NWF Member In Action

Taco Presents a Donation to NWF (from left, Ben White, Curtis Fisher, Liz White from the White Foundation, Paul Beaudette, NWF Board Member and Kyle Adamonis, VP Human Resources, Taco and member of White Foundation Board (and NWF member)

Taco’s Sustainability Committment Runs Deep

Taco’s commitment to high quality products and environmental stewardship comes across in everything they do. Taco manufactures amazing HVAC equipment (pumps, etc) that reduce water and energy use in residential, commercial and institutional buildings.

I visited their new LEED Gold Innovation Center in Cranston, Rhode Island and made two presentations to their staff. The facility is awe-inspiring with many new energy efficiency technologies and light that shines through the whole building. The 24,037-square foot addition opened this year is a state-of-the-art learning and training environment, complete with new classroom spaces, conference rooms, a business center, and functional labs for testing and teaching. Taco’s is a great example of American knowhow that is creating good-paying American jobs. Taco also has another manufacturing facility in Fall River, Massachusetts and recently acquired Hydroflo, another industry leader in energy- and water-efficient equipment.

Bringing It All Together

To bring it all together, NWF’s Eastern Vice-Chair Paul Beaudette, a former high school teacher down the road from Taco’s corporate headquarters, joined us. Paul shared some of his favorite spots in the area to connect to nature which brought it all home.

After making two presentations to approximately 60 members of their staff and members of the White Family Foundation (established in 2000 by the late John and Happy White), we proudly accepted a $5,000 donation to NWF. This great connection was made by NWF’s Philanthropy Officer, Tim Brady (bradyt@nwf.org), who reached out to Kyle.

If you work for a great company like Taco or simply want to make a contribution to the Northeast’s conservation work, please email me (fisherc@nwf.org) or Libby Guglin (gugline@nwf.org).

Pretty good sign for scrap wood. Don’t you think?

Charity Pumpkins

So it was a natural the other day when my son and I were figuring out what to do with the dozens of pumpkins we grew. We first offered my son and daughter and their neighbor friends a pumpkin each. That went well but we still had a ton of pumpkins. After some debate, my son and I decided to create a charity pumpkin sale. After making a homemade sign together from scrap wood, we agreed on a price: $5 for the large and $2 for small ones. Seth decided that half the proceeds should go to National Wildlife Federation and the other half to the Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (VT Network), where my wife works as an attorney.

We had a neighbor stop by as we were putting up the sign, so we got some cash flow immediately. Seth was excited right away. Each day Seth would get off the school bus and he would go to the “cash box” that we left on the road. Some days there was some money in there, other days not. He would rush into the house when there was some money, with total delight. It was fun to see.

We had one special sale. Unknown to us, the Executive Director of the VT Network (Michele’s boss) was driving by and stopped to get pumpkins. I think about how great it must have felt for her to see that the money was going to support her hard work on such a critical issue like domestic violence and sexual assault. Every dollar helps and now Seth is going to be in their newsletter!

Then things slowed down. I wasn’t sure whether we would sell the whole crop. Days might have passed by without any sales. Then one day I noticed that all the remaining pumpkins where gone. I have to say, the first thing that crossed my mind was that a teenager might have taken the pumpkins, but when I looked in the cash box it was full of cash. I felt like my son that day running into the house to tell my wife of the good news. I put the cash box back so Seth would find it when he got off the bus. It was a special feeling to see him so excited that we had sold maybe 20 pumpkins.

In total, we raised $66. We have made a fat contribution to NWF and the VT Network. I think we all gain much more than that. Have a great Halloween!

Consider making your own donation to NWF or your favorite charity this Halloween and every other day. If you donate to NWF right now, your contribution will be matched by Craig Newmark.

My son, Seth, visits with a salmander.

On Saturday, July 18, my son and I had a terrific day joining more than 1,000 people at NWF’s and New Hampshire Audubon’s Engage Nature event. The event was a big hit for the kids and their parents, from “ponding” (kids having fun with nets in a pond), “fielding” (kids having fun in a field catching and identifying insects), seeing bald eagles and screech owls and a zillion of other fun filled activities.

