Make the most of your yard
The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry is hosting a free workshop to teach homeowners how to make their yards sustainable and beneficial to wildlife.
The “Making the Most of Your Piece of Nature” program is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 3 at the Succop Theater at Butler County Community College, 107 College Drive.
Area experts will make presentations on subjects including birds, wildflowers and invasive species. Local nonprofit organizations and service providers will share resources available to help property owners.
“The decisions you make even on a small property make an impact on the larger landscape,” said Celine Colbert, a forester with the Bureau of Forestry. “Invasive and non-native plants have a bigger impact on pollinators and the ecosystem as a whole than people realize. We can recommend native plants depending on a homeowner's objective for landscaping. This way we connect with the homeowner that has an acre or half acre.”
Nurseries sell non-native and native plants and trees but don't always distinguish which is which, she said.
Some of the most common invasive, non-native species are Callery pear trees, Norway apple trees, barberry bush and burning bush.
“It makes a big impact. The spread of invasive species comes from people landscaping,” Colbert said.
Another speaker is Laura Jackson, president of the Juniata Valley Audubon Society in Bedford County and an officer in the Woodland Owners of the southern Alleghenies.
“You want to provide food. Native plants are best for wildlife especially birds,” Jackson said.
Plants or brush piles should be used to provide cover around bird feeders.
“Cover is very important. People who put bird feeders in the middle of the yard might not get many birds. Birds really feel vulnerable if they're out in the open. Small brush piles or plants can be used for cover. They give them somewhere to look for insects and protection.”
She said research shows native plants attract insects and the insects eat the plants, but birds eat the insects.
Caterpillars are a good example. They have evolved to deal with toxins produced by native plants, but their soft bodies are easily digested by birds, Jackson said.
Cats also pose problems.
“Cats are huge predators of birds. A healthy cat even if not hungry will attack birds. They have a natural hunting instinct,” she said.
Registration information and a full agenda for the workshop can be found at yourpieceofnature.eventbrite.com.
