Under Our One Sky...
Every Animal Deserves a Home
When humans move into natural areas to live, work and play, animals lose their homes. While the best course is to avoid destroying habitat in the first place, there are many ways to help animals find new, safe and suitable homes:
PLANT A GARDEN
Transform a small plot of ground at your school, home or in your neighborhood into a wildlife-friendly garden.
A garden planted with native species will provide food, water and cover to attract a wide variety of animals.
Flowers with lots of nectar attract bees; plants with berries attract birds; climbing plants are ideal for bird nests and insects; even a dead log can be a home!
BUILD A BOX HOME
Birds, insects and small mammals like bats, possums and squirrels are ideally suited to a box home, which you can quite easily make yourself.
Companion animals also need safe homes to thrive and seek shelter from the elements, like heat, wind, rain and cold. You can help by building a dog kennel or get your whole community involved in a doghouse building marathon!
PLANT A TREE... OR AN ENTIRE GROVE!
Even a single seedling will provide a home for animals and can help to protect the entire planet at the same time. One tree can support more than 200 species of insects, which in turn provide food for birds and small mammals.
It is very important to choose trees that are native to your country and region as they are the best for wildlife and won’t destroy your local ecosystems.
Trees also renew our air supply by providing oxygen and help tackle global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide.
Get started creating animal homes with these online web resources:
· Homes for Backyard Wildlife from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
· Homes for Birds and What You Can Do to Help Wildlife and Plants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
· And don't miss the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Kids Glossary of Biodiversity and Online Digital Media Library, with a wide assortment of selected images, publications, video and audio clips that are in the public domain (and free to use as you wish with no permission necessary as long as credit is noted).
Your animal homes will not only create habitat and support wildlife but be a source of discovery and learning for years to come!
Remember to tread lightly around any animals that do make use of your homes, and be tolerant in sharing your outdoor spaces with them.
