WOWTA - benefits of backyard wildlife habitats

Nan Skinner (right) and associates at the 2012 WOWTA tour

Habitat - A Little Coop and Garden

Host - Leslie Vietmeier

Educators - John Ruby (Diggin' Shoreline and owner of Magic Landscapes) and Nan Skinner

Steward - NanSkinner (Real Estate consultant and Habitat Steward)

By Nan Skinner

As a member of the Where Our Wild Things Are (WOWTA) Wildlife Habitat Tour 2012, I was honored to educate visitors on the benefits of creating and maintaining a wildlife habitat in their own yards.  During my research, I discovered that there are also economic benefits as well as recreational, educational, and ecological benefits. 

Recreational (Get your kids involved.  They will love learning about plants and animals.)

• Aesthetically pleasing
• Places feel more private and relaxing
• Bird watching
• Walking
• Gardening

Educational (Workplace, schoolyard and backyard habitats)

• Bring people and nature together
• Workplace habitats give employees a calm place to take a break
• Provides more area for picnicking, walking, and learning
• Foster relationships between land owners and community

Ecological (We need a healthier planet)

• Land suitable for native plants and animals are healthy for people
• Vegetation filters pollutants, shades, and stabilizes stream banks
• Wetlands help control run-off, prevent erosion, and filter pollutants
• Forests produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide

 Economic Benefits to Homeowners

• Trees increase property values up to 20%
• Decreasing the amount of lawn saves time and money
• Homebuyers value energy conserving landscape and environmentally friendly community features
• Property values near wildlife habitats and refuges are higher and properties are more desirable
• Trees increase property values by $7.1 million, save $6.8 million in energy and $9.1 million in storm-water treatment costs annually – USFS
• #1 green home improvement recommended by REALTORS® is planting native trees and flowers – the foundation of a healthy and beautiful backyard habitat – USFS

Good Ways to Grow Green – National Wildlife Federation 

• Plant native shrubs to shade your air conditioner to increase the unit’s efficiency up to 10%
• Plant on the south and west sides of your home
• Replace most of your lawn with regional native plantings
• Document your regional native plantings to impress potential buyers
• Make sure your garden is well-designed
• Consider working with a “green” broker and stager to market your home when it’s time to sell

A few Native Plant ideas from King County

• Big-leaf maple
• Madrone
• Black cap raspberry
• Bleeding heart
• Maidenhair fern
• Hairy honeysuckle

Resources

• National Wildlife Federation
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology