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.

A Pollinator Garden

It's spring and the new gardening season begins. If you've got plans to create a new garden bed or to revamp an old one, why not create a 'pollinator garden.'

 It's no secret that pollinators, especially honey bees have been declining in recent years. Pollinators are essential in order for successful harvests of food crops.

You can help by adding pollinator-loving plants to your garden. It's super easy and you'll be able to enjoy the beautiful blooms, as well as attract more butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.

Flowering plants that are recommended for the central Florida area are:

Annuals & Perennials:  Cannas,  Impatiens, Marigolds, Nasturtians, Pentas, Purple coneflowers, Salvia, Shrimp plant, Sunflowers (especially Mexican), Lantana, Cosmos, Zinnias, Powder Puff, Portulaca, Blue Daze, many varieties of Jasmine, Milkweed.

Natives - Spotted Bee Balm, Blue Curl, Gaillardia (Indian Blanket Flower), Canna Flaccida, Black-eyed Susan, Coreopsis (Tickseed), Stoke's Aster, Pickerelweed, Adam's Needle. 

Herbs: Thyme, Mint, Basil.

Vines: Coral honeysuckle, Passionflower, Carolina Jessamine, Cross Vine, Trumpet Creeper.  All of these vines are native to Florida. Note: The native passionflower vines are Passiflora Incarnata and Corky Stem 'Passiflora Suberosa.

Other: Saw Palmetto, Walter's Viburnum, Chaste Tree, Sea Grape, Bottlebrush trees, Spanish Bayonet, Ligustrum, Southern Magnolia. Liriope.

These are just some of the plants that pollinators will love that are easy to find in nursery centers.

~ ~ Gardener's Beware ~ ~

Many "Bee-Friendly" plants sold at nursery centers have had "Bee-Toxic Pesticides" applied to them.  These plants will KILL the pollinators when they visit the plants.

The Good News - Plant growers are now required to include a label on the plant which indicates that it's been treated with  Neonicotinoids which are systemic pesticides. The pesticide is taken up through the roots and leaves and is distributed throughout the entire plant - including the pollen and nectar.

Please look for this label (which may not always be easy to find), and AVOID purchasing any plant treated with Neonicotinoids.

Everyone Can Have a Pollinator Garden

If you have a mostly shady garden, a small garden, or live in a condo or apartment - you CAN have a pollinator garden. Consider planting a container garden filled and overflowing with pollinator plants. You don't need a large space to have an impact.

Photo credit: Google Images

Get those 'pollinator gardens' growing and send me a photo on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Central-Florida-Gardener-197232317050577/) and I will gladly share them through the summer to help inspire other Florida gardeners. 

Also, leave a comment below and let us know what your favorite pollinator plants are. 

A Miami Gardener's Transition to Native Plants

If you garden with "natives" or for "wildlife" or are just thinking about making some changes in this direction in your own garden, then you will definitely enjoy reading Mary Ann Gibbs article 'Our Beautiful Subtropical Garden' on the Florida Native Plant Society blog.

Her garden looks like a beautiful oasis in the midst of a large city, and it is full of inspiration and the names of the many native plants they have included in their garden. Some of these plants may not be the best choices for those of us who garden here in the central part of the state but there are plenty that will survive and thrive here. She will inspire us to make the transition to more natives that benefit our local wildlife.

Source: Florida Native Plant Society blog (www.fnps.blogspot.com)

Click here to read: Our Beautiful Subtropical Garden

If you garden for wildlife or have included native plants in your garden, please contact me with your story. I would love to share it with others here.

The Benefits of a NOT SO Tidy Garden

At the end of summer we all seem to be venturing back out into the garden to tidy up a bit.

A little clipping back and deadheading seem to be in order. BUT, WAIT! Before you clip those faded flowers from your annuals and perennials it's important to note that these seed heads provide an essential diet for the birds that winter in our Florida yards.
Pictured above - Zinnia

 I know . . . I hear you . . . you don't like having a messy looking garden. Neither do I, but I think it's possible to tidy up the garden and still leave plenty of seed heads around for our feathered friends.

Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta (left) and Bee Balm Monarda punctata (below).

My suggestion would be to plant non-seeding plants around those that go to seed. By the end of our summer, the plants have all grown together, and they will help conceal the dried seed heads. Plus, the merged and tangled plants will provide extra cover for birds.

Last year, I enjoyed watching a number of birds zooming in and out of my front "island bed" feasting on native Bee Balm Monarda punctata, Stoke's Aster Stokesia laevis, Coneflower Echinacea purpurea, Salvia Salvia spp., Indian blanket flower Gaillardia pulchella, Black- and green-eyed Susan's Rudbeckia hirta, Pentas Pentas lanceolata and Thryallis Galphimia glauca.

Other perennials that provide seeds are Gaura Gaura spp., Russian Sage Perovskia atriplicifolia,   Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus, and Mexican sunflower Tithonia rotundifolia.

The tiny Goldfinches that winter here in Florida scooped up the tiny seeds, in the old crape myrtle blooms in my garden, once they dried and opened. So, if you like to trim the seed heads off your crape myrtles be sure to leave that job until spring. And, don't forget to hold off on trimming ornamental grasses back until spring as they provide seeds, as well.

The same little birds were also busy picking seeds out of the cracks in the road.

Some folks, including me, like to provide extra food for the birds by having feeders in the garden. It's not necessary if you plant the right plants, and leave the seed heads on, but if you enjoy feeding the birds . . . go right ahead . . . they certainly won't mind! And, should some of the millet sprout beneath the feeder . . . leave it for the birds.

Recently, I finally got around to picking up some old boards that had been lying in the back of a garden bed for a year or more. When I lifted the last one, out jumped three frightened toads. I quickly put the boards back down, and decided they would be more useful staying there than putting them in the trash for pickup. 

A couple other good practices is to leave leaf litter in your garden beds, and create a stack of cut up small branches in the back of the bed behind your plants. Many small creatures and insects will call these wood stacks home, and they will also be a source of food for birds.

It's wonderful to know that we don't need to be so tidy in the garden. It certainly eliminates some work for us, and it will provide a more welcome environment for local wildlife.

Which of your plants have you seen birds feeding on during the winter months?

Creating A Wildlife Habitat - Step #5: Sustainable Garden Practices

The last and final step in turning your garden into a wildlife habitat is to garden sustainably. That's a big term for practicing natural garden techniques in your yard. Wildlife are sensitive to chemicals so it makes sense to incorporate this last element into the garden whenever and wherever possible.

The Fifth Element necessary to attract wildlife is to practice sustainable gardening techniques.

Tips for creating a more sustainable landscape:

* Enriching your soil with compost prior to planting will help plants thrive and reduce the chances of insect invasions.

* Plant Florida-friendly and native plants so that you will experience less disease and pest problems.

* Use the least toxic methods for controlling pests such as hand-picking, BT for caterpillars, horticulture oil for scale, baking soda to eliminate crabgrass, horticulture soap for most insects.  

* Mulch (pine bark, hay straw or pine needles - no cypress mulch, please) to reduce weeds.

* Use less fertilizer or eliminate large portions of turf grass.

* Fertilize plants with natural products such as compost, compost tea, fish emulsion or manure.

Wildlife Friendly Tip

Mix up a batch of homemade horticulture soap which is very effective in eliminating a large number of pests in the garden. Mix together 2 Tablespoons of dishwashing liquid into one gallon of water. Pour into a spray bottle and you've got an easy remedy to combat mealybugs, aphids, soft scale, thrips and mites. 

Test out your product on a small portion of a plant before spraying the entire plant as some plants may be sensitive to the soap. Also, do not spray when temperatures are 90 degrees or above. I like to spray my plants in late afternoon and then give them a rinse the next morning. 

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Now that you've turned your yard into a "Florida-friendly Wildlife Habitat" why not take the next step and get it certified by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Florida gardens are only 2nd to California in the number of gardens certified by the NWF. So, let's all get on board and make Florida #1 in the country!

