Wildlife in Your Garden

Imagine a thriving garden in your backyard, bursting with vibrantly colored blooms and lush green leaves, shaded by tall trees. Now imagine the same garden, alive with buzzing and flapping and chirping and croaking. Imagine the ecological impact of encouraging natural pollinators. Imagine the excitement of watching your garden become a hub of activity and learning about all of its different visitors. For those who relish observing nature in action, planning a garden to attract certain types of wildlife can bring daily enjoyment right into the backyard.Inside Wildlife in Your Garden:How to deal with and even appreciate the insects in your gardenReptile and amphibian backyard visitors and how they can contribute to a healthy ecosystem"Birdscaping";planning and planting with birds in mindA special section on hummingbirds that includes an illustrated guide to twelve common typesUsing binoculars and field guides to identify birds by sight and by callsDifferent types of pollination and the plants and food crops that depend on itButterfly metamorphosis and gardening for the different life stagesHow bats and moths take over pollination duties at nightLearning to coexist with four-legged furry friends who like to dig and forageNatural ways to protect your garden from pests and discourage harmful wildlife

Auteur

Karen Lanier is a naturalist, documentarian, teacher, artist, and gardener. She's worked as a seasonal park ranger in national and state parks from California to Maine, and wildlife has always been a close ally in her work of connecting people with their environments. By creating a documentary in Brazil about a reforestation project, she knew that her mission would be to highlight the good deeds that humans are capable of where nature and culture intersect.

Her career path has been long and winding, yet she has always found a way to communicate the preciousness of the natural world to her audience. Karen holds degrees in photography, French, and environmental documentation as well as professional environmental educator certification. She is actively involved with the Lexington, Kentucky, chapter of Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes, and she works closely with Kentucky Association of Environmental Education. While she still thrives in the midst of the wilderness, she finds encouragement in the butterflies and bees that magically appear every summer, finding nourishment from the flowering native sunflowers that frame her patio, in the middle of downtown Lexington.

Contenu

CONTENTS

Introduction

Your Garden

Insects: A Respectful Approach

Reptiles and Amphibians in the Garden

Birds: Part I

Birds: Part II

Mammals: Pros and Cons

Final Thoughts

Resources

Index

Photo Credits

About the Editor