On
our property, shelter from predators and weather is provided by both living (hawthorne,
hemlock) and dead plants (log & brush piles, snags), as well as rock piles and
walls. The simplest artificial cover is a toad abode (inverted flower pot
propped on a rock). By providing a variety of cover types, we have attracted
a variety of wildlife to our site.
Different
types of wildlife also need different types of space for courtship, mating and
raising young. We provide a variety of larval host plants for caterpillars
from wildflowers such as pearly everlasting
to trees
such as wild black cherry.
The fallen logs and snags (standing dead trees) that we leave provide places
for insects, salamanders, snakes, birds and mammals to raise young.
Habitat
boxes are simply artificial ways to provide cover and places to raise
young for wildlife.
Bat
Boxes
Bat boxes are used by
bats when they are built according to precise specifications and installed
properly. Our bat boxes have been certified by Bat Conservation
International.
Bee Boxes
Lack of proper nesting
sites is the critical limiting factor for solitary bee populations according
to The Xerces Society. We build our blocks using their guidelines.
Bird Boxes
At this time we only construct bird nesting
boxes for use on our property. It's crucial to use building plans
appropriate for the species you want to attract.
For plans based on the
best available information visit Cornell's
Birdhouse Network.
