We´re not into latin names
and our approach to wildlife is not in the species we can
*attract*... we take an approach more like Masanobu Fukuoka´s
simplicity, an approach some call naturescaping... we want to
support the wildlife we have here and we have adopted the
practice of allowing the birds and animals already here do
part of our planting and only modify their choices when those
choices will not have a chance of thriving where planted (such
as they would compete with existing trees or our house)...
Our linden, sycamore, maples, poplars, sweetgum and
fruit orchard were our choices (ours and my parents before us)
for the energy considerations (shade, windbreak and
micro-climate moderation) or food (pears and cherries) or
scent (the linden)... the result is so lush and green now it
seems magical... when you pick your way through the leafy
areas you expect elves or hobbits, maybe a dragon or unicorn
to be around the next clearing... and the middle of the yard
is a small glade...
We enjoy violets and dandelion
greens in our spring salads... we´ve attended workshops on
medicinal herbs and wildcrafting at Grailville, have
experimented in making ointments and herbal teas from our own
wild treasures...
We adopted our practices after
reading _Behaving
as if the God in All Life Mattered_
back in ´94 and have found support in science and history
from books such as _The
Lawn_ from
the Smithsonian, from groups like the EPA and the Alternate
Energy Assn (where I´m currently their publicity
director)...
We are BWH #21162 and we encourage people
to naturescape as a sustainable way of life, but we tell them
up front that they should be careful of the real nemesis of
habitats in the form of coercive, invasive humans empowered by
vague, irrational ordinances... but unless we can make
habitats possible for many people, with limited time and
money, these little islands in the scalped-earth, over-chem'd
world will not be enough, (like the studies they've done of
the impact of isolated patches of rainforest saved from the
ashes of the rest showing they were not sufficient to support
the rainforest wildlife)...
Picture it... 30 million
acres of American lawn converted to nature-saving instead of
wasting what precious little non-renewable fuels we have left
for an agenda that harms us... all this plus giving each of
the millions of us a couple hours of priceless time back every
month... what project could have a better bottomline with so
little risk, just a little patience while we get in synch with
nature.