Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

This is an excerpt from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Book series, “Bird Gardens.”  I came across it through the National Wildlife Federation’s Habitat Steward Program and it’s such a nice succinct checklist that I wanted to share it with you. I’ll also add my own commentary in brackets next to each tip, I just can’t resist.

As we head into spring, this is a great time to run through this checklist – both to refresh existing backyard habitat elements that you already have and to consider new ones for the coming year:

• Re-create the multiple layers of plant growth found in natural areas. [Take a look around your neighborhood where development has not yet occurred and see what the original habitat looked like and included. This will give ideas for creating what our native species need to thrive]

• Select plants to provide nutritional foods during different seasons. [Thinking through each season is important – whether it’s flowers from March through October or fruits from summer through winter, take a look at what your plantings offer different species through the year]

• Plant shrubs and small trees in same-species clumps for adequate pollination of fruits. [This is especially important for holly plants and others that require a male and female plant]

• Provide at least one clump of evergreens. [With the winter snows we got this year, you can see how important evergreens can be. They provide a nice shelter for wildlife during harsh weather. Additionally, they provide nice nesting sites for birds that can be well hidden]

• Leave dead trees, standing or fallen, to provide nesting and foraging sites. Consider topping dead trees rather than removing the whole tree if safety is an issue. [Snags play such an important role in our ecosystem. The insects that work to decompose them provide great food for various birds and they provide the right sort of wood for woodpeckers to make cavities that are used both by them and secondary users for nest sites]

• Leave vines, or plant native additions. [Vines like the Virginia Creeper, Trumpet Vine and yes, even Poison Ivy, provide great food sources for birds through the fall migration]

• Limit the size of your lawn for less mowing, less fertilizing, less watering, and less pollution. [Lawns have an interesting history in our culture and I’ll do a whole blog post on that at some point but for now, just a note that lawns are actually a wasteland when it comes to wildlife benefit and in fact because of all the things we do to make them look as they “should,” we pollute our environment and waste water]

• Avoid invasive exotic (non-native) plants. [Plants and animals evolve together and the introduction of non-natives impacts that web of life]

• Supply a source of water – dripping or running water is a better attractant than still water. [Bird baths and backyard ponds are wonderful features – the sound of running water is irresistible to many animals because it sounds so fresh and good]

• Provide and monitor nest boxes of various types. [This is a great way to learn more about our resident birds as you get to watch them use the habitat around them in raising their brood]

• Leave some leaf litter on the ground. [Leaf litter is excellent – both for overwintering butterflies and other insects that need to get through the winter. In addition, as leaves decompose they provide rich nutrients that enrich the soil and make a healthier habitat in general. Birds will forage through leaf litter in search for food]

• Stop using pesticides in your yard. [Pesticides disrupt the balance in nature, harm other animals and get into our groundwater]

• Use only organic, slow release fertilizers, preferably your own compost, if needed. [Similar to pesticides, fertilizers do far more harm than good – leaf litter and other natural compost is the best remedy if you need to fertilize]

Restoring habitat in our backyard is a great way to draw in wildlife and get to learn more about them. I saved a pdf version of this checklist here so you can download it and use it: Checklist for Creating a Bird Friendly Yard.

You can also find more resources for backyard gardening and creating backyard wildlife habitat on our Habitat Restoration page of the website.

No, I’m not talking about the pulls you get in sweaters or problems that crop up in your plans….no no, this is a snag of a different type…… A good kind of snag is a dead tree that’s been left standing.  I’m not sure where that term came from, but I first learned about snags when I took the National Wildlife Federation’s Habitat Steward class and picked up a flyer that simply said “There’s Life in Dead Trees.”

So what’s so great about a dead tree? Well nearly every aspect of that tree, as it goes through the different stages of decay, is used by someone for something. They’re a critical part of a healthy ecosystem. Here are just a few ways that wildlife use dead trees: 

Hollow cavities serve as homes for flying squirrels, raccoons, wood ducks and even grey tree frogs. And let’s not forget about Chimney Swifts – before we started “cleaning up” our neighborhoods and habitat, Chimney Swifts used huge old hollowed out trees for their roosts.  They only shifted to Chimneys when their natural tree homes ran out.

Woodpeckers are another big user of dead trees. They make holes more easily in them and create nesting sites that, after they’re done with them, are used by secondary cavity nesters like Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Chickadees, Nuthatches and Tufted Titmice and Screech Owls.

Insects working to decompose the wood provide food for woodpeckers, brown creepers and other birds that forage for insects in bark.

Bats, like the Silver-haired bat, roost under loose bark to rest through the night.

Dead trees that have fallen to the ground are called “nurse logs” which help young seedling trees and other plants take hold as they start to grow.

According to a paper written by the National Wildlife Federation, “the removal of dead material from forests can mean a loss of habitat for up to one-fifth of the animals in the ecosystem.” So, we should let our dead trees stand.