As a recap, the following are the 5 steps required by the National Wildlife Federation for creating a "certified wildlife habitat:" 

•Food Sources - For example: Native plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, nectar

•Water Sources - For example: Birdbath, pond, water garden, stream

•Places for Cover - For example: Thicket, rockpile, birdhouse

•Places to Raise Young - For example: Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting box, pond

•Sustainable Gardening - For example: Mulch, compost, rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer

When you certify your garden, you'll receive all these NWF benefits:

•A personalized certificate that recognizes your NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat™.

•A free NWF membership which includes a full year's subscription to the award-winning National Wildlife® magazine and 10% off all NWF catalog purchases.

•A free subscription to the quarterly e-newsletter, Habitats, full of insightful tips and information on gardening and attracting wildlife year after year.

•Your name listed in NWF's National registry of certified habitats...to recognize all you've done for wildlife.

And, once you complete your application, you'll be eligible to purchase the "wildly" popular Certified Wildlife Habitat™ yard sign (above) that shows your commitment to conserving wildlife.

Start your certification application here >> NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat

As you create your own wildlife friendly garden I would love to hear about your experiences, suggestions, tips and questions involving your transformation. You can reach me at: cenflagardener at gmail.com. Congratulations and good luck in transforming your yard into a wildlife habitat

Creating a Wildlife Habitat - Step #4: Provide Places for Raising Young

Now that you've provided food, water and cover in your garden and the birds, butterflies and other creatures are showing up in great numbers it's time to think about providing places for nesting.

The following ideas will entice wildlife to put out the "Home Sweet Home" sign and make your garden their permanent home.

The FOURTH element to attract wildlife is to provide places for nesting.

Here's 4 suggestions for providing places for nesting: 

Plant a variety of trees. Establishing trees of varying varieties and heights will attract a variety of birds to your garden and provide them with a place to build nests.

Don't forget to include palm trees when deciding which trees you'll grow. Not only do the birds love the berries but the palm fibers are used as nesting material.

When possible, leaving a dead tree trunk. . . also called a "snag" . . . in your yard. The snag in this photo stands between a series of trees planted all around it. It's been there for about 7 years and the woodpeckers love it.

These snags provide a place for cavity nesting birds to create a home. Do be careful that the snag will not cause damage to your home or other structures should it eventually fall over. My snag is slowly decomposing and looks like it will most likely break off in small chunks as it ages.



Attach or hang birdhouses to a tree or post in the garden. Small birds such as wrens and sparrows will appreciate these little homes scattered around your garden. Some small mammals like flying squirrels will also nest in these houses. We have a Bluebird family that has taken up residence in the Bluebird house pictured at the beginning of this post.
Don't forget to include duck houses if you live on the water, and bat houses are another option.

Place a large piece of wood or a woodpile in a quiet area of the yard. I like to incorporate large pieces of wood, such as the one in the photo, in my garden as a decorative piece. This unusually shaped piece of wood looks natural and you can see that some critter has created an entrance to his home where the piece of wood curves. Nothing makes me smile more than making this discovery.

Wildlife Friendly Tip

This half wire basket was repurposed to hold Spanish moss, dryer lint and any other material that birds can use to build nests. When I find a fallen nest I separate it and place the materials in this basket, too.

I'm more than willing to give the birds a little help if I can entice them to nest in my garden.


Attracting wildlife to your garden is only half the equation. To get them to set up home means providing nesting opportunities and that's not difficult to do with a little thought and planning. Your garden will come alive with the sounds and sights of many varieties of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, squirrels, snakes, armadillos and other types of wildlife. Yes...I said snakes and armadillos! That's all part of creating a "Florida-friendly wildlife habitat" folks.

Creating a Wildlife Habitat - Step #3: Places for Cover

Wildlife needs a certain amount of cover - - trees, shrubs, grasses - - for protection from predators. By providing a network of cover for safe passage it's likely you'll see greater numbers and varieties of wildlife all around your garden.

