Reptiles – Kids Discover Nature

5 Resources to Attract Wildlife to Your Yard

by Editorial Staff

Spring is around the corner! Now is the time to start planning for when you and your kids will be outside enjoying fun in the yard. Families will be again be spending a lot of time in their own yard this spring, so it’s the perfect opportunity to increase engagement with wildlife, insects, birds, frogs, and many other critters. There are 100’s of strategies you can employ to attract interesting critters to your yard and there is a plethora of information available to help you do it. Your effort will be rewarding by not only hours of enjoyment outside but will provide an easily accessible opportunity to connect your kids to wildlife and teach them about nature

Below are several resources that provide helpful ideas and instructions on how to plan your yard and gardens. It is important to plan ahead and choose plants, shrubs, and other installations that work well for attracting wildlife.

Your state wildlife agency website. You will find guidance on appropriate trees, shrubs, and plants. You can find list of the different species of wildlife that live in your area.
The National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Habitat Program provides tons of great information on how to attract wildlife whether you “have an apartment balcony or 20-acre farm.” You can even qualify to become a certified wildlife habitat.
The Natural Resource Conservation Service provides basic planning and a helpful list specific plants and trees to plant specifically to attract birds.
The American Horticultural Society provides a to state master gardener associations. The state associations maintain a list of master gardeners and can provide contact information to those who do business in your area. A master gardener is a specialist and thoroughly trained to help you design, plan and install a garden. Many have a special interest in being ecologically sensitive and are trained accordingly.
The National Audubon Society has resources dedicated to helping you design a bird-friendly yard. Its website provides advice and how-to tips on using native plants to attract wildlife, with a special emphasis on birds, of course!

Now is a great time to do some research, put a pencil to paper and start planning. Getting your kids involved at the planning stage is a great way to engage them and teach the process. Plus, they will have some terrific ideas on what they would like to see in the yard.

If you have helpful resources you would like to share, please share in the comments.

Reptiles

Critterific! Spring Peepers

by Editorial Staff

Frogs that are a Peep Apart

Critterific! will now be a regular feature on KDN because, after all, I am a wildlife ecologist at heart! Additionally, it’s my opinion that learning about nature helps people become more invested, and thus more concerned. Part of the reason I write the blog is to encourage parents and children to enjoy nature and all its living creatures as well as become stewards of the planet we share. So now that you know the purpose behind Critterific! feature, here we go!

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
How many of you enjoy hearing the Spring Peepers? I look forward to it every year. Each spring, in the early evenings you can hear hundreds of them if you are lucky enough to live by wetlands, a vernal pool, lake or pond in the eastern United States or Canada. The sound is so pleasant, it’s easy to spend hours outside in the evenings listening to them.

What you are actually hearing is their mating call. If the population in the area is dense, the combination of all the calls sounds like sleigh bells. I have often tried to locate a peeper by tracking its call with my children, but we are usually unsuccessful. As soon as we get too close, the peeping stops and we are unable to locate the little guy in the reeds.

Check out this nice little video that displays the lovely call of the peeper.

Frogs, in general, are going through a tough time right now. Many populations around the world are suffering from disease and chemical run-off from farms and lawns and are in serious decline. You can help by using only eco-friendly fertilizers and pesticides for your lawn and gardens.

Do you have a favorite frog species?

Critter Corner

It’s Turtle Time: Lend a Helping Hand

by Editorial Staff

Turtles need a helping hand this time of year. Female turtles are on the move looking for nest locations. Many travel far distances from their home area in order to lay eggs. A turtle could end up in your yard even if you don’t live adjacent to a pond or lake.

You can support their efforts and rescue turtles that get into trouble. They don’t account for dangerous obstacles like roads, driveways, and lawns, they go where their instincts direct them. Here are some tips you can follow to help them navigate across treacherous areas.

If you find a turtle in your lawn leave it be, it may have found a place to lay eggs.

Be careful before mowing. Always check to make sure you do not see a turtle. Raise mower decks.
If a service cares for your lawn, warn the owner to be on the lookout for turtles.
If you see a turtle crossing the road and if you can do so safely, pick it up and place it on the other side of the road in the direction it was going. Caution — do not pick up snapping turtles, use a shovel. You can identify a Snapper by its sharp beak-like mouth. If you are unsure, use a shovel. It’s better to err on the side of caution.

If you do give a turtle a hand and have a camera handy, snap a photo and record the date/place/time. Many state fish and wildlife agencies collect turtle data. Often you can report your finding on the agency website. Many turtle species are threatened or endangered. You can help your state better understand the distribution of turtle populations and assist in the development of plans to manage the populations in your state.

How to safely help a turtle cross the road

Keep turtles safe

Please DO NOT POST LOCATION on social media. This invites poachers to capture turtles and sell them on the black market.

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5 Resources to Attract Wildlife to Your Yard

Critterific! Spring Peepers

Frogs that are a Peep Apart

It’s Turtle Time: Lend a Helping Hand

Keep turtles safe

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