There are many simple things you can do to make your yard, patio, or windows more appealing to your family and to wildlife.
Improve Outdoor Spaces
Answer these yes or no questions with your family and decide what you might do to improve the outdoor space around your home.
- Can you plant herbs, flowering plants, strawberries, tomatoes, and other small plants in window boxes or containers on your patio?
- Can you hang nesting boxes for birds and bats in your yard? Birds and bats eats lots of insects, including mosquitoes, which will make your yard more comfortable!
- If your lawn and plants need to be watered, do you water them during the cooler parts of the day to minimize evaporation loss?
- Do you plant native vegetation that is adapted to the local climate so that it requires less watering and benefits native wildlife?
- Can you remove invasive species from your yard that compete with native species?
- Can you place mulch around plants and trees to retain moisture?
- Can you plant flowers, shrubs, and trees that provide food and shelter for wildlife? Watching wildlife is a fun and relaxing family activity!
- Do you have several layers of plants that provide shelter and food for wildlife, such as ground cover, small shrubs, large shrubs, and trees?
- Do you use nontoxic methods to eliminate or reduce the use of pesticides?
- Do you use a compost bin for yard waste, fruit feels, and vegetable scraps? The compost will make a good fertilizer for your yard.
- Can you plant a vegetable garden and grow some of your own food?
Get the Materials
- Download this Home Connection: Improving Outdoor Space, adapted from PLT’s GreenSchools Investigations.
- Descarga la actividad en español: Mejorar lo espacios al aire libre