Engage Nature

New Hampshire Audubon, our newest state affiliate, did a terrific job in organizing the event. They had five separate locations, including the McLean Audubon Center, Massabesic Audubon Center, the Hebron Fair & Newfound Audubon Center, Ponemah Bog Sanctuary in Amherst, and the Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon at the Seacoast Science Center. New Hampshire Audubon is an independent state Audubon.

The Concord Monitor did an excellent job at previewing the event on the front page of their weekend section, highlighting the affiliation between NWF and New Hampshire Audubon:

“The purpose of the affiliation is to strengthen,” said Kelly Wing, spokeswoman for the New Hampshire Audubon.

“It’s to provide a partnership that strengthens the capacity of each organization. . . . And it works particularly well, because of course, National Wildlife Federation being very large provides resources that a small organization like ourselves might not have. But what we can provide to them is local, on the ground, grassroots resources.”

Though it’s just begun, the affiliation has already helped pay for fundraising and development training for the New Hampshire Audubon’s staff and board that otherwise might not have happened due to limited financial resources.

Ranger Rick gives a “high five” to Mike Bartlett, New Hampshire Audubon President, as NWF’s Regional Representative Don Hooper, and NWF Board of Director Paul Beaudette look on.

National Poll Demonstrates Americans Realize the ‘Indoor Childhood’ is a Real Problem

I am sure that many of the event participants wouldn’t be surprised that a recent poll found that 82% of likely voters (Republicans and Democrats alike) believe that kids not spending enough time in is a problem (50% said it was an “extremely” or “very serious” problem). The poll was conducted by the Nature Conservancy, of “likely voters,” and demonstrates that conservation is a bipartisan, patriotic issue that united Americans from all walks of life.

NWF has some amazing resources for parents to make getting outside easy and fun. As a parent, I know my son’s schedule can often get focused on Taekwondo, hockey and other organized sports (which I love), so I make sure he gets as much unstructured time outdoors as possible. Some great resources that I recommend, include “The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids”, Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body and Spirit through Outdoor Play, and Green Time for Sleep Time.

Some happy kids before heading to the Pond to find some wildlife friends.

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One Amazing Student that is going to change the world!

Sleepy Hollow Middle School was awarded the first “Green Flag” in New York State (sixth in the country). Sleepy Hollow should also be proud of being one of the United States Department of Education’s 78 inaugural U.S. Green Ribbon Schools.

Michael Garguilo, Green Team Staff Advisor and science teacher and his students deserve a heap of praise for all his hard work, including engineering a 40% recycling rate increase. They also planted vegetable gardens, installed light sensors and energy conservation signage in all classrooms, and launched an ambitious ‘Bag It’ campaign to reduce plastic bag usage in the region.

In June, NWF’s Curtis Fisher and Liz Soper awarded New York’s first green flag, Eco-Schools’ highest award level, to Sleepy Hollow Middle School in Westchester County.

New York

NWF’s Omari Washington and PS41′s Sustainability Coordinator, Vicki Sando discuss plans to launch their new model green roof. PS41 is a model Eco-School which NWF awarded a $7,000 grant to support their sustainability efforts.

NWF has also trained approximately 600 NYC’s 1,700 Sustainability Coordinators which are designated for each school in the City (more trainings are coming in the fall). Sustainability Coordinators are the key entry point into schools, and we heard from them that Eco-Schools makes their job of advancing sustainability easier.

Artistic rendering of how the PS41 rooftop will look when completed.

New Jersey

NWF has formed a very exciting partnership with NJ Audubon and Sustainable Jersey to advance Eco-Schools in the Garden State. The goal of our partnership is to create a combined certification program for both municipalities and schools to demonstrate true community support for sustainable practices. We are also partnering with other terrific organizations, including the Education and Information Resource Center, the New Jersey Environmental Education Council, Alliance for NJ Environmental Education, and many more organizations.

NWF, NJ Audubon and Sustainable Jersey are also working collaboratively on creating an innovative partnership with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Taiwan to develop a model sustainability Initiative in New Jersey. The goal is to create a program that can be replicated in Taiwan, and create a link between K-12 school children in Taiwan and New Jersey.

Massachusetts

Benjamin Franklin Elementary in Plainsboro, New Jersey, a super Eco-School hosted a groundbreaking event for their new outdoor nature classroom and yard and hosted leadership from NWF, EPA, and Taiwan (Eco-School Director Laura Hickey on right).

