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Keep wildlife wild by not feeding them! When humans feed wild animals, those animals lose their fear of people and endanger themselves and humans by approaching too close. These individuals may become "nuisance" animals that have to be killed or captured to prevent injuries to people or themselves.
An exception to this is bird feeders from which birds get food on their own and by doing so do not pose a threat to humans or themselves.
Don't let your cats roam outside unaccompanied! One of the largest threats to native birds is predation by domestic cats.
Limit the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that may harm wildlife and flow into waterways during heavy rains. Building a rain garden will help trap rain long enough to settle into the ground so it doesn't carry these and other pollutants into nearby streams, rivers, and lakes. Also, native plants tend to require less fertilizer and pesticide use to thrive!
Leave your leaves! Leaf piles provide habitats and hiding spaces for many small species and also protect overwintering butterflies, larvae, and insects.
Put outdoor lights on motion sensors or turn them off at night to limit disturbance to wildlife.
Use stickers or bird-safe glass on windows to prevent collisions by birds who cannot see them.
Some animals can be frightening at first, but try to take a moment to watch what they're doing and you might be surprised. All species have a role to play in the environment and typically they prefer to run away from you rather than try to harm you!
Supervise cats when they roam outdoors to prevent them from killing songbirds and other wildlife.
Rain gardens slow the flow of water over the land, decreasing the pollutants, like pesticides, garbage, and sediment, that end up in waterways like rivers and lakes.
Don't kill snakes or other "frightening" wildlife! They play an important role too!
All photos were taken by Kate Hankins.
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