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Suburban Wildlife Habitat is 'Like a Hotel' for Animals

Posted on: Wednesday, 16 July 2008, 09:00 CDT

SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla. -- Christina Brownlow unfolds the welcome mat whenever a family of raccoons, foxes or squirrels strays into her yard.

With its canopy of fruit trees and foliage, and colorful gardens of butterflies, Brownlow's 2.5-acre property has been certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, which promotes coexistence with animals whose natural habitat is rapidly disappearing.

"How do you define a habitat? It's like a hotel, a place where wildlife can stop and rest, eat and go on their way," said Brownlow, an adult-education teacher who grew up in the Southwest Ranches, Fla., home her parents bought 40 years ago.

There are 103,000 certified wildlife habitats nationwide, with Florida leading the nation, according to Roxanne Paul, the federation's operations coordinator. In Broward, there are 1,614; most of those are backyards, but some are schools and even businesses.

"The program has really taken off in the last few years," Paul said. "You don't need a big yard. Wildlife is a heritage our children should have, too. Their habitat is being destroyed by development."

In suburbia, wildlife encompasses everything from butterflies and songbirds to squirrels, raccoons, possums and foxes. To be certified, properties must provide natural food, water, shelter and a place for wildlife to raise their young.

Food could include fruit trees, berries, pollen or bird feeders; the program does not advocate feeding small mammals pet food or scraps. Water might be as simple as putting out a birdbath or having a pond or stream on the property. Dense shrubs, mature trees and host plants provide nesting spots for butterflies and birds.

In Brownlow's yard, a "living fence" lines the front yard with shrubs and flowers that offer shade and feeding grounds. Dense foliage and a berm along the side of the property give wildlife "a traveling place" and grounds where they can hide or raise their young, Brownlow said.

Besides wildlife, she has several rescued animals, including an 18-year-old thoroughbred headed for the slaughterhouse, a donkey and goats, potbellied pigs, rabbits and a rooster.

Four orphaned raccoons are living in a backyard pen until they are old enough to return to the wild. In the winter, migratory birds, like the bunting, stop over in the canopy of trees.

Longtime residents have seen habitat and wildlife disappear, including the burrowing owl, meadowlarks and quail.

Now, "It's a fight to keep (the town) rural," Brownlow said. "Instead of living with nature, a lot of people have been fighting against it."

Tony Vincent, 51, grew up in Southwest Ranches and has seen wildlife disappear from his 5-acre certified wildlife habitat.

Vincent's property includes a lake with catfish and bream and a small island where little blue herons nest. His yard is home to rescued swans and emus, dogs, cows, turtles, foxes, raccoons and squirrels.

Wildlife advocates hope the habitat program will encourage more people to share their yards with wildlife, even if that just means putting out a bird feeder.

"Forty years ago, there were meadowlarks everywhere," said Vincent, who has seen a steep decline in meadowlarks, quail and kingfishers over the years. "I'm sharing my home with wildlife. People who come in with bulldozers need to realize that this was their home first. We're removing them for our convenience. We're encroaching on their space."

Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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