Making Scents of Nature

Plant fragrances came into being for the utilitarian purpose of attracting insects (such as this Hummingbird Moth) to pollinate flowers (such as the Mimosa [Albizia julibrissin] seen here). Their function has nothing to do with making people smell “nice”.

ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS © Marlene A. Condon

 

For thousands of years, at least, humans have applied substances to their bodies to smell better. Of course, for most of those years, people did not have easy access to bathing facilities as we do now. As a result, when hard-working men and women sweated, they were not always able to effectively wash off the bacteria that fed on their sweat (a mix of water and a tiny amount of salt and waste products). People therefore tried to mask the resulting body odor with fragrances.

 

Sweat itself does not smell bad. The body odor we find so offensive is the result of droppings that bacteria feeding on the waste products of our sweat create. All living things leave behind droppings, substances that an organism is unable to break down and make use of to keep itself alive.

 

This odor is not instantaneously noticeable. It only becomes apparent over time, with the build-up of bacteria and thus the build-up of droppings. These microorganisms are constantly multiplying, so if a person delays washing himself for too long, more and more bacteria are producing waste and the odor assaults our senses. Workout clothes left sitting around for many days, especially if they are not hung to dry, will become smelly for the same reason.

 

Over the past several years, my husband and I have found it ever more difficult to enjoy a good meal at a restaurant, but not because of people’s body odor. Rather, the problem is instead that so many people nowadays wear perfume (if a woman) or cologne (if a man).

 

It is extremely unappetizing to try to eat when various non-food scents, pleasant as they might possibly be in a different setting, are filling the air around you. If I were writing a book of etiquette, the first rule would be to never wear perfume/cologne to a restaurant or anywhere food is going to be served (parties, office meetings, etc.).

 

I would also suggest that restaurants should never be using anything but fragrance-free hand soaps. Have you ever washed your hands at a restaurant and then tried to eat a sandwich with hands reeking of fragrance that masked the appetizing aromas of the food?

 

Lamentably, restaurants are not the only venue where the odors of fragrances abound. Hotel rooms and lobbies, and even some doctors’ offices, can be strong-smelling, thanks to devices that shoot aerosols into the air “to make it smell nice”. There should be absolutely no need of these products in such places because they are supposed to be clean.

 

Even many retail establishments make a point to fill the air with strong fragrances, undoubtedly because they know many people have been deluded into thinking that perfumed air equates to “fresh” air. But it isn’t.

 

Surprisingly, when my husband and I are trying to enjoy the actual fresh air of the outdoors, we are often subjected to the perfume/cologne of joggers passing by. As someone who jogged for more than 35 years, I can state with confidence that the wearing of fragrances to exercise was not something I ever encountered on the road or at the track.

 

There are good reasons not to wear these substances. Fragrances attract insects that feed at flowers and fruits, and you probably would prefer not to have insects hanging around you. I once wore a dress to a picnic and a yellow jacket persistently followed me around. I couldn’t understand it, and I was concerned about it going up my dress. (Yikes!!!) It finally dawned on me that I had made the mistake of putting on a mildly rose-scented body cream (I love the smell of roses).

 

Another reason not to wear scented cosmetics is that cheaper perfumes and colognes can contain toxic ingredients. Think petrochemicals. Petrochemicals are chemicals derived from petroleum or other fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas. The huge multitude of products made with these chemicals is astounding. Paints, electronics, tires, bedding, housewares, clothing, and toys are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

While these products can entail problems for the Earth because they are difficult to dispose of, perfumes pose a different dilemma for people. These substances can be carcinogenic. Substances applied to your skin or inhaled through your nose can be absorbed into your body, entering your blood stream and getting carried to your organs.

 

In antiquity, perfume makers used plant-based oils as the “carrier” for natural fragrances. For example, olive oil and almond oil were readily available in ancient Greece and Rome and thus were employed as the method of delivery for the delightful scents of flowers and other plant-derived products.

However, the use of natural substances in perfume does not always guarantee a product is safe for humans, and only the most expensive perfumes nowadays are made using natural fragrances. Less expensive ones use mostly synthetic fragrances, some of which are derived from petroleum, and others of which have such hazardous properties as the ability to accumulate in human tissues.

