In our last blog post, we talked all about lawns and what people can do to make them more welcoming spaces for wildlife. But what about people who don’t have a yard? For those of us with smaller outdoor spaces, there are still a lot of ways we can welcome wildlife, we just have to get a little creative.
Wildlife has a lot less access to friendly habitats in densely populated cities and neighborhoods. So while you may think your small window box or bird feeder doesn’t have much of an impact, the creatures who live in your neighborhood will definitely be glad to find these small habitats designed just for them in places where pavement takes up more square footage than greenspace.
We’ve pulled a few of our top suggestions for turning your smaller outdoor spaces into wildlife habitats, check out our 5 recommendations below:
1. Window Boxes and Container Gardens
Just because your garden is small doesn’t mean it can’t be mighty! There are a number of different types of gardens that are beneficial to wildlife (check out our lawns article for a closer look), but no matter what type of container garden you choose to go with, here are our top tips:
Figure out what direction your outdoor space faces
By figuring out which direction your outdoor space faces, you will set your garden up for success! Visit local nurseries such as Keystone Flora to find the right native plants for your garden.
Get creative!
There are lots of creative containers and methods for growing a garden in a small outdoor space. You’ll have to figure out what option will work best for your space, but here are some ideas to get you started:
Plant more natives
Using native plants in your garden is important for many reasons. A big one being that native plants have evolved with the local ecosystem, making them better at supporting the other species native to an area. Check out this article by the National Audubon Society for a deep dive into the importance of native plants, and take a peek at the graphic below for a guide to some local native plants that pollinators love.
2. Bird Feeders and Bird Baths
Getting to know local birds by setting up feeders and bird baths in your outdoor space is a fun way to welcome wildlife, but there are some important considerations to keep in mind. For example, it’s estimated that 900 million birds are killed flying into windows each year. So when you’re setting up a bird feeder or bird bath keep these things in mind to make sure birds will be safe when visiting your space:
Location
The Humane Society recommends placing bird feeders or baths within 3 feet of windows where they will be too close for a collision to be fatal OR more than 30 feet away from windows where birds will be more likely to recognize that windows are a part of the house. Not possible in your outdoor space? Check out the tips below for making your widows visible to birds.
Make your windows visible
If the only place to hang a feeder is on a porch or balcony close to a window, you’ll want to make sure that your windows are visible so birds don’t fly into them. There are a number of ways you can do this from the outside (such as installing window screens or painting patterns with soap) or inside (like vertical blinds or curtains). Check out the Humane Society’s full list of suggestions for making your windows visible here.
Bird feeding tips
The Humane Society recommends placing bird feeders or baths within 3 feet of windows where they will be too close for a collision to be fatal OR more than 30 feet away from windows where birds will be more likely to recognize that windows are a part of the house. Not possible in your outdoor space? Check out the tips below for making your widows visible to birds.
3. Bat Houses
If your outdoor space is really limited, a bat house might be a good thing to consider. Little brown bats are the bats most commonly found in Cincinnati. Not only are they cute, but it’s estimated that one little brown bat can eat over 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in one night! Installing a bat house is fairly simple, you can either buy a kit or build your own. In terms of where to install, the most ideal place is a sunny location 10-15 feet off the ground (most people hang them on the side of their house). Check out this resource from Bat Conservation International to learn more about the importance of bats and to find tips for installing a bat house.
Image source: HGTV
4. Container Water Garden
Water gardens are a great way to provide a water source for local creatures like birds and chipmunks. According to the National Wildlife Federation “even tree frogs may utilize a container that has 18″ – 24″ sides to lay their eggs among plants floating on the water’s surface.”
Check out this article for tips on creating a container water garden of your own.
5. Advocate
If you don’t have access to any outdoor space or aren’t able to make changes to the space you do have, there are still things you can do if you want to be an advocate for wildlife! You can start with researching local wildlife. Consider sharing your knowledge with family and friends, maybe you can even help them make their outdoor spaces more welcoming to wildlife. Consider joining a community garden or volunteering at a local park or wildlife sanctuary. If you’re able, speak up for wildlife in your community. There are many ways to do this, from signing petitions to calling local council people. Check out the Speak Up For Nature guide from The Nature Conservancy and the Current Actions identified by the Center for Biological Diversity if you’re interested in finding more ways to act.
More Resources
Your outdoor space doesn’t have to be large to make an impact on your local ecosystem. If you’re looking for more ways to bring wildlife to your space, the National Wildlife Federation has a guide for certifying outdoor spaces as wildlife habitats. Whether you go through the certification process or not, the suggestions they offer are a great place to start when considering what additions you’d like to make to your small outdoor space. Check out their checklists here, and feel free to share your tips for welcoming wildlife to your smaller spaces with us in the comments below.
Imago has also created a Green at Home Facebook group that was designed as a place for people to ask questions and share resources for making sustainable changes in their daily lives. Feel free to join the group and ask questions about anything sustainability related! You can also find more Welcoming Wildlife resources at imagoearth.org/welcoming-wildlife.
