During the heat of the summer, water is a real magnet for birds and other wildlife looking to cool off and get a drink. Here are a few easy ways you can provide wildlife with water in your yard or garden:
- Songbirds— provide a birdbath filled with fresh water. Place it within 10-12 feet of shrubs & trees that offer birds cover from predators as they drink and bathe.
- Butterflies—provide a puddling area. Fill a shallow dish with soil or sand, and then top it with water. Butterflies will suck up the mineral-rich water from the mud.
- Frogs—create a water garden. Fill a 18-24 inches deep container or plastic pond liner with water up to the brim. Plant a mix of native aquatic plants such as water lilies, rushes, and wetland wildflowers.
If you provide the four basic elements—food, water, cover, and a place to raise their young—while using sustainable gardening practices, you will give wildlife the safe haven they need. Then your garden can become a Certified Wildlife Habitat®.