City of Bowie

Bowie Backyard Habitat Program

Backyard Habitat Brochure

The Bowie Backyard Habitat Program is the third of twelve (12) environmental action plans proposed in the City’s Environmental Infrastructure Action Strategy (EI) Plan, which was approved by the City Council in September 2007. These action plans can be found on pages 23-37 of the EI Plan.

Background

Wildlife is attracted to yards that have native plants and fewer chemicals http://www.nwf.org/backyard/. Unlike turf, which is 85% impervious, native plants adjacent to streams and stormwater management ponds naturally cleanse water as it is returned to local streams. Replacing turf with native plants decreases the number of acres mowed, which reduces carbon emissions and saves money.

Native plants are hardy and drought-resistant so they require less water and need little to no care http://www.mdflora.org/. They are generally more tolerant of native insects and diseases and they are better for the environment as well as easier and less expensive to maintain because they require no chemical treatment. Fewer chemicals in the yard means fewer chemicals in the soil and in stormwater runoff.

Removing invasive plant species from the environment allows natives to flourish and increases biodiversity of fauna and flora in the environment http://www.invasive.org/eastern/midatlantic/. Even small, 15-foot wide stream buffers with native plants can improve water quality and provide a wildlife habitat corridor.

Timeline

The Bowie Backyard Habitat Presentation will be held at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Multi-Purpose Room on May 21, 2008. This is the third planned program event regarding the implementation of the EI Plan. Future meetings will be posted on the GREEN Initiatives Calendar on the GREEN Page.

The second planned program event was the 1st Bowie Stream Team Clean-up, which occurred on April 19, 2008. The next clean-up will take place in the fall around Public Lands Day. To join a Stream Team, contact the Department of Planning and Economic Development (DPED) at 301-809-3047 or the City Public Works Department at 301-809-2344 for more information.

DPED will issue a report on the progress of cleaned streams and the number of certified backyard habitats in the annual State of the Environment Report that will be written every June beginning in 2008.

To Join
Just fill out the NWF Habitat Certification Application online at www.nwf.org/certify or download the application below and send in by mail.

Eligible Habitat Sites
• Home
• Workplace
• Farm
• Educational Setting/School
• Apartment Rooftop Garden
• Park/Community Garden
• Place of Worship/Church

Wildlife Habitat Basics
1. Water Sources
2. Places to Raise Young
3. Cover/Shelter
4. Food Sources
5. Sustainable Gardening Practices

Certified backyard habitats must utilize sustainable gardening practices and include: one (1) water source such as a stream, pond, bird bath, or rain garden; two (2) places to raise young wildlife and two (2) sources of cover or shelter such as a wooded area, meadow, rain garden, dense shrubs, ground cover, log, brush, or rock pile or wall; and three (3) food sources such as supplemental bird or hummingbird nectar feeders and native plants with nuts, fruits, seeds, sap, nectar, pollen or roots.

Types of WATER Sources
• Stream
• Lake/Pond
• Birdbath
• Water/Rain Garden
• Butterfly Puddling Area
• Spring

Certified backyard habitats must include at least one (1) water source. Many backyards will provide more than one (1) source. Remember that non-moving sources of water must be kept clean in order to avoid providing a habitat for mosquitoes during warm weather months. Try to clean birdbaths three (3) times per week. Please note that rain gardens also serve as cover/shelter and places to raise young.

Types of Places for COVER/SHELTER
• Ground Cover
• Wooded Area
• Mature Trees
• Dead Trees/Snags
• Brush/Log Pile
• Rock Pile/Wall
• Meadow/Prairie
• Dense Shrubs/Thicket
• Bramble Patch
• Evergreens
• Burrows
• Caves
• Nesting/Roosting Box
• Water/Rain Garden

Certified backyard habitats must include at least two (2) places for cover/shelter. Please note that rain gardens serve as a water source and as a habitat for cover/shelter and places to raise young.

Types of places TO RAISE YOUNG
• Host plants for caterpillars
• Mature Trees
• Dead Trees/Snags
• Host plants for caterpillars
• Meadow/Prairie
• Dense Shrubs/Thicket
• Burrows
• Caves
• Nesting/Roosting Box
• Pond
• Wetland
• Water/Rain Garden

Certified backyard habitats must include at least two (2) places to raise young. Please note that many of the places to raise young also qualify as water sources and places for cover/shelter. Setting out bird nesting boxes and bat roosts is an easy way to provide places for wildlife to raise their young. They are easy to construct and maintain, and depending on their shape and design, they may appeal to many native animals.

Consider adding host plants to your garden for caterpillars, which are the larval form of butterflies and qualify as both places to raise young and a food source. An excellent example is the native milkweed, which is the only plant eaten by caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly.

Types of FOOD Sources
• Native Plants (nuts, fruits, berries, seeds, nectar, sap, pollen, roots, foliage/twigs)
• Supplemental Feeders (squirrel platforms, suet holders, birdseed feeders, hummingbird/butterfly nectar feeders)

Certified backyard habitats must include at least three (3) food sources. Native Plants provide the most natural source of food to regional animals and help maintain a healthy ecosystem. Exotic and non-native invasive plant species may provide little or no food value for local wildlife because they did not co-evolve with each other. Invasives spread fast and crowd out native plants, which reduces the biodiversity of flora and fauna in our environment.

Keep in mind that feeders should only supplement, not replace, the natural diet of local fauna. Feeders are particularly useful for migrating animals especially in the winter months. Remember that in a balanced and diverse habitat, food sometimes includes other wildlife as prey, such as mice for birds.

Sustainable Gardening Practices
Sustainable gardening practices are known by many names such as conservation landscaping, BayScaping, xeriscaping, and enviroscaping. All of these practices promote native plant species and the natural balance of the land and watershed. Adding a rain garden, removing invasive plants, and mulching all help work with nature to promote wildlife habitat.

By replacing areas of lawn with native shrubs, trees, and vines, yard maintenance costs can be reduced and habitat for a range of native flora and fauna can be enhanced. All of these steps can also help to reduce the effects of global warming, an added benefit!
The key to sustainable gardening is to find the plants that naturally grow in Prince George’s County and promote their growth to attract wildlife.

Resources
Wildlife Habitat Management Guidelines
NWF Habitat Certification Application
Native Plants of Prince George’s County