NC Museum of Natural History: Mountains to the Sea
March 23rd, 2008
Wildlife-Friendly Backyard |
At the museum’s center is a huge recreation of North Carolina’s many ecosystems, filled with both living and taxidermied animals. One of my favorite side displays was on how to build an eco-friendly yard that invites, feeds, and shelter’s wildlife.
The Four Fundamentals of Wildlife-Friendly Landscapes:
- Offer a year-round food supply along with a variety of feeders. Native plants that seasonally produce seeds, berries, nuts, and flower nectar are ideal.
- Provide water for drinking and bathing. Watering holes can be a simple shallow saucer on the ground or an elaborate minipond.
- Provide a place to rest and escape predators. Evergreen shrubs and thick vegetation lend protection to wildlife–as do rock and brush piles.
- Create nesting spots; some animals have specific needs. Add birdhouses and leave dead trees standing when possible.
Hmm, anything I can apply to my raccoon problem? Already spent $400, with $600 in repairs still needing to be done. I have a creek. I have 0.4 acres, most in the back. What else do they want from me?!?!?!?!
Looks like a great museum - I’ll have to check it out when travelling through NC!