Vermont/New Hampshire

NWF staff has worked with Hanover High School/Marion Cross, a registered Eco-School. The school is working on the “Healthy Living Pathway.”  NWF is also working with the Burlington, Vermont school system. Burlington’s new charter school, the Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes, is currently a registered Eco-School.

Girl Power with the Construction of the Freedom Tower in the Backdrop.

On Saturday, June 23, 2012, thousands of amazing Girl Scouts converged at Liberty State Park for New Jersey Girl Scouts Council’s “BIG Celebration” (“Believe In Girls”).

National Wildlife Federation was the Eco-Service Project Partner for this special event, meaning we organized the service project to convert a grass field into wildlife habitat.

Everyone was in great spirits, lots of families and troops working together and the Girl Scouts got a service patch to recognize their contribution. For a great Star Ledger article about the event, click here.

Over the course of the day we transformed a 1,500 square-foot lawn into habitat for wildlife!

Here were the necessary ingredients to make the event so successful:

• 650 plants planted (600 were natives from American Beauties and 50 annuals)
• 600 cubic yards of mulch spread
• 1,500 gallons of water for plants
• 2,200 scouts and leaders
• 15 NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat owners
• 42 Verizon Employees (volunteers)
• 15 Liberty Mutual Employees (volunteers)
• 7 Liberty State Park employees
• 10 Girl Scout Employees of Northern New Jersey Council (volunteers)

Planting Trees in the Shadow of Lady Liberty

Girl Power + Shovels = New Wildlife Habitat

Digging holes, planting, watering and mulching almost what feels like right under the rising Freedom Tower and the Statute of Liberty made me proud to be American, a former New Jersey guy and NWFer. The Girl Scouts and our great partners made this special park even better.

Verizon employees also made the day special with an amazing turnout and energy. We had 42 Verizon volunteers participate in the event. It was exciting to see Verizon volunteers bring out their family to the event. All the volunteers made a real contribution to all the hard work it takes to get 650 plants in the ground.

Team Verizon Makes a Difference

Barry Sullivan and Marie Longo, both certified habitat owners for over 12 years, each gave two days of service (and took time off work) to  share their passion for wildlife and talk about their own habitats and the work NWF does with Girl Scouts and volunteers alike.

A special thanks goes out to all the volunteers, as well as my fellow NWF coworkers, who are doing a great job of getting kids outside and connected to nature.

Related Links:

• Garden for Wildlife – Learn how you can create wildlife-friendly habitat by providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise young.
• Certify your Wildlife Garden – Get your home, school, business or community designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.
• Volunteer with NWF – Find out how you can volunteer with NWF to help others learn about making wildlife habitat.
• Plant Trees for Wildlife – Learn how you can host a tree-planting event with your scout troop or community group.
• NWF’s Eco-Schools USA Program – See how NWF is helping inspire kids of all ages to help create sustainable schools and care for the environment.

Please consider becoming an NWF member to support these and other important activities >>

Proud Hike and Seekers

Do you need a breath a fresh air? Would 250 smiles make your day? Do you want to break the shackles that tie our children for 7 hours a day to electronic devices and TV ?

That is exactly the dose of medicine that I received by joining over 250 children and parents at the National Wildlife Federation’s first ever Hike & Seek™ event in New Jersey on Saturday, October 15^th. Hike & Seek is a cross between a nature hike and scavenger hunt aimed at bringing family and friends together in the great outdoors for fresh air and fun. Registration fees and fundraising supports NWF’s programs that connect children with nature and safeguard wildlife. NWF partnered with our terrific state affiliation, New Jersey Audubon, and held the event at their terrific Scherman-Hoffman Sanctuary.

Not yet convinced? Watch this video. Jennifer Barnes, mother of two adorable children from New Brunswick, is NWF’s best spokesperson ever:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The kids really loved the NWF “Map & Mission Guidebooks” that included a nature scavenger check list of critters and plants they may spot on their hike and seek adventure. The kids really were super motivated to check off “worms,” maple leaves, and evergreen trees.

This is what it is all about! Smiles and worms.

