Wildlife-Friendly Urban Spaces: 10 Ways to Secure Your Land, Gardens, and Trash for Wildlife

What does it mean to create a wildlife-friendly space for urban wildlife?

Its easy to get caught up in our day-to-day rhythms and routines, especially in the places that are most familiar to us: our homes, our places of work, the places where we gather in community with others. Often, we get so caught up in these routines that we forget we share these spaces not only with other people – but with wildlife, as well.

Wildlife is everywhere. Whether you live miles out into the country, or in a large suburban neighborhood, or in an apartment complex, you share land and habitat with wildlife. The ways that we all choose to move through and to care for these spaces not only impact us, but also the wildlife that is there with us. 

From the way you secure your workplace trash bins to how you design and maintain your backyard gardens, small changes can make a big difference in preventing harm to wildlife. By taking proactive and mindful steps to safeguard these spaces, you can protect wildlife and reduce negative human/wildlife interactions, interactions which can cause harm to people and wildlife alike. 

Luckily, these steps are simple, and go a long way towards creating better habitat for the wildlife around us.

Securing Your Trash

One of the most effective ways to protect wildlife is by properly securing your trash. Wildlife is often attracted to food waste, which can lead to unwanted interactions and potential harm to animals.

1. Secure Waste Bins: Ensure your waste bins have tight-fitting lids that can’t be easily opened by curious critters. Placing bins out of reach or in a secure area – such as a shed or garage – can prevent wildlife from accessing them. If you don’t have a garage or shed to store your trash, another easy alternative is to use bungee cords to secure trash can lids. If you live in a part of the state that experiences high black bear activity, you can purchase a heavy duty, lockable trash bin.
2. Reduce Smells: Many wildlife species are drawn to strong odors, so keeping your trash bins clean is crucial. Wash them regularly and secure food waste in garbage bags to minimize strong scents. Reducing food waste altogether can also make a big difference — responsibly compost what you can. 

Sustainable Waste Management

Both what you throw away and how you throw it away can cause harm to wildlife. By adopting sustainable waste management practices, you can simultaneously reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and help prevent wildlife from being attracted to or harmed by discarded

 materials.

1. Compost Food Waste: Composting is an excellent way to reduce food waste and enrich your garden soil without drawing in wildlife… particularly if you mindfully secure your compost. There are many options for secure, wildlife-friendly compost bins, including rolling or tumbling barrels, enclosed and lockable bins, and pipe composting methods. If you already have an enclosed or fenced-in garden area, you can keep your compost within the same enclosure to keep it away from wildlife and in close proximity to your garden, where you’ll need it most!
2. Recycle Responsibly: Make sure your recyclables are wildlife-friendly. For example, cutting up six-pack rings before discarding them helps prevent smaller wildlife from getting stuck. Before placing food-containing recyclables in your bin, clean out containers to prevent odors that could attract wildlife.

Creating a Wildlife-Safe Garden

By taking the right precautions, you can maintain a flourishing garden that is also safe for local wildlife.

1. Wildlife-Friendly Plant Management: Avoid using harsh chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. These methods not only harm wildlife but can also contaminate the soil and water sources in the area. If you must use wildlife or pest deterrents, do your research and choose ones that are safe for the local ecological community as a whole. For example, instead of using herbicides to tackle aggressive weeds, try laying down sheets of weighted cardboard or tarps to smother the weeds.
2. Wildlife-Friendly Pest Management: Finding ways to address garden pests can be difficult, but there are many wildlife-friendly ways to keep them at bay. To keep larger species like rabbits, deer, and squirrels from eating your plants, you can cover or surround them with plastic mesh, chicken wire, or other barriers that still allow light and space for your plants.
   For smaller species like beetles, caterpillars, and aphids, you can try companion planting. Plants like basil, dill, mint, and rosemary deter many aggressive insect pests without poisoning them or contaminating the surrounding area. (gardenhealth)

Encouraging Positive Wildlife Interactions

Creating a wildlife-safe zone isn’t about keeping wildlife away from “our” spaces —it’s about fostering positive, responsible interactions between ourselves and wildlife.

1. Don’t Feed Wildlife: While it may be tempting to feed wildlife that come into your yard, this can lead to dependency and unhealthy behaviors that can cause harm to people and wildlife alike. It’s better to let wildlife forage for their own natural food sources. To provide safe and natural food sources for wildlife, plant native plant species that benefit a wide range of wildlife species.
2. Secure Pet Food: Leaving pet food outside or in open garages can also draw wildlife in, which can cause cross-contamination between pets and wildlife species and cause potentially dangerous encounters. Feed pets indoors or promptly remove any leftover food from outdoor bowls.
3. Use Appropriate Bird Feeders: If you enjoy birdwatching, choose feeders that are designed to keep out larger animals, and set regular times throughout the year to wash out your feeders. Harmful bacteria and mold can form in enclosed bird feeders and make wildlife sick.

 

Written by:

 

– Sterling McDonald, NCWF Communications Intern

 

 

– Bates Whitaker, NCWF Communications & Marketing Manager