 

Although research is ongoing about the effects of both natural and synthetic fragrances upon human health, my thought is that you can never go wrong following Mother Nature’s lead. “She” doesn’t bombard us with fragrances. Fresh air (when unpolluted) is enjoyable of its own accord. Of course, we love the scents of many kinds of flowers, and thus stop to enjoy a quick whiff as we move on by. But that’s it—a short inhalation of fragrance that is unlikely to be problematic for our bodies.

 

The wearing of manmade perfumes and colognes, on the other hand, means breathing in these volatile substances for quite some time. And for bystanders, it can be just as unpleasant and unappreciated to be exposed to someone’s perfume/cologne for a long time as it is to be exposed to the smoke of a smoker. It could possibly be just as dangerous for them as well.

 

In days of yore, it made sense for people to take the scents of nature to make perfumes in which to envelop themselves. Today, it’s not necessary, and we know it could pose a risk to our health. One thing I know for sure: Perfumes and colognes can certainly ruin date night!

 

NATURE ADVICE: 

People think of yellow jackets as “pests” when these insects show up to share food, such as fruits, that folks are eating outside. Therefore, if you don’t want these insects flying around you even when you aren’t eating, avoid wearing fragrances that mimic the sweet scents of flowers and fruits.

 

Helping Nature Shouldn’t Be Against the Law

The south side of the author’s nature-friendly yard is filled with plants, providing habitat for a huge variety of wildlife that includes mice and the native Eastern Woodrat. Does a yard like this threaten anyone’s health, safety, or general welfare? Absolutely not.

ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS © Marlene A. Condon

 

Over the years, many folks have asked for my assistance when they’ve tried to do what’s right for the natural world and run head-on into government regulations. Unfortunately, it’s hard to fight City Hall if you don’t have a large group of citizens willing to speak out for the cause of “nature justice”.

 

I’m hoping that at some point, environmentalists will stop waging useless wars (on so-called invasive plants, for example) and start fighting for realistic changes that can truly make a difference for our natural world. In cities and towns, and in many rural subdivisions, regulations are put into place to control the appearance of the developed area and they are highly detrimental to wildlife. Yet very few people fight against this government overreach that is based upon a lack of knowledge.

 

Under the heading, “Tall Grass and Weeds” at the website for Harrisonburg, Virginia, you will read that “Whenever grass, weeds, brush or other foreign growth attains a height of twelve (12) inches or more, it shall be presumed to threaten the health, safety and general welfare of residents of the City.”

 

https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/tall-grass-weeds

 

Under the heading “Unlawful growth of weeds and other vegetation” at the Charlottesville, Virginia, website, you’ll find that “All weeds existing in violation of this section are hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance.”

 

http://vtod.frec.vt.edu/Documents/Charlottesville.pdf

 

Citizens of these two cities can be fined for disobeying these ordinances. But nature has gotten a bad rap. When left to its own devices in developed areas, wildlife habitat is viewed as overgrown, messy, and a place that will assuredly attract undesirable critters that carry disease (i.e., rats and mice), referred to as “vermin”. But does this picture accurately depict natural areas?

 

The answer is a resounding, “NO”. Mice and rats exist because they fulfill crucial roles in the functioning of the environment. Mice are Mother Nature’s gardeners that also practice natural plant control, and rats are part of her cleanup crew.

 

When mice carry seeds back to their nests and drop some along the way, they help plants to spread, which is vital for the perpetuation of wildlife habitat. When they feed upon the seeds they collect, mice limit the numbers of plants in an area, thereby preventing overcrowding of the plants, which ensures their good health.

 

Rats can be called opportunists that will feed upon just about anything edible they can find, such as dead animals, fresh and rotting fruits and vegetables, and seeds. Without them, the environment would not be cleared as quickly of decaying organic matter.

 

Are humans likely to catch diseases from mice and rats in a natural area located near people? It’s highly unlikely unless you handle one of these critters, which everyone should know better than to do. It’s your responsibility to teach your children not to touch dead animals, just as you must teach them not to cross the street without looking both ways first and not to stick their fingers into an electrical outlet.

 

So why is there so much fear about this issue? It’s because people don’t employ rational thought when considering their relationship to the natural world. Instead of behaving responsibly, they instead want to kill wildlife doing its job.

 

If you don’t seal your house to keep wildlife outside, and if your house is dirty with food crumbs on floors and furniture, you are going to attract animals to clean up after you. If you come into contact with saliva, urine, and/or droppings from disease-infected rats and mice, you may well become infected. You also need to avoid getting bitten.

