Morgan Hill
– A local property has been designated a National Wildlife
Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat.
Ruth Kyles’s property in Morgan Hill has met the designation,
meaning it is used to attract a variety of birds, butterflies and
other wildlife while helping to protect the environment.
Morgan Hill – A local property has been designated a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat.
Ruth Kyles’s property in Morgan Hill has met the designation, meaning it is used to attract a variety of birds, butterflies and other wildlife while helping to protect the environment.
The NWF began the program in 1973 and has certified more than 35,000 habitats nationwide, as well as more than 1,900 schools and hundreds of businesses and community sites.
The average habitat is between a third to half an acre, but habitats can range from balconies to thousands of acres.
South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Georgia have the most certified habitats in the United States.
Program participants make their land more hospitable to wildlife by following certain guidelines.
The program is also meant to teach the importance of environmental stewardship.
The federation puts out a planning guide, NWF’s Wildlife Habitat Planning Guide for Backyards and Beyond, which provides information needed to start a habitat.
Included in the guide are some pointers for
the habitat:
• Restore native plant communities should be the main emphasis.
• Provide feeders for a variety of birds and include different seeds and nectar. Be sure to keep the feeders clean.
• Use drip soaker hose instead of sprinkler and use mulch to conserve soil moisture.
• Butterflies require a “host” plant to serve as food sources during the caterpillar, or larval, stage.
Details: Visit www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat.
