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www.caps.20m.com Canadians Against Pesticides |
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Homeowners Trade Lawns For Nature-Friendly Habitats E-WIre March 29, 2001 WindStar Wildlife Institute MYERSVILLE, MD, Mar. 28 -/E-Wire/-- It's not an actual assault yet, but participation is growing, as Baby Boomers and others are beginning to question the amount of time and money they are investing in their lawns.
They say they are tired of cutting and watering grass, applying fertilizer, using pesticides and spending money on equipment and gas. Instead, they are turning to a more natural approach as they want to be closer to nature by attracting birds and other wildlife to their properties where they can be enjoyed. They are reducing the size of the lawns they mow and establishing nature-friendly habitat elements. Some are even designing "wildlife sanctuaries" on their properties which include sitting areas for reading, resting, photographing, or just observing nature. This is therapy, recreation and creative outlet for them. These areas often are near small backyard ponds, wildflower gardens, birdfeeding stations, or in the cool shade of a woodlot. Many people are using native trees, shrubs and wildflowers to attract native wildlife and are keeping pests at bay by using "natural" solutions. The size of property really doesn't matter. It could be near a birdbath or feeder on an apartment balcony or along the stream banks on a farm or ranch. |
People are acquiring ideas for their properties from the growing number of nature/garden books now being published, along with programs and courses produced by Cooperative Extension and conservation organizations. WindStar Wildlife Institute, a national, non-profit conservation organization headquartered near Myersville, MD currently offers an internet course for training individuals to be "Certified Wildlife Habitat Naturalists." Thomas Patrick, President of the Institute, says "people from teenagers to the retired, take the course to get ideas and a written plan for their own property, plus then they can help out neighbors, friends and relatives with their habitat improvement efforts. "An attractive aspect to the internet course is that it features 13 of the nation's top ecologists, writers, photojournalists, and horticulturists in training that synchronizes video, audio, text, hundreds of photographs, and linked supplemental information to deliver a "virtual training seminar" over the Internet at any time of the day or night," he said. "This makes it easy for people to work the course into their busy schedules. Several people are already turning their new wildlife habitat skills and knowledge into second and third careers,"Patrick said. For more information on ways to turn your lawn into an enhanced wildlife habitat or the "Certified Wildlife Habitat Course", go to http://www.windstar.org or call 800-324-9044 SOURCE: WindStar Wildlife Institute CONTACT: Thomas Patrick, President, WindStar Wildlife Institute, 301-293-3351,wildlife@windstar.org/ /Web Site: http://www.windstar.org/ |
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