 

The smartest strategy for preventing exposure to rodent diseases is to seal all entries to your home to the best of your ability and to minimize food sources that attract these animals in the first place. If you feed birds, only put out as much seed as will get taken each day (mice and rats are active mainly at night).

 

Nature-friendly landscaping around your house will invite the variety of creatures that keep your environment working properly. Owls, hawks, and foxes—all of which are well habituated to urban/suburban areas—can help to limit rodents, but they require habitat.  Whatever you do, don’t employ poisons of any sort. They are inhumane, causing intense suffering, and they kill any critter that feeds upon a dying poisoned animal.

 

It’s the height of silliness for local ordinances to limit the height of plants in a yard, and to speak of tall plants as threatening to the health and safety of citizens. If you reside in an area governed by outmoded thinking about our wild plants and animals, please speak against it.

 

NATURE ADVICE: 

It’s important for people who care about the environment to try to join with others of like mind to change laws that negatively affect it. One way to accomplish this goal would be to send a press release to the local newspaper to let folks know of your plans. Libraries and other public spaces often allow use of their meeting rooms at no cost for noncommercial purposes. Weed ordinances perpetuate prejudiced ideas that are invalid. Let’s get some justice for nature!

 The Myth of Allelopathy

It’s not hard to find a Black Walnut tree surrounded by a great variety of native and nonnative plants, which should give an observant person reason to doubt the excessive talk about the negative effects of allelopathy.

ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS © Marlene A. Condon

 

Allelopathy—the biological phenomenon by which a species of plant supposedly inhibits, via biochemicals, the germination, growth, survival, and/or reproduction of a different species of plant—is much touted in invasive-plant circles. The original scientific interest in this subdiscipline of chemical ecology arose from the idea of making use of allelopathy in agriculture. However, the very vocal support of plant nativists (folks who prefer that alien plant species be replaced by native ones) has undoubtedly assisted this field of study to flourish. But is allelopathy just myth?

 

The beauty of the natural world is that it is open to anyone with eyes to see. You can prove for yourself that many of the “facts” repeated ad infinitum about nature don’t bear out in the real world.

 

For example, I live in a forested area where many Black Walnut trees (Juglans nigra) grow. This tree is the most well known example of allelopathy among gardeners because of its reputed toxicity to many species of garden plants.

 

It’s a given that you’ll be exposed to this information if you plan to grow such plants as tomatoes or green peppers. You’ll certainly be told to keep your garden as far away as possible from a Black Walnut because a plant sensitive to the effects of juglone (the chemical contained within the tree) can be poisoned by contact with any part of the tree (including roots, leaves, nuts, and even branches that have fallen to the ground).

 

It may indeed be true that solanaceous (nightshade family) plants are susceptible to the effects of juglone, but why would anyone plant a vegetable requiring full sun under a shade tree? Thus, to me, all the talk about the Black Walnut tree in regards to growing such plants is pointless.

 

Nevertheless, it’s reasonable to ask if the science is right about juglone causing problems for many other kinds of plants. To judge whether conclusions from a scientific paper in the biological sciences is accurate, you really need to read the details of how the study was done. Unfortunately, many scientific papers are most easily available only to other scientists, and the public is essentially locked out from access.

 

Luckily, I did locate some original research online regarding this situation, and found that the effects of Black Walnut on other plants have been contradictory from one study to the next. I also came across a January 2000 paper that listed plants affected and plants not affected by growing near Juglans nigra trees, and the number of plants not affected by walnuts is far longer than the list of plants affected—which didn’t surprise me. I’ve found quite a variety of plants growing under Black Walnut trees in Virginia.

 

http://www.allelopathyjournal.org/Journal_Articles/AJ%207%20(1)%20January,%202000%20(1-55).pdf

 

I’ve documented many native and nonnative herbaceous plants, and woody vines, shrubs, and trees surrounding this tree species. I’ve seen the same for supposedly allelopathic alien herbaceous plants. To me, the more plausible explanation for why some plants perform poorly near “allelopathic” plants are environmental conditions (e.g., soil fertility, soil compactness, etc.).

