Garden with Wildlife
Promoting bird and wildlife friendly habitats avoids the need for supplemental feed, attracting and nourishing animals with native plant species. Every wildlife-friendly garden is a haven that can act as a stepping stone between larger areas of natural habitat. In turn, these animals play a critical role in our own survival, from pollinators that help provide fruits and vegetables to cavity nesting birds which keep mice and insects under control. If your property and neighbourhood are appropriate for it, leaving space for natural predators keeps everyone safe; a family of red foxes will eat thousands of mice and rats in a season, opossums are known to eat thousands of ticks a week, and bats are capable of eating thousands of bugs in a single night.
Plant diverse native species of plants, flowers, shrubs and trees. Hedgerows not only benefit wildlife, they help muffle sound, create privacy, and act as a windbreak.
Leave the fall clean up till spring; leaf litter offers shelter to beneficial insects and amphibians over winter. Dead flowers and seed heads will feed birds and granivore species.
Let dead and cavity trees remain on your property. In Ontario, for more than 50 species of birds and mammals these are a vital source of food, shelter, and safety.
More information on how to garden with wildlife in mind can be found on here: Canadian Wildlife Ferederation - Gardening for Wildlife.