There's many ways to create covered areas in your garden. Some will produce results quickly while others will take time for trees and plants to establish themselves and grow, but with each passing year more and more wildlife will call your garden home.

We built a new home 5 years ago and our trees and shrubs have grown nicely and our flowerbeds larger, and we are reaping the rewards of seeing birds darting from one tree to another and into areas of shrubbery. We even spotted a rabbit feeding in our front and backyard recently.

The THIRD element necessary to attract wildlife is to provide places for cover.

Here's a list of suggestions for creating cover in your garden:

Plant trees and garden beds of shrubbery around them using a mix of Florida-Friendly and native varieties. Establishing a landscape with trees and plants of varying heights provides a more natural landscape cover for wildlife. When planting trees take into consideration the location of the sun to maximize energy savings for your home. Also, consider planting a mix of evergreen and deciduous varieties, as well as seed and fruit varieties to increase food sources for wildlife.

Create a network of cover areas. This sounds complicated but it simply means establishing trees and garden beds of shrubbery in various places throughout your landscape. In this photo off in the distance are some larger trees...a medium sized tree is a little closer....a palm is near the house as is the shrubbery....and another tree in the forefront of the photo which is hard to see. All of these areas provide cover over a specified area in which birds, squirrels, rabbits have a place to take cover when they dart from tree to shrubbery to tree in search of food.

Replace lawn with groundcovers and large island beds. Groundcovers can be easily maintained and provide cover to a number of small creatures. This island bed in my front yard provides coverage to birds as they dart back and forth to trees that frame our property. As it turned out, this butterfly garden provides lots of yummy caterpillars for the birds to feed on. Keep in mind that wildlife is more likely to use an island bed if it's located near other garden beds.

Add a  woodpile in an area of your garden. In this photo on the left you can see that I left the tree stump of a fallen tree along with a small portion of the tree trunk lying in the center of this bromeliad bed. The remnants of the tree that once stood there now is home to some creature that has dug a hole at the base of the stump. As the wood is slowly decomposing it's enriching the soil for the spreading bromeliads that surround it.

Wildlife Friendly Tip

#1 - Locate birdfeeders near bushes or trees so that birds are not exposed to larger predators.

#2 - Get your neighbors involved. A larger habitat will draw more species into a neighborhood.

Increasing cover in your garden is an essential element that is most often overlooked. By adding a variety of flowerbeds and trees of varying heights throughout your garden you will provide good coverage for wildlife and bring them closer to your home for better viewing.

Creating a Wildlife Habitat - Step #2: Providing Water Sources

Water is a crucial resource for our survival and the same is true for wildlife. In order to attract and keep wildlife in our garden it is important to add at least one source of water...varying types of water sources spread throughout your garden is even more beneficial.

The SECOND element necessary to attract wildlife to your garden is a source of water.

It doesn't have to be a large water pond...adding small elements throughout your garden is all you need.

TO-DO: Add a birdbath, pond or water garden, rain or bog garden, butterfly puddling area to your garden.

 Birdbaths are one of the easiest ways to add a water source to your garden. Adding several in different locations is a good start. Also, consider adding a saucer of water at ground level for other animals. Rocks with depressions in them will fill with rain water for butterflies and other animals. Birds are attracted to the sound of running water, so feel free to include a fountain in your plans.

Adding a pond or water garden to your yard is a more ambitious undertaking but it creates its own small ecosystem that attracts a larger number of wild creatures such as frogs, toads, turtles, racoons, dragonflies, birds and butterflies.

 Rain gardens that contain water runoff and boggy areas of a garden that contain water or stay damp for a portion of the year that are planted with native plants also attract and provide habitat for butterflies, insects, frogs and birds.

Leaving areas of unmulched sandy soil (near butterfly plants) provide butterflies with a puddling area where they can easily get the necessary water, minerals and salt that they need for survival. If you don't want to leave an area of ground unmulched you can create a puddling station in a clay saucer. Just fill it with sand/dirt, place several small stones on top of the soil and keep it moist.