 

NATURE NOTE:

Garlic Mustard, Ailanthus, Canada Thistle, and Foxtail are nonnative plants deemed—without question—to be allelopathic. I can tell you for a fact it isn’t true. I’ve grown every one of these plants in my yard, and not a one inhibited the growth of other plants around it. If you want to know the truth about alien plants, grow them to learn for yourself if alien-plant lore is true or mythical.

 

Profusive Photinias

From the fall of 2017 to the spring of 2018, a male Red-naped Sapsucker from the western part of the United States made almost daily visits to the author’s Photinias, allowing her to get good looks and photos (which were sent to experts) of this extremely uncommon visitor to the eastern part of the country.

ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS © Marlene A. Condon

I originally wanted to grow the shrub commonly called “Red-tips” or Photinia because the new growth can be quite red—my absolute favorite color. I hadn’t really considered it in terms of wildlife, but not long after planting six bushes along the west side of my deck, I discovered this plant to be superbly suited to many kinds of critters!

 

The plants grew quickly, shooting up so fast that when my stepmother visited my new home, she said I must have “quite a green thumb”. She couldn’t believe that such big plants had been planted such a short time before her visit.

 

The tall, evergreen shrubs were an immediate hit with birds as cold winter weather settled in. I soon discovered that White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos from the northern states and Canada were sleeping among the glossy leaves that helped to shelter them from icy winds and snow.

 

Throughout each day I would see Tufted Titmice, Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Carolina Chickadees searching over the leaves for leftover aphids (a “pest”  according to gardening websites, but in reality, nutritious food for many organisms). Numerous species of songbirds and Gray Squirrels checked out the safety of the deck from those same branches before visiting for seed and water. And much to my delight, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have continued to visit every winter to suck sap from my big (about 25 feet tall, now) Photinias.

 

Making neat rows of sap “wells” on the trunks, these northern birds spend hours where I can easily watch them and the variety of other creatures that also desire a sugary treat. Squirrels, insects flying on warmer days, and songbirds (such as cardinals, kinglets, juncos, titmice, and chickadees) all sneak in for a sip when the sapsucker is not looking. These activities continue to this day, 36 years later.

 

The big shrubs also provide protective cover for birds as they flee predators. More than once I have watched with surprise as a Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk (two kinds of raptors that feed mainly upon songbirds) tried to maneuver through the thickly branched bushes to catch a bird. The hawks have never been successful, but they have provided me with the opportunity to see them well, something that is not often easy to do! I have even seen an Eastern Screech Owl in the Photinia during years when a pair is nesting in one of my wildlife boxes.

 

During the warm months of the year, cardinals have nested in the Photinias, and many hard-to-see avian summer inhabitants have stopped in for a quick visit. Yellow-billed cuckoos, birds that are rather secretive in habit and are more often heard than seen, will sometimes fly into the Photinias where I get to view them for a few moments. I have gotten a great look at a Louisiana Waterthrush and a Wood Thrush when these summer neighbors flew into the bushes and looked around a bit.

 

In late summer and fall as birds are beginning to migrate farther south, I often catch sight of warblers in the Photinias. Many of these birds are wonderfully colored and a beautiful sight to behold, and thus always cause for great excitement.

 

I had read that the flat heads of small white blossoms on these spring-blooming plants developed into bright red berries (yes, yet more red!) that were eaten by wildlife. After several fruitless years, I had given up, thinking that perhaps the male and female flowers were on separate plants and that I must have all males. But lo and behold, eight years after I had planted the Photinias, one of my bushes finally held beautifully red berries in November, and all the plants began to flower and fruit every year. Flocks of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings have landed to eat these little red delights (to their stomachs and to my eyes), and Gray Squirrels enjoy the fruits too.

 

Much to my surprise, I have seen squirrels eating the lustrously waxy Photinia leaves during the winter. And in springtime, the Photinia flowers are a magnet for many kinds of bees and other insects, proving that they are loaded with nectar and qualifying the Photinia as a good wildlife plant in yet another way.

 

The Chinese Photinia (there are said to be 40-60 species) that I bought locally is the most common Photinia grown in the southern part of the United States. It can reach a possible height of 36 feet, but you rarely see them allowed to grow to their full height and form. That’s a shame because these trees, though nonnative, truly bring in a profusion of wildlife for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

NATURE ADVICE: 

Horticulturalists advise pruning Photinias, but my advice is to just leave them to their own devices for maximum wildlife benefit. Whether you plant just one or several, place the plant(s) where they can fulfill their destiny by growing tall and wide in a sunny location.