Smiles & snakes: Perfect together

My fun started when I found a small salamander that I got to show all the hikers. Some children love to have it walk in their hands, others like to touch it and a few were just excited to have seen it and check it off their list.

Along the trail, the “Stop & Study Stations” that NWF and NJ Audubon set up along the trail were a big hit. Kids and parents learned more about wildlife, plants and the great outdoors from volunteer naturalists. The kids got to collect stamps and stickers from each station.

At “Base Camp,” the kids were treated with Rizzo’s Wildlife Discovery who brought a great collection of snakes, turtles and other animals that the kids could touch and learn from.

Can't go wrong with Ranger Rick!

Salamanders are fascinating

More photos of this spectacular event can be found here!

We greatly appreciate the support of our national presenting sponsor: Johnson & Johnson who provided much needed product samples including Band-Aids and Johnson’s Natural products among others.  As well as our national sponsor Keen, providing lots of fun prizes to raffle as part of the Recess pledge, and local sponsor REI entertained the kids with their outdoor education specialists.  Also, several companies donated refreshments for the participants including Starbucks, Kings and Whole Foods.

Live in Washington D.C. area? It’s not too late to register for the Hike & Seek event on Oct. 22 in Seneca Creek State Park.

Photos by Curtis Fisher

Check out this new video shot at Yosemite National Park.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There is no difference between this scene at Yosemite and road crossings all over the Northeast. In fact, the Northeast has an insane amount of roads that wildlife have to traverse to find food, shelter and mates.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Northeast Regional Center is working to make wildlife crossings safe for people and wildlife as part of a Wildlife Corridor Initiative. For more information, check out one of our earlier blogs: “The Moose that Stole the Show.” That post chronicles another amazing road crossing of a moose during a press conference NWF had organized about priority wildlife road crossings in that area.

Critical Paths is a model project that seeks to maintain natural wildlife migration corridors by identifying critical wildlife road crossings in the State of Vermont. Recently, we have targeted the landscape between the northern Green Mountains and the Northeast Kingdom. The project uses a combination of cutting-edge computer modeling and good old fashion on-site field work to determine where bottlenecks and impermeable crossings exist that can impede the free movement of animals. This project was made possible with funding from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife and generous donations for individuals.

It’s great to see these bears frolicking at Yosemite. Do you have photos to share of America’s public lands? Share them in our monthly photo challenge.

Please give today to help create safe pathways for wildlife, and protect vulnerable animals across the country from the many threats they face.

Jamaica Bay and the New York City skyline: Nature is not far away. Photo by Don Riepe, American Littoral Society.

I am thinking a lot about 9/11 lately.

The 10th Anniversary of 9/11 is a time for all of us, across the world, to think about the loss of innocent life, the bravery of so many, and the impact of that day and its aftermath on us all.

As we remember the fallen, the brave first responders and so many others, I find myself thinking about how nature played an important part in my life in the aftermath of 9/11 and every day since.

Nature and Solace

Isn’t it amazing that Anne Frank might have said it best?

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God.

Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.  I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.

Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

My 9/11 Story

My 9/11 story starts the days after the tragic day, when I was living in Northern New Jersey. My wife and I volunteered at a sort of “all purpose filling station” for the first responders who were heading into Manhattan in the days following the attack. We organized tons of materials and supplies for what seemed like a never ending stream of volunteer firefighters, police and other brave souls. At the time, it seemed like everyone was just doing their job.

I often wonder how many of these volunteers have since died as a result the horrible conditions at ground zero. Like so many people who grew up and lived in the New York metro area, we all know people who lost their lives that day. My high school classmate, John Tipping, was a proud Midtown Station (48th & 8th) NYC firefighter, who–along with his entire fire station crew–died that day.  I will never forget their sacrifices.

Fishing at the National Conservation Training Center. Photo by Carl Zitsman, USFWS.

9/11 and Nature Connection

For me, the antidote is nature.  I think the below quote says it best:

“While for most of my life I have taken this country and all of its beauty for granted,” wrote one New York resident, “after 9/11 the intense love for all that I know, the bridge I travel over, the water I swim in, this wonderful park, became more beautiful and sacred to me… I love this country, and I love this park… I will never take it for granted anymore.”

The quote was collected by the National Park Service of visitors to Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sandy Hook and other locations in the New York City area.

