What we do in our yard matters to wildlife. Brown thrashers are the Georgia State Bird yet have declined 40% in the last 50 years . They need dense shrubs for cover, shelter, and to build their nests which are rarely higher than 7 feet off the ground . Every year brown thrasher babies are born in my neighbor’s shrub border that runs the length of my driveway just feet from the property line. The row is a mix of non-native shrubs that don't support the native insects that are

I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to giving or getting gifts so I try to think of gifts that are practical, delightful, or both when assembling my yearly gift ideas. I aim for gifts that speak to a love of nature in some way with an eye towards sustainability and supporting local businesses or organizations. I tried to find practical gifts that would delight a nature lover for this year's nature gift guide. Combined, all my gift guides make one large list of unique, pra

Wildlife container gardens support biodiversity where planting in the ground is not an option. They support wildlife habitat on apartment or townhouse balconies, courtyards, stoops, or patios, and can be an extension of a yard on porches, patios, decks or even driveways. I've added wildlife container gardens just about everywhere I don't have soil! The landing at the bottom of my front steps has a handful of large ceramic pots I’ve been gifted over the years filled with a mi

Most folks don’t consider wildlife when altering outdoor spaces which makes October a horror show when it comes to dangerous decorations. Great care was taken to create this fantastically ghoulish yard display for Halloween for folks passing by. Yet there was no thought about how wildlife might interact with it. This yard happens to be is across the street from a 33-acre nature preserve and next to a power line right-of-way. Wildlife may have trouble with the fake spider webb