 

 

 

 Why Look for Trouble?

A spider on the wall may frighten most people, but it’s not looking for trouble. Just catch it in a plastic bug box and place it outside, as the author always does.

ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS © Marlene A. Condon

My mother used to refuse to go to the doctor’s office for check-ups. If you asked her why she did not want to go, she would answer, “Why look for trouble?”

 

Her attitude (which I do not recommend that you adopt) perfectly explains the behavior of many kinds of wildlife that people fear intensely. Folks tend to believe that snakes, wasps, spiders, coyotes, cougars, and wolves, for example, would just love to attack them, but nothing could be further from the truth. As far as these animals are concerned, it’s truly a matter of “Why look for trouble?”

 

It’s essential to understand that the wildlife that finds its way into your home via unsealed openings is not looking to harm you. Critters wander around to search for food and/or nesting sites, and will enter gaps in manmade, as well as natural, structures.

 

Seeing one or even a few spiders or insects inside does not automatically denote an “infestation”. You should just catch them and put them outside. Our wildlife is disappearing, so none of it should be killed unnecessarily. Being nature-friendly also means you can avoid exposure to pesticides on your premises.

 

Some insects you might see in large numbers, such as nonnative roaches, alert you to the presence of food where it ought not to be. Eating snacks anywhere except the kitchen can result in crumbs throughout the premises. A line of ants to a spot on the floor or inside a cabinet is a sure sign that you have either spilled food (liquid or solid) or have not secured it well inside a container.

 

It is your responsibility to clean up spills and to use containers that keep food fresh and unavailable to insects. You should not kill the messengers that keep you on your toes. After all, if they don’t alert you to the food that is exposed to the air, molds will let you know instead.

 

Spiders wandering around inside are looking for insects to eat. They are not looking to bite you. Occasionally, however, a wayward spider may find its way into your bed and underneath your covers. If you roll over onto it or in some other way threaten its life, you can get bitten as it tries to protect itself. To minimize that possibility, it would help if you made your bed each morning! An arachnid would then be less likely to end up on the surface of the mattress.

 

Perhaps folks have a huge fear of spiders because of the notoriety of the black widow spider (there is more than one species) that typically resides in very dark locations. Nowadays you rarely get to see a black widow, but in years past, an unlit outhouse provided the perfect place for these shy and reclusive spiders to make a web to catch insects. Unwary people sitting down on the toilet seat—and the spider—would get bitten, an outcome that shouldn’t be surprising when you consider the situation of the spider!

 

(Despite the urban myth that we have Brown Recluse spiders in the north-eastern and mid-Atlantic United States, this species is not native to this area. You might come across one only inside a home where household goods were recently transported here from out west. Sadly, many spiders are misidentified as this species, which makes the killing of them all-the-more unjustified.) 

 

Paper wasps are especially fearsome to most folks. However, these insects usually only interact when they feel that they must, and that is when they need to defend themselves or their young (presumably, you would protect your offspring, too). By being alert when you are outside, you can spot nests by noting where wasps are hanging around but not eating, or continuously coming and going as if following a route.

 

Wasps visiting flowers to feed should not be a threat. Remember, they do not want to look for trouble! I’ve taken many a close-up photo of many kinds of wasps when they are at plants and I have never been stung.

 

Wasp nests far away from areas of human activity should be left alone. These insects are “employed” to help keep in check spiders and various insect species by providing those animals as food for their young (how this is done depends upon the species).

 

Yellow jackets (there is more than one species) tend to make underground nests where there is a lot of aboveground plant cover. By preventing lush growth near walkways, you might keep them from nesting where they could frighten you.

 

However, yellow jackets are highly unlikely to sting anyone just walking by. You need to be threatening them by stepping into or otherwise bothering their nest. If you fuss with plants in the area, which is how I often discover them, they will, of course, buzz around you to try to scare you off. Immediately do as they wish!

 

Snakes and coyotes catch and feed upon rodents or other small animals. Coyotes (and human predators) could possibly go after unattended small pets and children, so you should never leave them alone outside. As for snakes, parents should teach their children (along with never sticking fingers into sockets) to never place hands and feet where they cannot see what might be out of sight.

