Saving nature one yard at a time

​I found a book at the library that I want to tell you about: Saving Nature One Yard at a Time by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth.  “We live in a complex web of life where every living being – human, bee, frog, butterfly, tree, and wildflower – contributes to the health of the whole system.”  This book provides good information on how you can help nature, even if your yard is on your balcony.  Unfortunately, it only covers the United States, but perhaps you can find a similar book for your part of the world.  The book is divided into regions of the US, so you can determine which plants and critters are native to your area.  A healthy habitat that nourishes all inhabitants works best if it is composed of natives.  The book tells you how to create areas, large or small, that nourish the plants and critters you want to help.  It covers birds, amphibians, insects, mammals, and plants and includes stories that describe the life cycle of a few critters and plants.  Just as important as the information in the book are the lists of where to find additional information to augment what’s in the book.  Several international organizations are listed in the book, including (to name just a few) Bat Conservation International, Amphibian Survival Alliance, and Xerces Society (invertebrates including bees).  Other sources of information could include your local university extension service (mine has lots of good information on native plants), a national wildlife area near you, or a botanical garden organization.  And sometimes nurturing nature can be as simple as placing bird-alerting decals on a window that tends to get hit by flying birds.