Habitat Gardening or Gardens for Wildlife

Web Sites

• Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden Using Native Plants
  A nicely illustrated pamphlet from the US Forest Service.
• Audubon at Home
  Create healthy habitats in your backyards and other spaces by planting native species, removing invasive plants, reducing pesticide use, conserving water, protecting water quality, and keeping birds safe.
  • Guide to Gardening for Life in Southeastern Pennsylvania
• Birds and Blooms
  This is the website of the birds and gardening magazine. They have a list of the 50 most wanted birds with information, photo, and a recording of its song for each bird.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Gardening for Wildlife
  Articles on creating natural gardens.
• Butterflies and Moths of North America
  Each record contains photographs, which county it occurs in, reference, life history, caterpillar hosts and adult food, range and habitat.
• Butterfly Gardening
  A University of Minnesota Extension Service book by Vera Krichik. You can read it online or order it. Included is an extensive list of plants that attract moths and butterflies.
• Enature: Gardening
  This site offers articles on how to create a wildlife habitat in your own backyard and further information on the species you plant and the animals you attract.
• Fine Gardening: Hummingbird Favorites
  An article about what types of perennials to plant to attract hummingbirds.
• How to Make Butterfly Gardens
  By Stephanie Bailey, Extension Specialist, at the University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology
• National Bird-Feeding Society
  Frequently asked questions, and advice on bringing a variety of birds to your garden by providing a variety of food sources.
• National Wildlife Federation: Garden for Wildlife
  Create a garden at home or at school that is friendly to native wildlife.
• North American Butterfly Association: Butterfly Garden and Habitat Program
  All you need to know!
  • Basics of Butterfly Gardening
  • Butterfly Gardening Plants of North America
    Lists Caterpillar Food Plants for specific butterflies.
• Pollinator Partnership
  Find your ecoregion and its native plants by inputting your zipcode.
• Resources on Pollinators
  The National Academies Division on Earth & Life Studies includes information on pollinator-friendly plants for your garden.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Backyard Conservation
  Ten conservation practices have been scaled down for homeowners and city residents to use in their yards. Tip sheets offer "how to" steps and helpful hints.
• Wildlife Habitat Council
  The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) is a nonprofit, nonlobbying 501(c)(3) group of corporations, conservation organizations, and individuals dedicated to protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat. Created in 1988, WHC helps large landowners, particularly corporations, manage their unused lands in an ecologically sensitive manner for the benefit of wildlife.
• Xerces Society
  The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates (especially insects) and their habitat. Read more about their Pollinator Conservation Program.

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Pittsburgh Region

• The Bee Hunter: Types of Bees
  Jim Abraham removes unwanted bees and wasps but also has information about identifying the various insects.
• Critter Control Pittsburgh
  And if you just happen to have encouraged a critter that you don't want to take up residence under your porch -- like a skunk -- there are professionals to help you relocate it. Read more in this May 31, 2009 article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Wildlife rules most neighborhoods
  This Tuesday, July 06, 2010, article reports on recent sitings of foxes and bears in local neighborhoods. Wildlife Conservation Officer Gary Fujak says as long as they are healthy and behaving normally they should be left alone.

Pennsylvania

• Audubon Pennsylvania
  You can order their publication The Audubon Guide to Gardening for Life in Southeastern Pennsylvania (2005).
• Mid-Atlantic Apiculture
  A consortium of representatives from the departments of agriculture, state beekeeping organizations, and land-grant universities of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia. Includes Beginning Beekeeping with information on beekeeping in the urban/suburban setting.
• Penn State Cooperative Extension: Landscaping for Wildlife
  A great selection of 16 brochures in .pdf format about attracting Pennsylvania wildlife to your garden, including
  • Gardening for Butterflies
  • Attracting Hummingbirds
  • Landscaping for Wildlife: Trees, Shrubs and Vines
  • Water for Wildlife: Bird Baths and Backyard Ponds
  • Neighborly Natural Landscaping: Creating Natural Environments in Residential Areas

Nearby States

• West Virginia: Landscaping for Wildlife
  This website from the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources includes a downloadable booklet in .pdf format (requires Adobe Acroba Reader) on the West Virginia Wild Yards Program. It will provide you with information on setting up a wildlife-friendly backyard habitat.
• West Virginia University Extension Services: Wildlife
  Publications about keeping birds, bats, and butterflies in your garden and deer out.