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Certify Your Wildlife Habitat: Sustainability
Some sustainable practices are easy, some are short term, and some are more work, more cost, or take more time to have an impact. Find what works for you and your garden for wildlife. How you manage your garden can have an effect on the health of the soil, air, water, and habitat of a multitude of animals. These are all important for the human community as well as for wildlife!
Use mulch—either biotic material (wood chips or compost) or abiotic material (rock)—around the base of your plants. This helps reduce evaporation.
Use compost to enrich the soil. Composting is easy with a bin from the city, a DIY container, or simply a pile turned regularly.
Other ways to be more sustainable include:
- Planting native plants and drought tolerant plants.
- Harvesting rainwater from your roof by making a channel to direct the run-off into your yard rather than into the street.
- Reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides.
- Reducing the size of your grass lawn if it's not being used.
- Watering in the evening when the evaporation rate is lower.
- Avoiding overwatering. After a plant has been established in your garden, water less frequently.
- Using targeted irrigation such as a drip system or your hose
| Arizona Wildlife Federation PO Box 1182, Mesa, AZ 85211 The Arizona Wildlife Federation is a Registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. EIN# 86-0076994 |