This article goes on to highlight Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, just a few hours from where the third plane crashed into the Pentagon. Despite a call to shut down all Northeast National Parks after the attacks, Shenandoah National Park decided to stay open. Tracy Thetford, lead forestry technician at Shenandoah, recalls:

“Later on in the day, I called down to our employees that are working in the entrance station to find out if there’s been an influx of people into the park,” she said. “And there were groups of people who actually were leaving Washington, DC, and coming – and just drove out of the city. And they came to Shenandoah and decided to come into the park and just either drive or walk. But they were telling our folks at the entrance stations that, yeah, they just needed to get away.”

By the following weekend, Shenandoah had many additional visitors, most of whom “wanted to get away from the TV,” Thetford said. “People just wanted to get out of the city, get to nature, get away from the TV.”

My family at Burton Island in Northern Lake Champlain. You take a ferry to access the island.

Get Outside

I am excited that I now get to work for an organization that is dedicated to the noble enterprise of connecting people with nature. From camping out with my family and many other New Yorkers at the first NWF Great American Backyard Campout in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park this year to recently returning from a five day family and friend camping trip at Burton Island State Park (highly recommended), I am a lucky man and I hope to encourage others to find their place with nature.

Luckily for all of us, we still have Jamaica Bay in New York City to look at ducks and egrets with the New York City skyscrapers in the background, or in the Catskills, the Adirondacks and any local park. The sound of kids laughing, the knocking of a woodpecker and the sound of the wind–makes me always an internal optimist that we can make this world a better place. We must and “Never Forget.”

Over the course of six years, these wildlife rock stars–and yes, volunteers–got more than 180 Montclair homes (30 over just the last year), 10 schools, five community gardens or parks, five businesses, three churches and two synagogues to become Certified Wildlife Habitat^® sites.

Sabina Ernst tells the Montclair story better than anyone:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sabina: “I live in Montclair, New Jersey, and I have been part of the habitat team here since pretty much the beginning. I heard about Dave Wasmuth through a friend and started to get interested in native plants. It was something that really interested me because it seems very sustainable and the right model to follow….The whole town is represented not just one cluster…. It is a good thing to do.  It has been really fun. It feels like we have done a really good thing for Montclair and for the Earth.”

Certified Habitats bring welcomed visitors (photo taken in front of Sabrina's front yard)

The Montclair volunteers also made this great website to spread the good news, and organize the community effort.

New Jersey’s First Community Wildlife Habitat

With the community pulling together for wildlife like never before, Montclair has become New Jersey’s first certified Community Wildlife Habitat and the 38th certified community in the nation.

This means that residents, businesses, places of worship and others are providing the basics for desired wildlife – food, water, cover, and places to raise young – while helping the environment by using native plants, composting, eliminating pesticide use, and conserving water.

Dave and Jose Proud Gardeners and Community Leaders

Backyard Habitat Tour

On July 11, I took advantage of their annual “Backyard Habitat Tour,” where Montclair residents opened up their backyards for visitors to see the amazing things they have done to bring nature to their backyards. These National Wildlife Federation volunteers are working every day to improve their community and help wildlife.

It was great meeting Dave Wasmuth who has led the charge in Montclair. His gardens were a great mix of flowers, native plants and vegetables.

I also got to meet Jose German who, along with Dave, made their home a special place. Jose was really inspirational to me. He left his job as an accountant to form www.greenharmonynow.com, a landscaping business that helps businesses and homeowners choose wildlife friendly landscaping.

Dave and Jose also showed me how Montclair planted some trees along their road. Many of the trees died but the one planted in Dave and Jose’s yard is thriving. I think they are on to something!

Wildlife Habitat Makes Homes and Communities a Special Place

Sabina has lead the charge to not only make her yard wildlife-friendly but also she has worked with her local schools where her children attend school to certify them in NWF’s Schoolyard Habitat program. She also told me that she has seen a Cooper Hawk in her backyard, along with the cute rabbit that I saw.

Spreading the Love for Wildlife

Dave, Jose, Sabina and others are not just thinking about Montclair. They are reaching out to other neighboring towns as well.