I love the dead trees in our yard – they are an absolute magnet for wildlife, great and small. And it’s so much fun to keep an eye on what happens with them through the years. We have an old Sassafras tree in our backyard that died a few years ago. First, I saw tunneling around part of the base. Now I’m seeing all sorts of woodpecker holes. As cavities are made, I look forward to seeing more and more animals use them for nesting and refuge.

So with all this snow, I got to thinking about signs of the seasons (I also got thinking about the snow storm of ‘78 when I was a kid up in MA and the fun we had making tunnels! but that would be another blog topic all together).

In addition to snow, of course, there are other elements in nature that are winter through and through and when we think of them we may be brought back to some memory from younger days or think of some activity in anticipation.

So, I decided to make a list of things that make me think of winter and thought I’d share some of them here with you:

- Dark-eyed Juncos with those charcoal eyes and pink beaks
- White-throated sparrows calling “oh sweet Peabody, Peabody, Peabody”
- White-crowned sparrows so regal
- Wildlife tracks that I can clearly follow through a woods in snow
- Icicles forming on eaves
- Structures of trees without leaves
- Leaf buds on tree branches closed up tightly
- Crisp clear night skies with piercing stars
- Birds of prey hunting over farm fields and meadows and more easily seen in trees
- Leaves as insulation
- Roosting, flocking, sleeping in

What are some of the things that jump out for you in winter?

I watched an excellent NOVA program last night called The Lord of Ants.  It’s about the life of E.O.Wilson, one of my personal heroes and sources of inspiration. It’s called The Lord of Ants because of the research on ants that Wilson focused on but Wilson did more than just study ants, he made the linkage from ants to biosystems and teaches us about how life connects to life on our planet and the habitats that we have to protect. 

It’s recognized that we are currently going through a mass extinction and in this program he describes the impact (no, it’s not the end of the world, but the species and diversity of the world will change). With science, rather than emotion, E.O. Wilson makes a call for action in the hopes of saving diversity.

In addition to being really informative and inspiring, there are a couple of things that I especially liked about this program. First, it’s told by him in the present day so it’s current and real. The second is that the program weaves together not only stories that he tells about past research but also present day research that links the past with the present.  He then takes that to the next dimension: turning data into action, turning information into a discussion around the need to protect and preserve habitats. This is something that we strive to do through Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy so I especially grooved on that.

Another part of the program that I really loved was where he points out how you and I can get involved here at the local level. Environmental monitoring programs and activities like a BioBlitz that we do here locally are shown to connect into this big picture tying education and monitoring to conservation. He also talks about the Encyclopedia of Life, which I did a blog post on a week or so ago, and his vision for that.

E.O. Wilson is certainly one of the greatest naturalists of our modern days. I encourage you to check out this NOVA program next time it’s on or watch it online through the link above (it’s just an hour and is not dry at all) and pick up a book or two of his – they are both fascinating and often poetic.

Yup, there’s a new identification book out by David Sibley but it’s not a bird book…this time it’s on Trees! As far as I know, this is the first non-bird book that David has written and indeed, I think it will be really useful. Sure, there are pros and cons to the guide, as there with every one out there, but overall I like it.

He starts the book with general terminology for tree identification, has drawings of the different types of leaves, flowers and bark we will encounter, and then gets right into the families and species of trees themselves.

Each section starts with an overview of the family and then the pages that follow go into the details of each species, including range maps, drawings of the leaves (in different seasons), flowers and fruit. He also includes drawings of the bark and trunks and shapes of the trees and includes general characteristics on the species that aid with identification.

I also really like that for each species he indicates if it’s native to the US and if not, where it came from. In many cases,  he shares interesting information such as survival tactics used by specific trees or information on how people have used the tree in years gone by.

One thing that would have been nice with this book is an identification key - the way David intended this book was for you to flip through it looking at the drawings to narrow down the identification. This is ok if you already know the family but trickier if it’s a completely unknown tree.

Definitely a neat tree book to have on-hand though as we try to identify them through the seasons! Oh, and in good naturalist form, he includes a full checklist of the different species at the back of the book so we can check off our sightings

Amazon has a short video clip with David talking about this book and how it can best be used in the field. Click on the link here to see it: The Sibley Guide to Trees.

It’s cold, quiet, a few birds are singing but the woods and fields are pretty silent. Colors of spring and summer have gone dormant and the earth seems to be at rest. Winter, the time of rejuvenation, the growing of roots rather than leaves.

Stan Shetler wrote a great article on Plant Life in the Cold for us a few years ago and it’s really worth another read through.  As he writes, “Winter strips the forest of its summer pretenses and, like an x-ray, lays it bare to the skeleton. Now everything is unmasked….”

After reading, have some fun with our Plant Life in Cold wordsearch puzzle.

More puzzles on Loudoun nature and wildlife can be found on our Educational Resources page.

Here’s a terrific resource on gardening and pollinators: The Pollinator Partnership. 

