BayScapes: Enhancing Wildlife Habitat

BayScapes are environmentally sound landscapes benefiting people, wildlife and the Chesapeake Bay. BayScaping advocates a holistic approach through principles inspired by the relationships found in the natural world.

Colorful, blooming perennials attract butterflies, bees and birds. Joe-Pye weed Monarch butterfly More BayScapes: Beneficial plant

How do BayScapes help wildlife?

Forests and open spaces are disappearing, giving way to commercial and residential development to service more people in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Businesses, shopping malls and houses destroy natural habitats — food, water, cover and nesting sites — that wildlife needs.

BayScaping helps restore wildlife habitats in small pockets, one backyard at a time. Backyard habitats form greenways, or "wildlife corridors" where animals can live and move among beneficial plants placed there for food and shelter. These corridors are important where large spans of similar vegetation — such as rows of lawns in a subdivision — leave animals vulnerable to predators, or where imported exotic plants such as kudzu upset the balance of native vegetation.

How can I provide food and cover for wildlife?

We can provide food and cover for wildlife by planting trees, shrubs and ground covers that supplement the natural habitat –– forests, fence rows, hedges and meadows — that animals need for protection, breeding and nesting. Existing vegetation can be supplemented with artificial nesting boxes and platforms. Even container gardens on porches and balconies, window boxes on sills, and vines along fences and walls help wildlife.

Water, too, is critical for creatures to survive. A pond, birdbath or shallow dish provides a nice watering hole and rest stop for birds and small mammals. Water also is an attractive focal point for a home or business landscape.

What role do trees serve?

Trees that produce edible and nutritious nuts, seeds or fruits benefit wildlife. Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects nest and hibernate in cavities of larger trees during cold weather. Even young trees provide much-needed nesting spots for migrating birds.

All sorts of birds — from orioles to warblers and flycatchers — feed on the millions of caterpillars and other insects that hatch in treetops each spring as leaves emerge. These birds, known as neotropical migrants, nest throughout North America, wintering in Mexico and Central America. These birds depend on large stands of undisturbed forest and continuous corridors of trees and greenways for survival.

Trees are classified as evergreen (such as cedars) and deciduous (such as oaks that lose their leaves each fall). Evergreens that retain their leaves year-round — pine, fir, spruce, cedar, hemlock and holly — supply birds with excellent winter food and cover.

Evergreens that bear cones are called conifers. Their tiny seeds and needles are favored by titmice, chickadees and some finches. Junipers and cedars produce nutritious berries that cedar waxwings and purple finches love to eat; robins, sparrows and mockingbirds like to nest in these plants. Pines provide nesting sites for mourning doves and roosting places for robins.

Some familiar deciduous trees in the bay watershed that provide food and nesting sites include: Black cherry, red mulberry, red maple, sugar maple, river birch, flowering dogwood, American beech, black gum and many oaks.

Acorns produced by oaks provide a reliable, abundant food source. Squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, foxes, wood ducks, mallards, quail, blue jays and woodpeckers enjoy acorns during fall and winter when other food is scarce. Other varieties of nut-producing trees important to wildlife friends include hickories, walnuts, hazelnuts and beeches. Fruit-bearers like wild cherry and holly attract wildlife, too.

To lure a variety of animals, plant different kinds of trees, including evergreens. Group different trees together to provide a rich base of food and nesting materials and sites. Create an "edge effect" by alternating trees of varying sizes and shapes. Some trees, for instance, have a large bare trunk and bushy crown while others have many low branches and thinner top.

Plant fast- and slow-growing species together. Trees that mature quickly include white pine and red maples; oaks and hickories grow more slowly.

How does a transition zone operate?

A transition zone is composed of a variety of plant species that differ in height. For example, plant an assortment of small trees, high- and low-growing shrubs and low groundcovers to provide varying food and habitats in a concentrated area.

What role do bushes and shrubs play?

Many wildlife species, including foxes, deer, squirrels, raccoons, field mice and songbirds, rely on evergreen and deciduous berry-producing shrubs.

Bushes offer shelter and a quick getaway for frightened birds and small mammals; their dense branches make excellent nesting sites for cardinals and mockingbirds.

Good winter food sources: Northern bayberry, eastern red cedar, juniper, holly and staghorn sumac. Spring and summer fruits: Chokeberry, high bush blueberry and wild plum. For autumn foods, plant dogwood, winterberry, bearberry, arrowwood, cottoneaster and elderberry. Plant blueberries and raspberries for your wildlife friends and your own table.

Make nesting boxes available

Birds and mammals that usually nest in cavities of mature trees also nest in boxes if they are available. Owls, bluebirds, wrens, purple martins and swallows are just a few.

Bats consume pesky insects such as mosquitoes that thrive in the streams and marshes of the bay region. Bat boxes erected on buildings and trees attract these beneficial mammals to your backyard gardens.

