New book helps gardeners go wild

Home landscaping needn't be ho-hum—a new book by a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologist and landscape expert shows gardeners how to plant their yards to attract birds, butterflies and other native wildlife.

"Landscaping For Wildlife In the Pacific Northwest," offers 320 pages of information on creating wildlife-friendly landscapes, designing specialty gardens to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife, and other topics. The volume offers details on planting and maintaining wetland, woodland and grassland landscapes, siting and constructing ponds, bird feeders, nest boxes and bird baths, and wildlife viewing, as well as extensive plant lists.

Accompanied by 85 color illustrations of Pacific Northwest wildlife and more than 100 line drawings, the book is a resource for landscape designers and wildlife managers, as well as home gardeners.

The author, Russell Link, is a WDFW urban wildlife biologist who also has extensive landscape architecture experience. Based in WDFW's North Puget Sound regional office in Mill Creek, Link also teaches in the horticulture program at Edmonds Community College. He holds a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from the University of California at Davis and studied wildlife biology at the University of Montana.

Published by WDFW and the University of Washington Press, "Landscaping For Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest" is available at WDFW's Mill Creek office and Olympia headquarters, as well as in area bookstores and through amazon.com on the Internet. Regular retail price is $29.95, although copies may be mail-ordered from WDFW's Mill Creek office for a discounted price of $28, which includes tax, shipping and handling. Copies may be purchased in person for $25 at WDFW's Mill Creek office.

To mail-order the book, send a check for $28, payable to WDFW, along with clearly printed mailing address, to: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Attn: Landscape Book, 16018 Mill Creek Blvd., Mill Creek WA 98012.