They have excellent wildlife habitat and planting guides that you can download for free that are specific to our area. To go directly to the guides, visit their page called Ecological Planting Guides, enter your zip code and a map as well as the pdf file will come up.

There are also two excellent YouTube videos on the site that you’ll want to watch.  They’re really informative and talk about the role that bees, butterflies, bats and birds play in our food chain.

We can do so much just in our own backyards by planting the right types of plants, using wise practices (like not using pesticides), and talking to others about the wild nature around us. We’re all connected, and truly more so that most people realize.

For teachers, homeschoolers as well as anyone else interested in learning even more about pollinators, they have a page called Useful Resources that has nature activities for kids, educational curriculum focused on nature, lesson ideas, and more.

Just in case you have trouble with the pdf downloads, I’ll post two of the guides here, but I highly recommend doing the search on your zip code from their site too.

Pollinator Partnership Guide: Central Appalachian

Pollinator Partnership Guide: Southeast Mixed Forest

Please Take Action by Attending this Public Input Session: On Wednesday, July 29 at 7pm, Supervisor Kurtz, along with other members of the county, will hold a public meeting to hear the county’s plans to realign the Woods Road. This is a serious threat to the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve. The location for the meeting is 215 Depot Court in Leesburg. Please come out to show your support for Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve!

Loudoun County claims that the landfill’s expansion requires that The Woods Road be shifted from its current location into the preserve itself. If this occurs it could seriously harm the preserve’s natural values and destroy a rare natural habitat.

First we need to ask if this relocation is necessary at all. The county claims it is necessary based on a special exception that was passed over 15 years ago.

Lots has changed since then and it is hard to believe that this still the case especially when one considers how valuable and special the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve is.

1) Seriously degrade, if not destroy, a rare natural habitat, a Mountain/Piedmont Basic Seepage Swamp, of which there are only 12 examples known in Virginia.

2) Seriously impair the integrity of the entire natural preserve which is a mix various different kinds of habitats including the large, intact upland forest that The Woods Road would bisect. It will disrupt wildlife habitat, destroy wetlands and other sensitive areas.

3) Create a paved road with a minimum speed limit of 35/mph right next to a natural area and result in excessive and unnecessary amounts of roadkill.

4) Destroy an historic road that has existed for over two centuries and linked the Carolina Road to Oatlands Plantation.

5) Possibly destroy other archaeological treasures along this historic road.

6) Violate an existing Virginia Outdoor Foundation conservation easement.

At the March 2008 meeting on The Woods Road, in response to concerns raised by its citizens, the county indicated they would create a transparent process and involve various stakeholders in the development of their plans for The Woods Road. Inexcusably this has not happened. To our knowledge the public has not been involved in any of the deliberations that have occurred since March 2008. This is not a transparent process and is indicative of a county handling business as they always have and ignoring citizens and their concerns for the environment.

The Woods Road as it exists today is an historic dirt road steeped in both natural and cultural history that forces people who drive on it to slow down; to protect the treasure that is Banshee Reeks, it should stay the same.

Please attend this meeting! Let’s fill the room and show our support for Banshee Reeks! In addition, email your Supervisor bos@loudoun.gov and let them know how much you value Banshee Reeks and keeping it as it is!

Here in Loudoun, we are fortunate to have a lot of streams that run through our yards, neighborhoods and wild places. For some fun, you try your hand at the Loudoun Streams wordsearch puzzle. Then, come on out and join us in stream monitoring - its a great time outdoors and really interesting to see all the different creatures that live in our streams.

More puzzles on Loudoun nature and wildlife can be found on our Educational Resources page.

The EPA has created an absolutely amazing little video called “Wetlands and Wonder: Reconnecting Children with Nearby Nature.” Click on the link here to view the video. It’s really terrific.

In the video you get to hear great naturalists like Robert Michael Pyle, Richard Louv and others talk about wetlands and the great opportunities they give us for exploring nature.  They talk about the importance of wetlands in our ecosystem and ways that kids (of all ages…me too)  can connect with nature through wetlands.

Wetlands are one of our richest habitats in terms of diversity of life and they’re so much fun to explore! From birds to amphibians to turtles and snakes to insects to fish to bats to really interesting plants – they’ve got it all. Some even have beavers! They serve as nurseries, water filter systems, safe havens and places to rest or fuel up if you’re a migrating bird. 

Where are the nearest wetlands near where you live? Is there a steam, a swamp, a pond, a flooded field or marsh? With all the rain we’ve gotten over the past few days, the wetland near you will likely be teaming with live. Take a few minutes to check out the Wetlands and Wonder video and then go out exploring!

The best part about going out to explore nature is that we already carry with us all the gear we need to get out there and have fun….carry with you all your senses – your eyes, your ears, your nose, your sense of touch, and of course, your imagination. Touch the water, feel the plants, get mud between your toes! Yeah! It’s simply wild out there!