, you are demonstrating that you care for the environment and those that inhabit it. You are proactively finding ways to be a good steward. So yes, you should pat yourself on the back!
Being mindful of the kinds of chemicals we use in our yards and even our homes is of great importance. There is a delicate balance in the ecosystem that can easily be tipped over by our interference. Even by being mindful of where we park our cars, what products we buy, or where we discard household waste, we can make a significant impact on animals who have no say in these matters.
When we see dandelions pop up out of the ground, many of us instinctively want to buy weed killer or do anything to rid our yard of them. This spring, I challenge you to take a step back and think about why that is. Are they really that ugly? Are they harmful? I would say no to both of these questions. In fact, they are particularly important to many members of the animal kingdom. I even buy dandelion greens for my pet lizard! Rabbits, both wild and domestic, love dandelions, and honeybees rely on them too!
Ask yourself if weed killer is absolutely necessary for your yard. Weed killer is harmful to most animals as well as humans. Remember that there are animals that quickly absorb liquids through their skin and/or breathe through their skin. So even touching harsh chemicals such as weed killer is a death sentence to vulnerable species like amphibians.
Instead of using pesticides, which are also harmful to humans, think about using natural deterrents. Citrus becomes the star of the show when on this subject, followed up by peppermint, cinnamon, spicy peppers, and other natural deterrents. Citrus is repulsive to most insects. Oranges and lemons alike have a strong odor that is unpleasant to several types of animals, including cats and deer. Again, simply being aware of what we bring into the environment is so important.
2. Use excessive outdoor lighting
Outdoor lighting can negatively affect nocturnal animals.
Not much needs to be said on this matter. All that you really need to know is that excessive outdoor lighting can be disorienting and disturbing to nocturnal animals which in turn, may lead to unfortunate accidents. Therefore, make sure you don’t accidentally leave outdoor lighting on overnight. If you need outdoor lighting for safety, consider using motion detecting lights keeping them to a minimal.
3. Disturb nesting places
Interfere with the natural activity of wildlife as little as possible.
We all love baby animals and spring is prime time for cute little baby animals to emerge. I don’t think anyone can argue the fact that little baby animals are simply adorable! It’s so tempting to check in on any nest that is found. However, these homes are best left alone. It’s highly likely that even though you don’t see a parent in the vicinity, they aren’t far. The parent may see you peeking in and disturbing their offspring, deeming the nest unsafe. It’s best to leave nesting places alone and observe from a safe distance.
Luckily, with new technology, there are ways to observe wildlife more closely without interfering. For example, there are nest cams that have been designed specifically to be undetectable. Be sure to set up any nest cams whenever you place birdhouses and test them before anyone takes up residence. The same general rules apply for any type of nature camera.
I applaud anyone willing to learn more about animals in order to create a better environment for them. As stated before, mindfulness goes a long way. Realizing that many decisions you make affect so many different creatures is equally as important. This has been a collection of only a few items on this subject. There are certainly other things that you can always do to improve the environment for your native species. In the meantime, I want to thank you for thinking about our wild neighbors, and I’m sure they want to thank you too.
Sources and Cites:
Scott R. Loss, Tom Will, Sara S. Loss, Peter P. Marra, Bird–building collisions in the United States: Estimates of annual mortality and species vulnerability, The Condor, Volume 116, Issue 1, 1 February 2014, Pages 8–23, https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-13-090.1
