by Kristen Tyson, M.A.
Cowpen Daisy is a prolific seeder and provides an abundance of food for wildlife.
Texas encompasses over 68 million hectares, roughly 170
million acres of land, with over 95% privately owned. With so much of the state
owned by independent Texans, it is vital for this part of the population to also
work towards returning the land to wildlife use. “Private land stewardship
ensures the perpetuation of wildlife habitat through sustainable agricultural
and wildlife management practices (Bender 2009).” Today, urbanization and habitat fragmentation,
the breaking up of lands into “patches” of habitat instead of a continuous
landscape, have reduced the former productivity of native lands and have also
negatively impacted wildlife. Creating a wildlife friendly habitat on your
property is a great way to introduce native plants back into an area and
provide for basic wildlife needs without losing the joy of blooming flowers and
flourishing gardens.
Texas Parks and Wildlife initiated the Wildscapes
Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program to “educate residents and enrich their
lives while enhancing wildlife habitat regardless of its proximity to people
(Bender 2009).” Since its inception,
Texas Wildscapes has helped to “improve 153,116 acres of wildlife habitat and
officially certified more than 2,000 Texas Wildscapes and Best of Texas
Backyard Habitat properties (Bender 2009).” This is done by providing food, water, and
shelter to wildlife species, with at least half of the plants native to Texas. There
are numerous benefits when adopting a Wildscape plan for your property. “A
wildlife garden can become the setting for learning about the life histories of
birds, small mammals, insects, plants, and other creatures (Bender 2009).” Creating
an environment where native plants and animals flourish is an ideal way to “get
back to nature” and introduce younger generations to the pure joy of nature’s
bounty.
Shrubs, such as Agarito, offer both food and cover for wildlife.
Unfortunately, the golf course era manicured lawns are not
beneficial to wildlife. If you enjoy invasive and noisy birds, such as
grackles, then keep your lush and tidy lawn. They seem to be the only
“wildlife” who enjoy such pristine habitats. “A primary method to increase
habitat diversity is to replace expansive lawns with a selection of native
flowers, shrubs, and trees in a well-thought-out arrangement. A multilayered
landscape containing many species of native plants not only supports an
abundance of wildlife, it also provides insurance against the depredation of
insect pests (Bender 2009).” If you
still desire a bit of golf course in your front yard, consider planting grasses
more suitable to your region and more drought-resistant. For those of you who
already own your slice of Texas heaven, or actual acreage, you can benefit
wildlife too. The
Private Lands Enhancement Program helps large track landowners transform
their land into a wildlife oasis. Did you know you could qualify for an
agricultural valuation when you support a wildlife habitat? The laws no longer
restrict landowners to agricultural use, but allow landowners who want to
pursue a more wildlife-centered
plan to also benefit from tax credits. Talk to your local appraisal
district for more information. You may already qualify based on your Wildscape
efforts!
How do you transform your property into a Wildscape habitat?
The basic requirements for any living animal are food, water and shelter. “A
variety of trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers are good food sources, providing
acorns, nuts, berries, buds, fruit, nectar, and seeds that can be used by a
variety of wildlife. For a year-round supply of food, choose different
plantings that produce food throughout each of the four seasons (Bender 2009).”
For tough years that don’t yield much in terms
of fruits and nuts, you could provide supplemental feeders like hanging,
ground, or suet feeders.
Dune Devils Claw is a showy forb that produces bright color.
Not only does a variety of plant life offer nutrients, but
it also supplies shelter and shade for animals as well. “By providing shelter,
you can be assured that wildlife will find the one component that will most
allow them to survive in your habitat: protection for themselves and their
offspring from the weather and predators (Bender 2009).” Shrubs
placed strategically throughout your property offer protection for native
wildlife from predators, harsh weather conditions, and for nesting. Be aware
that any shelter could also protect a predator, so keep your shelters at a safe
distance from watering and feeding stations. If you have a smaller property,
nest boxes and loose stones also offer shelter to many animals, from birds to
amphibians. Even a fallen log can add character and charm to your property,
while also helping out local insects and earthworms. It’s always a good rule of
thumb with any food, shelter or water that you are providing is cleaned up or
cleared out every now and then to ensure they are helping the right types of
wildlife.
One of the easiest and most important parts of your
Wildscape is the supply of clean water. Water is invaluable to wildlife on hot
summer days. Like us, animals love to cool down in a nice puddle or stream, and
depend on water to stay hydrated. It is important to keep these water sources
clean as mosquitoes and bacteria can develop quickly in grimy water. If space
is available, consider building your own backyard pond, away from yard drainage
and with some way to keep the water flowing with a fountain or fish. You could
even incorporate native pond vegetation and flowers to attract wildlife and to
enjoy yourself. Just remember to also include a shallow end where smaller
animals could easily enter and exit the water with ease.
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Forbs, such as Scarlet Globemallow, are drought-tolerant and provide beautiful color.
Now that you know the basics, how do you get started turning
your yard into a Wildscape? The best way to start any project is to have a
plan, a blueprint of your ideas and goals. The first step to initiating your
plan is to “take inventory of your yard to determine existing structures,
plantings, and environmental conditions (Bender 2009).” Creating a scaled map
is extremely beneficial to better grasp how much useable space you have. I
would also advise you to call 811 for a dig
test to identify underground utilities before you develop too much of your
plan. A Wildscape plan could look great on paper, but if there is an
underground water line that could be busted if you try and plant a tree or
create a pond, it would be your fault and cost you to repair.
As you prepare to create your own wildlife oasis, remember
that there are ten ecoregions in Texas, thus a plant or grass that is native in
one part of Texas may not be desirable to wildlife in another region. A local
County Extension Agent would be able to offer help in determining if you
already have native plants on your property and encourage you with plant
selection. Also, the book, Texas
Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife by Kelly Conrad Bender and the Earth-Kind
website offer great tips on how to create a plan and suggest native plants
that you could incorporate into your property.
Bender, Kelly Conrad. 2009. Texas
Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife. Texas A & M University Press. College
Station, Texas, U.S.A.