Just by listening to nature shows one common theme becomes obvious. The greatest threat to each and every kind of wildlife and plant is the destruction of its habitat. Doesn't matter where it lives,
that destruction is caused by man. That's a species like me.
With just a few small changes to how I interact with “my property” wildlife now seems to feel a little more at home. Several species are newly noted this year.
Either a meadow or prairie vole has been seen darting for cover. A few well fed racoons passed through. A rabbit hopped over and found only the dandelions munchworthy. Frequent visitors are a toad, goldfinches, grasshoppers, dragonflies, damselflies, a yellow ladybug and insects I can't name. Though honeybees are touted for their work ethic, bumblebees are no slackers. In fact they might be the haaardest working in the beeosphere. They're at it from first to last light.
With all this going on, the vegetables and fruit have not been affected beyond the point of small reasonable sharing.
Free sun, rain, soil activity and pollination should always bring reciprocity.
What seems to be working:
1.Not using chemicals for fertilizer or to kill other plants or insects.
2.Leaving leaves throughout fall and winter.
3.Mulching leaves and grass back into the grass. The simple way to invite birds from the sky is to invite them from the ground up.
4.Limiting use of yard waste containers by recycling plant material. Run the lawn mower over it.
5.Planting a greater variety of plants including native ones.
6.Allowing native plants already present to grow.
7.Allowing the lawn in the back yard to grow a little higher so more plants can complete a life cycle which supports other life cycles. A privacy fence has made this easier.
8.Avoiding smothering many life forms and processes with plastic.
9.There are more dandelions in the front where I cut more frequently. Since I was the only one with a field of dandelions, I pulled 95% of them by hand and of course they are making a comeback. In the backyard, where everything is left alone, dandelions exist in balance.
10.Planting extra veggies for giving back to nature for keeping me alive.
The reality is everyone's home turf is nature's habitat. A broken chain is a broken chain. Once we stop damaging our yards for our limited selfish purposes, we'll automatically reconstruct a more welcoming environment.
If our personal, limited understanding is in alignment with the expansive, universal understanding, then life is easier to bear and we can be more productive.
See Also: Natural World Observations: Going Wild Like A Flower In Spring Breaking Free
