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Making Your Backyard More Attractive to Wildlife

The principles and concepts of managing for wildlife in your yard are really the same as large parcels of land – all wildlife need food, water, cover, and space in the proper amounts and arrangement. The major difference is that you have to design your practices so they work with the function and beauty of your yard.

• Put a Little Wildlife in Your Backyard This Spring (FNR-247W)
• Basic Principles of Landscape Design (University of Florida)

Once you have an understanding of basic landscape design, the next step is to design your landscape for wildlife habitat. Quality habitat is of vital importance to wildlife. Habitat includes proper food, cover, and water in sufficient quantities to meet a species’ basic needs. Does your yard provide the three basics for wildlife?

Arrangement of these requirements also important. Planning for backyard wildlife habitat is challenging in that you need to supply the basic requirements for the species you wish to attract, and it must conform and integrate with your landscape design.

• Attracting Songbirds
• Attracting Butterflies
• Attracting Hummingbirds
• Tree and Shrub Species for Wildlife
• Water Gardens and Ponds
• Wildflowers for Wildlife
• Wildlife Houses and Feeders
• Other Links of Interest