Although all of these questions may not be answered completely in this book, I hope that you find within its pages a starting point to coexisting with wildlife in your garden. I hope your approach becomes one of curiosity, respect, appreciation, awe, and understanding. If you have a garden, a yard, a community space, or an office with landscaping, a range of wildlife can become part of your daily routine, and this book will help you recognize those animals that you’d like to get to know better.

      This book provides opportunities for understanding by exploring histories of selected animals, what they do, and why; animals’ role in the ecosystem and their impact on your garden, home, neighborhood, community, and watershed; and the impact we have on animals and how we can encourage or discourage their presence. Each section will familiarize you with wildlife, ranging from abundant soil organisms all the way up to the largest and rarest mammals that may share your space. I encourage you, at any of these encounters, to first simply observe. What exactly is that moth, bird, squirrel, wasp, mouse, raccoon, or opossum doing? Try not to react to its presence—just watch. Does it visit flowers or gather seeds? How many different types of plants does it visit? Do you see it at night or in the morning? Does it show up reliably all year or just in certain seasons? Where does it take the food it gathers?

      This act of slowing down and just looking at a subject is a technique employed by artists, hunters, biologists, and philosophers. The less threatening your presence is to wildlife, the more familiar you can become with the animals’ normal routines, and the more details you will notice. It is very important that we don’t disturb wildlife unnecessarily, especially during times of low resources, such as a long, hot summers or when they are storing up energy for the winter. This is a lesson for us to share with our children as well as teach to ourselves. Respecting space and similar ethical principles are important in your yard. Know why you are taking action before you do something, and consider the other living creatures that you will affect.

      Permaculture (shortened from “permanent agriculture”) is a holistic landscape design philosophy that holds a basic tenet of working with nature, not against it. Rather than seeing your yard as a perfect utopia—or as a battleground, where it’s man versus nature—I like to think of gardening as a partnership with wildlife. We provide them habitat, and they do the work: pollinating flowers, planting seeds, turning soil, keeping populations in check, and breaking down and recycling nutrients. Rather than seeing ourselves as overlords of the land, we can be cooperative participants with the native residents.

      I prefer not to label any wildlife as “good guys” or “bad guys” in this book; instead, I strive to provide basic information on what animals need and how they live. You can decide which ones to invite to dinner. I ask you not to think of your property as a space where you have the right to kill what you think does not belong. Do think of your garden as a wildlife refuge, where learning and understanding are your most powerful tools.

      The information provided in this book may work well for the home gardener who can tolerate plant losses for a few seasons while his or her efforts to bring a natural balance to the garden play out. I also hope that gardeners and landowners consider the ideas and alternative solutions on a wider scale. Many resources exist for targeting those wild animals regarded as nuisances or invasive, and although I address some of these in their respective sections, you will also be able to access experts in your area. Alternatives exist for every problem, and looking at the reasons behind the issue often reveals the solution. With this approach, we can enjoy our sanctuary with wildlife rather than a creating a barrier that separates the two.

      As Douglas Tallamy, author of the essential native plant landscaping book Bringing Nature Home points out, if we all work together to increase the biodiversity in our own yards, North American suburbia could improve on the protected public lands, such as national parks. At this time, 92 percent of suburban landscape is lawn. This holds great potential for renewing our connection with nature and giving wild things what they need to survive. Our yards could become the largest corridor of connected natural habitats in the developed world. It only requires some small modifications in our attitudes and our landscaping. You don’t have to be big to make a difference in the world—if you need proof, just watch the insects.

      1

      Your Garden

      The basic steps in creating a garden that provides a safe habitat for wildlife and functions to improve the environment are:

      1 1. Stop using pesticides.

      2 2.

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