How to Keep Your Woodlands Wildlife Friendly

Maine residents usually enjoy nature to the hilt, as evidenced by the plethora of gardens and woodlands you’ll find in our state. As part of that, we love seeing wildlife enjoying their natural habitats and enjoy attracting them to our yards. However, some landowners don’t yet know how to keep their yards wildlife friendly. They want to attract wildlife but aren’t sure how, or worry about the types of animals they may inadvertently encourage. Today, we’ll set all amateur gardeners’ minds at rest with some tips on how to attract the right wildlife and keep more dangerous creatures away.

If You Feed Them, They Will Come

Some of the most popular wildlife includes birds, squirrels, and other tree-dwellers. To attract them, make sure you plant plenty of trees rich in nuts, seeds, and other food sources. White pines are one of the best choices because they produce a large crop of seeds and cones all year. Their fragrant needles are also a nutrition source for several common species including gray squirrels.

White pines are beneficial to humans because their blue-green color provides a striking background in any yard, and because their height provides privacy, allowing you to enjoy wildlife in peace. Plant white pines or other evergreens either as your main foliage or as accent trees. Consider adding oak, beech, or hazelnut; all these provide nuts and seeds as well.

Cover Them Up

Just like humans, animals want a place to stay warm when winter hits. Rabbits, foxes, sparrows, and countless other species use brush piles for nesting dens and other forms of shelter. Your brush pile needs a base raised slightly off the ground to provide tunnels and escape routes for several types of smaller wildlife. It also needs a brushy top that will block predators.

To create this type of shelter, you have several options. Many gardeners use logs, about 4-6 inches in height, stacked log cabin style, and stones about 8-12 inches in diameter. Use a rot-resistant base such as oak or cedar and stack branches in order of size with the smallest branches last. Stack branches at different angles to provide air pockets and escape routes, and use PVC pipes for homemade tunnels.

Consider a Pool

Animals get most of their water from what they eat, even if their food sources are not strictly aquatic. That being said, most animals love water because it’s an immediate drinking, bathing, and food source. Consider digging a small pool in or around your woodland or garden area. If you live near a lake or stream, learn all you can about preserving its health. Do not allow water to grow stagnant; animals prefer active pools and streams with plenty of aquatic plants and food sources. If you don’t have the time or resources for an actual pool, consider adding a birdbath or two.

Woo Them to Your Home

Just like humans, wildlife prefer living in an attractive space. Fortunately, plants that attract birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife exist in abundance. If you are an avid gardener, consider adding flowers such as daisies, fritillaria, zinnias, daffodils, and serviceberries to your garden to attract these creatures. Evergreens are also a good choice because they’re such a long-lasting and versatile tree. Finally, junipers and hawthorns both attract songbirds.