When we finally have some summer warm weather, we spend even more time outdoors, and we enjoy our wildlife neighbors even more! The migrating birds visiting this summer seem even more abundant than usual, and their songs are delightful.
There are ways to get more birds, butterflies, and other friendly wildlife to your yard or property. It’s fun to have them around and to see them enjoying something you did to help them.
Food
Bird feeders are an obvious choice for many of us; you can get all sorts of them at any good bird store, like The Wild Bird in Poulsbo. Just one caution here — think about what else might be attracted, like the squirrels, raccoons, and rats. When we use feeders, we make sure to place them far away from the house, so the rodents won’t store their bounty under the house. Or place them where you can sweep the seeds up from the ground every day. That helps keep down the rodent population.
Another concern about feeders is that you are setting up a trap for the poor birds if you have an outdoor cat around. It’s just another thing to think about in the placement of a feeder.
Food and shelter
So let’s move on to some other ways to attract wildlife. The best thing we have done here is to plant many native shrubs and trees that attract butterflies, birds and deer, for food or shelter.
Some suggestions are native conifers, bitter cherry, alder, bigleaf maple, Western hazelnut, vine maple, serviceberry, salal, oceanspray, Oregon grape, Indian plum, thimbleberry, elderberry, snowberry, huckleberry, black twinberry, ninebark, nootka rose, salmonberry, cattail, mock orange, columbine, wild strawberry, lupine, red-flowering currant, yarrow, fireweed and more.
Besides attracting the local wildlife, these native plants will thrive easily and without a lot of care once they are watered for one year and if they are planted in the proper place. We have flyers and helpers to guide you here at Stillwaters, especially at our native plant sale in September. Or check the internet for more ideas. The King County site is great as is the Washingston State University Extension siteat http://kitsap.wsu.edu/hort — click on “Gardening” then “Native Plants.”
Water:
A water source is great for birds and wildlife of all kinds. This can be a formal bird bath, a simple pond in the rockery or any small water feature. Even a pretty saucer that catches rainwater in the garden will give water to the birds and butterflies.
Shelter
Living space is great for raising the little ones. You can help with appropriate bird houses, butterfly shelters and bat houses. A simple pile of branches or rocks can become great habitat, and a frog pond is good for lots of amphibians. A bigger pond with shelter around it could bring some ducklings or otter families!
Dangers: Minimize the chemicals you use and make your life better, too. The wildlife will be delighted if you stop using all pesticides and chemical fertilizers. But you and your family will be healthier, as well.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer and the wildlife you bring to your space.
Naomi Maasberg is administrative director at Stillwaters Environmental Education Center in Kingston
Book sale
Stillwaters Environmental Center will have more than 15,000 books on sale in September as its annual fundraiser returns. The used book sale runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday through Sunday, Sept. 3 through Oct. 3 at the Stillwaters campus on Barber Cut Off Road.
Books span all subjects, fiction and non-fiction, and most are priced at $1 or less. Donations of books are accepted at any time. Drop them off or call (360) 297-1226. The “bag sale” will be Oct. 1-3 when books will be sold for $5 per bag on Friday, $3 on Saturday and free on Sunday.