 

Although mistakenly thought of as predators of mankind, cougars and wolves are inclined to run away from people. Wolves and cougars were killed off by the white man because they went after his livestock, which he should have watched over to protect them from predators, just as American Indians stayed up all night to protect their crops from plant-eating animals.

 

Wild animals routinely flee from unnecessary confrontations with other organisms. Otherwise, they risk injury or death, which is exactly why they practice my mother’s philosophy of, “Why look for trouble?”

 

NATURE ADVICE:

You can prevent paper wasps from nesting around your home by looking for recently started nests in the spring. When early-morning temperatures are 50℉ or below, wasps are sluggish and unable to fly well. You can then knock down with a stick any small paper nests upon your house or other structures. Please note that if the nest is high up underneath an eave where the insects will not be coming and going close to people, you should leave it.

 

Removing “Invasive” Plants for...More Lawn?!

 

With neither a hint of use by people nor wildlife, huge lawns represent an enormous waste of land.

ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS © Marlene A. Condon

 

While channel-surfing (on December 26, 2020), my husband came across a TV program called “This Old House: Trade School”. The host of this program, Kevin O’Connor, guides the viewers through home improvement projects.

To be honest, I cringe watching these kinds of programs. Whenever I’ve seen these folks engaged in what they call “landscape architecture”, which is typically employed to mean the design of outdoor areas to achieve aesthetic outcomes, I am saddened by the complete disregard for the environmental outcomes of their “beautification” projects.

 

In this case, the man in charge of the landscape project talked to Kevin about removing the shrubby growth at the back edge of the yard to give the owner 25-30% more lawn, even though there was already an abundance of lawn to be seen behind the men. The presence of “invasive” vines growing up some of the trees provided them with a virtuous spin for removal of this wild space; a big deal was made of the vines’ supposedly negative qualities, such as strangling trees, pulling them down, and killing them.

 

This situation exemplifies a very real problem with the push by activist scientists, environmentalists, and government entities to get people to remove supposedly invasive plants. Somehow, these nativists don’t understand that the vines and the other undergrowth cut down provided extremely acceptable habitat for mammals, birds, reptiles, salamanders, and insects and other arthropods.

 

The folks creating the big ruckus over so-called invasive plants also don’t grasp that removal of these plants does not automatically guarantee a replacement of them with native plants growing in a structured manner that will sustain wildlife. As in this case, where lawn was replacing a thicket, we witness yet another disastrous setback for the environment that is already reeling as a result of people’s activities.

 

“Invasive” plants are vilified, as if they have no redeeming qualities, which simply isn’t true. In the TV program, for example, bittersweet and grape vines were seen only as attackers of trees, as if that were oh-so-wrong! But vines exist because they are useful to many animals in many ways.

 

The flowers of these two vines feed pollinators and the resulting fruits feed mammals and birds. If the twining plants did indeed kill some trees, well, bravo! Woodpeckers and wood-boring insects can’t exist without standing dead trees. And reptiles and salamanders can’t exist without logs on the ground. Every bit of this dead wood provides sites for each of these animals to reproduce.

 

I should also point out that it appeared the removal of the woody plants was taking place in late spring or summer, as they were fully leafed out. What that means is that the environment was taking yet another hit as adult animals and their eggs/young in that area were chopped up by a humongous brush-cutting machine.

 

As for the soon-to-be-planted lawn, its presence would increase the burden placed upon the environment. In addition to the loss of habitat, there’s the weekly mowing that might keep the “invasives” from returning (as stated by the man in charge) but which spews small-engine pollution and noise upon the air, land, sea, and people. And, of course, we mustn’t forget all the chemicals applied to grass.

 

It’s never been clear to me why people prefer practically lifeless lawns over the natural environment with all its fascinating critters. If you are lucky enough to own nature-friendly habitat, be bold enough to keep it! You can feel proud that you’ll be helping wildlife that is desperately in need of your assistance.

NATURE ADVICE: 

You can almost effortlessly replace at least some of your lawn area with plants useful to wildlife. Lawn does not persist without constant care. If you leave it to its own devices, other plants will quickly begin displacing most types of lawn grass. Hillsides and slopes are especially good areas to transition away from lawn as they can be dangerous to mow.

It’s fun to identify the plants that show up without any effort on your part, and once you do, it’s your choice as to which ones you want to encourage by pulling out the others.