Dawn's Wildlife Tips - 2017
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tip # 1: Grow Native Plants - those that are found in your area. Trees, Shrubs, and other plants that offer food such as pollen, nectar, nuts, cones, berries and other seeds. =^..^=
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tips #2: Do not toss your apple core, or any food items out of the car window and onto the roadside, even if you toss it into the edge of the woods. This causes a dangerous environment for the wildlife, since it draws them to the roadways and birds fly across the road to hunt for the food they smell or see… Protect our wildlife by properly tossing your food items into a garbage can at your next stop. They will thank you for thinking of them.
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tips #3: Provide Fresh Clean Water for the Wildlife. This can be done with a birdbath in your yard, or a shallow dish, or if you happen to have a small pond and/or stream this is wonderful! Keeping your water source clean means preventing illness for the wildlife that depends on the water for their survival. Be sure to properly care for and maintain a clean and safe environment so that the various wildlife including smaller mammals can make their way safely your water source.
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tips #4: Create Protective Cover for the Wildlife. Grow a meadow or a prairie, plant gardens that are designed for wildlife, and plant densely branched shrubs and evergreens. This will create a natural feeding ground and natural space for our wildlife. You can also place hollow logs and rock piles around the edges of your yard or in the woods to promote safe havens and hiding spots for our wild critters. Let Us Be Forever Wild!
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tips #5: Help Save The Bees! Why? Because they are the ones who provide us with the natural state of the plant based foods we eat in their pollination process. If the bees die, then we will be left with GMO foods and Fake foods. Here are some easy ways to help them: Plant Wildflowers they love (i.e., Zinnia, Cosmos, Lavender) , and Don’t Mow the Dandelions! Also, as part of their hard work, they need water - you can create a bee safe watering space for them, how? You can do this with a shallow bowl or saucer, fill it with beautiful rocks, glass marbles or corks, then fill it up with water, and replenish daily. Bees need a spot to rest while drinking the water and the rocks, glass marbles and cork allows them a spot to hang out while sipping the aqua! Deeper waters are not safe, they can drown in it, and streams are filled with predators who love to eat bees. Let Us “Bee” Forever Wild!
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tips #6: Do You Love Hummingbirds? Did you know that their spirit reminds you to enjoy the simple things in life! If you want to attract Hummingbirds to your home so that you can enjoy them, then pick up a hummingbird feeder or two. For their nectar, you can make this using natural ingredients. Water and Sugar is all you need: Ratio is 4 cups water to 1 cup of sugar. Be sure the water is very warm so that the sugar will dissolve completely as you stir. Let it cool, then fill up the feeder(s) and enjoy the beauty. Do NOT feed them the red water solution, due to the red dyes and preservatives, this can kill them. They do not need the water to be red. As a reminder, once you set up the feeder(s), you need to change the water every 3-4 days to keep it fresh. And keep the feeder(s) up into the Fall until they are ready to move on for the Winter. Let us Be Forever Wild!
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tip #7: Fun Facts: What do you call a group of Crows? A murder of Crows! What do you call a group of Rhinos? A crash of Rhinos! What do you call a group of Owls? A parliament of Owls! What do you call a group of Raccoons? A gaze of Raccoons! How about a group of Skunks? A surfeit of Skunks! Now, What is My Call of the Wild? ~ “Let Us Be Forever Wild!”
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tip # 8: Before you buy your flowers and garden landscape supplies! Please “BEE Aware” of the following chemicals that some of the garden centers and their vendors are applying on them: Neonicotinoids (aka Neonics) a class of pesticides used to boost crops and has been widely used on annual/perennial plants used for lawns and gardens. It is known that the honeybees have been dying and there is a link to these chemicals. Read the labels of the flowers/plants and garden supplies before purchasing for your Spring and Summer Gardens. Let Us Bee Forever Wild!
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tip # 9: Fun Facts! Did you know that Black Bears are not true hibernators? They are known to wake up during their dormant season to get a light snack, then back to their den they go. However, typically they will stay snuggled safely in their den; and nature has designed them so that their body feeds off of the body fat they stored up from their diet during the Summer and Fall. Be Bear Aware….they are shy animals and please respect them…they will stray away if you let them. Let Us Be Forever Wild!
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tip # 10: Fun Facts! The Narwhal – “Unicorn of the Sea”. What we see and think is the horn or tusk of this beautiful mysterious creature, is actually a tooth! This single tooth that is actually a left incisor can grow upwards to 8.5 feet long. Generally you will see this on the male narwhal, however, females may be spotted with this tooth as well, but it is not as long. Another interesting fact about this tooth, is that scientist have discovered this unique tooth is actually used as a sensory organ. Since they do not have an enamel protective barrier, the water moves through the channels of the tooth and excites the nerve endings allowing for temperature and taste of the surrounding waters. Let Us Be Forever Wild!
- 2017 Dawn’s Wildlife Tip #11: The Solar Eclipse is coming! Watch your surroundings and be aware of what happens. Watch the wildlife, see how they behave during the eclipse, watch your own animals and observe their actions; even the flowers, those that usually close up in the evening hours, you may see them close up during this period only to reopen in the return of the light. When day turns to night and then back to day, what an amazing universe we live in…Enjoy and be safe during this eclipse…