Creating Habitat for Wildlife

 

Habitat for wildlife is being eliminated daily from the State of Florida with the increasing clearing and development of land for housing. To help offset this impact to wildlife it will be necessary for homeowners to recreate habitat and food sources in their yards. Creating an inviting habitat is the easy part. The more difficult part is providing the necessary food sources that birds, butterflies and other pollinators need to prosper. Many wildlife species require certain plants that provide seeds, berries or specific host plants for caterpillars. Birds require thousands of caterpillars in spring to feed their offspring until they're ready to fledge. 

The majority of yards in Florida today are planted with ornamentals that originated in other countries. If we are to sustain our wildlife populations which are necessary for our own survival we will need to plant the native food sources they eat. The good news is that it's possible to have a beautiful landscape and to provide for wildlife at the same time. You can start small by adding keystone native plants and trees in small areas of your garden. If you live in an apartment or condominium, you can provide food sources in beautiful pottery.

Doug Tallamy is the leading authority who is educating and paving the way for Americans across the country to join together and provide habitat and food to sustain our bird, butterflies and other pollinating species. Please join me in watching Tallamy's video Bringing Nature Home and taking on this challenge to help repair and replace some of the lost habitat in Florida by creating connecting areas for wildlife to find nourishment and provide for their young. I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the video in the comment section.