Anne Stires is from down the road in Verona, and she is so excited by this project that she joined the Montclair Habitat Team and helped out the Montclair volunteers with their event. Anne is also the President of the Hilltop Conservancy in Verona, which is responsible for protecting and restoring one of the last large tracks of undeveloped land in this area.

All this inspiration makes me see how Dave, Jose and Sabina’s efforts can be multiplied by others across New Jersey.

We could create a large “corridor” of backyard, school, and community habitats across New Jersey. Of course, we need to protect our critical landscapes like the New Jersey Highlands, but it all starts in the home or in this case in the backyard.

Learn more about how to turn your garden or yard into a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat^® site

My mom and dad: Proud gardeners

I love gardening. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my father and I working together in the garden on Long Island, New York. I even weeded the garden back then (at least that is what I tell my children today).

The nuturing spirit is alive and well with any gardener. It is so exciting to see small seeds explode with life and provide so much. It is a wonder that never ceases to amaze me.

No Garden is Too Small

Before moving to Vermont, I had a small garden in my first home in Metuchen, New Jersey (remember, it’s called the Garden State for good reason). While it took a lot of work to build the raised bed, we grew what at the time seemed like a steady diet of terrific veggies and herbs.

Gardening in Vermont

Seth and Carmen Celebrating Our Vermont Nature’s Bounty

Now we live in Vermont and I went from  a postage stamp of a house in Jersey to a house on two acres (it seems like five acres to me). One of the first things we did was to plow a 60 x 90 feet area that used to be just grass to make way for a new vegetable garden. It has taken me three years (with big-time help from my amazing next door neighbor, who has a real tractor and plenty of manure) to make this garden into a humming, productive space where veggies and — yes — even some flowers can thrive.

A garden can be a great place for wildlife and creatures of all kinds. I am lucky that I can plant a lot more than what my family needs, so I don’t sweat “nature’s cut” of the proceeds. In the morning, I still smile when a rabbit jumps out of nowhere, reminding me that I have a lot to share with wildlife. My son Seth never tires of the refrain, “Look! A toad!” He loves to see all the creatures thriving in the garden.

Gardening for Others

This year’s garden has become even more exciting because I have been able to share food with people in need. This week

We filled up 12 bags of fresh lettuce for the food pantry

I made my first pilgrimage to the local food pantry. I donated a big box of fresh lettuce. How sweet is that? There are a lot of “plant a row for the hungry” programs around the country.

Gardening for Wildlife

These wonderful experiences also led me to get my backyard certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. It is a great feeling, but more importantly it reminded me of some simple wildlife needs, including: providing food, water, cover, and a place to raise young. While I live in Vermont and all these needs are met right across the street in a big town forest, I wanted to make sure they existed on my property too. Going through the certification process identified that I needed to provide a better water source for wildlife. I encourage everyone to sign up. It is fun out there!

Some gardening for wildlife tips:

Provide Food for Wildlife

Goldfinch in my kid’s pumpkin patch

Everyone needs to eat! Planting native forbs, shrubs and trees is the easiest way to provide the foliage, nectar, pollen, berries, seeds and nuts that many species of wildlife require to survive and thrive. You can also incorporate supplemental feeders and food sources.

Supply Water for Wildlife

Wildlife need clean water sources for many purposes, including drinking, bathing and reproduction. Water sources may include natural features such as ponds, lakes, rivers, springs, oceans and wetlands; or human-made features such as bird baths, puddling areas for butterflies, installed ponds or rain gardens.

Create Cover for Wildlife

Wildlife require places to hide in order to feel safe from people, predators and inclement weather. Use things like native vegetation, shrubs, thickets and brush piles or even dead trees.

Give Wildlife a Place to Raise Their Young

Wildlife need a sheltered place to raise their offspring. Many places for cover can double as locations where wildlife can raise young, from wildflower meadows and bushes where many butterflies and moths lay their eggs, or caves where bats roost and form colonies.

My “No Fence” VT Garden: Coyotes and bobcats keep the deer scared. Good view of Camel’s Hump — Vermont’s third highest mountain — too)

Let Your Garden Go Green

How you maintain your garden or landscape can have an important effect on the health of the soil, air, water and habitat for native wildlife–as well as the human community nearby. Reducing chemical use, composting, mulching and reducing turf grass in your yard are important steps to gardening greener.