Bats roost inside during the day and perch on eaves at dusk to feed on flying insects.

Why water is important

Water for both drinking and bathing is essential to wildlife. Unfortunately, it is often the most overlooked landscape component. Natural water sources continue to rapidly disappear in the cities and suburbs around Chesapeake Bay. You can provide this critically needed element in several creative ways.

A birdbath placed near shrubs or trees provides safe drinking and bathing water for many birds; an elevated birdbath protects birds from cats and other predators.

Even a shallow pan filled with 2 inches or less of water is an excellent drinking source. Placed on the ground, these artificial ponds attract small mammals such as squirrels and chipmunks. A jar lid of water attracts butterflies, which usually drink from puddles or tiny depressions in logs.

Cup-shaped plants and flowers catch rainwater for other thirsty insects.

A small barrel set in the ground provides water and nesting cover for small fish, frogs, insects and reptiles.

Year-round tip: In summer, replace water frequently. In winter when temperatures drop to freezing, remove ice and refill water daily.

Always provide food

Food for wildlife means two things: natural sources and feeders. The wildlife habitat provides as much food as possible through plantings; shrubs, trees and vines can reliably provide berries, nuts, acorns, buds, catkins, fruit nectar and seeds.

During winter months and as added treats year-round, put out feeders filled with the seeds and fruits various birds prefer.

What about meadows?

A meadow does not simply consist of grasses left unmowed. It is a grassland community composed of grasses, wildflowers and legumes. Meadow plants, which are first to colonize a cleared forest or farm field left unplowed, slowly give way to a succession of shrubs and trees.

The rich diversity of flowers, seeds and insects found in a meadow attracts a variety of birds and small mammals. Grasshoppers, for instance, attract birds like the American kestrel, the smallest and most colorful falcon in North America. Meadows also attract mammals ranging in size from field mice to deer. Birds such as quail, meadowlark and a variety of sparrows nest and forage here.

Wildflowers bring in wildlife. They add a splash of color to your landscape and rival traditional ornamental flowers in beauty. The nectar of wildflowers is an important food source for honeybees, butterflies and hummingbirds that rapidly burn carbohydrates during flight. These nectar feeders, in turn, ensure plant reproduction through the transfer of pollen.

Bet on butterflies

If you want to lure colorful dancing butterflies, plant your wildflower meadow in a sunny spot protected from the wind. Flower shape, color, fragrance and time of bloom should all be considered when selecting plants. Butterflies recognize color and seem to prefer intensely sweet scents to delicate ones.

Plants flower at different times of the year, so include a variety in your meadow, giving butterflies access to blossoms throughout the growing season. Creating a meadow with a diversity of wildflowers attracts many butterflies while providing colorful blooms March through October. Include plants and herbs, such as alfalfa, red clover, parsley, fennel, dill and butterfly weed, that make up an important part of a butterfly's caterpillar stage diet.

The fragrant flowers of lilac bushes draw butterflies easily. Butterflies like clusters of tiny flowers because they can perch and feed from one flower to another without leaving the cluster.

Butterfly weed, named for its ability to attract butterflies, is a tall, fragrant plant with large clusters of small flowers varying in color from brilliant orange to yellow or red. The black and orange Monarch butterfly looks for butterfly weed as its preferred food source.

Another common butterfly plant, Queen Anne's lace, sports a large flat flower head of many tiny white flowers. Other excellent butterfly plants include aster, purple coneflower, black-eyed susan, goldenrod, milkweed, Joe-pye weed and yarrow.

A meadow or wildflower garden requires a few seasons to establish itself, so start small. Your zoning office or community association may regulate lawn height and weedy plants, so check on what those regulations say before planting.

Hooray for hummingbirds

Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of flowers and insects, which they often catch mid-air. The smallest of the bird species, these tiny aerial acrobats use up extraordinary energy for their size. They require lots of food at frequent intervals to support their flight habits. The male ruby-throated hummingbird beats his wings up to 70 times a second in a typical visit to your garden.

Tubular-shaped, red flowers entice hummingbirds. Plant trumpet vine, scarlet sage, morning glory, coral bells, bee balm and cardinal flower to lure hummers to your backyard, or hang a feeder near your wildflower garden. Fill a commercial feeder with a mixture of four parts water (boil first) to one part sugar. Clean and refill weekly, more often during hot, humid weather.

How do BayScapes benefit you and the Chesapeake Bay?

Attracting wildlife turns your yard into a miniature, natural area — an outdoor classroom for learning about nature. By selecting plants well suited to your location, you cut the amount of time and money needed to maintain your yard and have more hours to enjoy the wildlife you attract. And because they need less water, fertilizers and pesticides to grow, BayScapes plants reduce the risk of pollutants that enter bay waters. .