Many times I've caught squirrels sipping water from this small potted water garden in my backyard. It's easy to make and maintain. All you need is a container that doesn't have drainage holes. I added a couple inches of dirt and two native potted Pickerel Weed plants. I filled it with water and added small quantities of tiny native Duckweed and Water Lettuce. Occassionally, I have to add water to it when it doesn't rain but it never smells foul or needs cleaning.

Wildlife Friendly Tip: 

#1 - When cleaning birdbaths use a small amount of vinegar instead of bleach and a good stiff brush to scrub off debris.

#2 - Using native plants in ponds or bog/rain gardens is beneficial to wildlife. 

Adding a variety of water sources to your garden is easy and inexpensive. Position them in different areas of your garden for maximum benefit and sit back and enjoy the entertainment of all the happy creatures that visit them.

Creating a Wildlife Habitat - Step #1: Food Sources

Gardens are more than just pretty flowers...they're also an environment that provides necessary food and habitat for wildlife. As I browse garden blogs all around the world, it's obvious that more and more gardeners are turning their gardens into wildlife habitats.

As we make our gardens more attractive to wildlife we provide our local fauna with the necessary elements for their survival as more and more of their habitat is destroyed by development. In return, we reap enormous  benefits by attracting a wide variety of butterflies, birds, insects, reptiles and other native animals to our gardens.

Sharing my garden with an abundance of beautiful creatures is personally rewarding to me and proof that we can make a difference in our little part of the world when we tweak our gardens with the intention of inviting a variety of wildlife in.

It's easy to adapt our yards to accomodate and attract wildlife. In the next 5 posts we'll look at simple steps you can take to make your garden more wildlife friendly.

The FIRST element necessary to attract wildlife is to provide a variety of food sources.

TO-DO: Add a variety of native and Florida-friendly plants that produce seeds, fruits, nuts, berries and nectar. Some of the most popular and easy to find items on the menu for central Florida wildlife are:

Seeds & Nuts: Amaranth Amaranthus spp., Zinnia Zinnia spp., Crape myrtles Lagerstroemia indica, Sunflowers Helianthus spp., Scarlet Sage Salvia spp., Cleome Cleome hasslerana, Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus, Wax Myrtles Myrica cerifera, Live Oaks Quercus virginiana.

Fruit: Mulberries, blackberries, blueberries, Coral honeysuckle vine Lonicera sempervirens.

Berries: Simpson Stoppers Myrcianthes fragrans, dahoon holly Ilex cassine, holly shrubs Ilex spp., American beautyberry Callicarpa americana, Wild coffee Psychotria spp., Privet Ligustrum spp., Sabal palm Sabal palmetto, Firebush Hamelia patens.

Nectar: Bottlebrush Callistemon spp., Golden dewdrop Duranta repens, Firebush Hamelia patens, Louis Phillippe rose, Shrimp plant Justicia brandegeana, Lantanas, Firespike Odontonema strictum, Pentas Pentas lanceolata, Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens, Trumpet vine Campsis radicans, Purple coneflower Echinacea coelestinum, Milkweed Asclepias spp., Agastache , Indian Blanket flower Gaillardia pulchella, Plumbago Plumbago auriculata, Asters (native), Sunflower Helianthus spp. Impatiens Impatiens wallerana, Zinnias Zinnia spp., Stokes' Aster Stokesia laevis, Salvia varieties, Florida petunia Ruellia caroliniensis, Bee balm Monarda spp., Kalanchoes Kalanchoe spp. Daylily Hemerocallis spp., Beach sunflower Helianthus debilis, Aloe Aloe vera.

NOTE: It's okay to supplement food sources with bird seed or nectar in hummingbird feeders but you'll find that you'll attract and maintain more birds in your garden if you provide a more diverse year-round diet of pertinent plants. Plus, you'll save a few dollars on bird seed.

I have a number of feeders throughout my garden because I enjoy watching the birds who visit, but I've noticed that they frequent their favorite plants more often than the feeders which is great since I sometimes get too busy to keep them full.

