Landscape Design for Wildlife

	The Backyard Habitat			Habitat Landscape Plan
	Habitat Quality			Additional Ideas and Information
	How to Design a Landscape for Wildlife			References
	Design Ideas/Principles

Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest The Department of Fish and Wildlife and University of Washington Press have just published Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. Homeowners, property owners, professional wildlife managers, landscape architects, and garden designers will all find it invaluable.

When we think of wildlife, often we think of creatures such as eagles, otters or elk, creatures we must go see in remote locations. But you don’t have to trek through the wilderness to enjoy wildlife. Whether you live in an urban, suburban or rural setting, whether you live in an apartment or a sprawling mansion, wildlife is as close as your own backyard.

Consider this fact: A typical neighborhood in Washington has more than 25 species of birds and mammals. Hawks, raccoons, and even foxes, frequent some Washington neighborhoods. Robins, squirrels and chickadees are so familiar to us, we hardly think of them as wildlife.

While each backyard is unique, every backyard is a habitat. That makes each of us a habitat manager. As good habitat managers it is our task to strengthen and maintain a healthy living community.

Good environmental stewardship begins in our own backyards.

When we plant trees, shrubs, and flowers around our homes, we are also building homes for a whole community of animals. Even if we plant only a few useful plants, we are improving the habitat for wildlife. Whether your landscape is appropriate for wildlife or you are starting from the ground up, this booklet will help you inventory and evaluate habitat on your property, and how to make your yard suit the needs of wildlife. Whether you spend a weekend, a year, or a lifetime doing it. Your backyard can become a better home for the wildlife already living there and a home for new wild neighbors.