Wildlife Friendly Tip: 

Be a little less tidy in the garden by leaving seedheads on plants at the end of summer for the increased number of birds we enjoy in winter. I've noticed that titmice and wrens are busy all winter long eating seeds from my crepe myrtles, agastache and coneflowers.  

As you can see, getting started is easy.  As you add new plants to your garden include some of the ones mentioned above and you'll be on your way to creating your very own wildlife habitat.

Wildlife Habitat Restoration Project

I'd like to share a project with you I've been working on. Earlier this year a wooded area that borders my daughter's school was bulldozed to make room for a large retention pond for a highway expansion project.

What once was a wooded area that attracted a variety of birds and butterflies to the school garden...

is now a 200 foot span of wide open area.

The loss of this vital habitat has become evident to Mrs.Wagner, the 4th grade science teacher at the school. After contacting the city and the construction company to see what their plans were for recreating the habitat area, it became clear that she would have to find a way for the school to restore this area. This led to a wonderful teaching moment for the 4th graders on the importance of habitat for wildlife, and the restoration efforts that can be done to recreate the habitat.

She was successful in acquiring a grant from The Mosaic Company and an invitation to the 4th graders to visit a couple of old phosphate mines that have been restored to their original status through their reclamation process. Lucky for me, I was able to take the field trip with them and was amazed at the enthusiasm of their two biologists and the job they had done restoring the old pits. The pits had been completely restored, along with native flora and more than 1,000 gopher tortoises (and the other animals that live in their holes, too) that needed to be relocated for a future phosphate pit. The children had a great time and learned a lot about the necessity of restoring damaged habitats.

The next step for the 4th graders was to begin the process of rebuilding the school's wildlife border. Soon they would be planting native plants, grasses and trees to the small amount of existing plants that survived the demolition which included some native grasses, morning glories, a few wildflowers, Carolina jasmine and wax mrytle (pictured below).

Mrs. Wagner solicited my help in determining what to plant. Armed with the school credit card and a $600 budget...I gleefully ;-) headed off to Cee Jay Nursery to place the order. Carolyn Wilson, owner of the nursery, has the most extensive variety of natives I could find in our area. She was also helpful in suggesting a few additional items, and she even hung around to help the kids plant and provided the class with a Fringe tree Chionanthus virginicus as a gift. 

It was a beautiful spring day when 42 eager kids showed up with shovels-in-hand and quickly got to work planting 70 plus native plants, grasses and trees. 

Scarlet Milkweed Asclepias curassavica, Scarlet sage Salvia coccinea, Firebush Hamelia patens, Muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris, Trumpet creeper Campsis radicans, Coral Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens, Coontie Zamia pumila, Elderberry Sambucus canadensis, Simpson Stopper Myrcianthes fragrans, Needle palm  Rhapidophyllum hystrix and American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana  were scattered along the 200 foot border. 

A variety of mid-level and canopy trees...some species for wet ground and some for dry: Live oak Quercus virginiana, Chapman oak Quercus chapmanii, Dahoon holly Ilex cassine, Southern red cedar Juniperus virginiana, Red bay Persea borbonia, Slash pine Pinus elliottii, Red mulberry Morus alba, Red maple Acer rubrum, Yellow haw Crataegus Flava, Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria and Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia  were spaced from end to end...either closer to the retention pond or higher on dry ground according to their needs.

As we were planting the final few bushes a black swallowtail butterfly landed on the Scarlet milkweed much to the excitement of the children. Confirmation that "if you plant it, they will come." Here's a look at the final result. We didn't get everything on our wish list...limited only by our budget and the species available to us...but the wildlife habitat restoration project is well on its way, and with the addition of future grants...more will be added.

The children were pleased with their hard work and have been making sure that the new plantings are watered until they become established.

On a positive note...even though the existing wildlife area was partially destroyed...the new retention pond will provide an additional source of food to the Osprey that nest on the school property. And, in due time the newly established plants, grasses and trees will slowly reclaim this area and more and more wildlife will return.