Bird lovers can make a difference in several ways, but creating habitat at your place will have a major impact. With a little forethought and effort, you can create gardens and more permanent landscaping that look beautiful and provide food, shelter and nesting opportunities, and hopefully put the brakes on further bird losses in your area.

Gardens for the birds
Before designing your natural landscape, think of birds as guests and consider how to make them feel welcome. Duluth, Minnesota, City Gardener Tom Kasper suggests you evaluate the area where you want to create a bird garden.

“Start by drawing a map of your property that includes your home and other large structures,” Tom says. “Include existing trees and shrubs that will remain as part of the garden. Then begin outlining beds. These should flow with the curves of the land and provide a natural setting. Lastly, consider where you can place fallen and trimmed branches to create a brush pile. That is a perfect place for birds to hunt for insects, hide from predators and find protection from harsh weather.”

“An austere yard with a large lawn and a few non-native plants is popular in America today,” says Daniel Dix, landscape designer and owner of WoodSpirit Gardens in Backus, Minnesota. “But such yards are to birds like a desert is to us and are very inhospitable. Dense, low-growing shrubs and trees are important for nesting. I like northern white cedar, spruce, jack pine, dogwoods and willows, and native wildflowers attract insects that birds need for food.”

Kim Chapman, ecologist with Applied Ecological Services Inc. in Minneapolis, conducted a study in 1999-2000 exploring the effect of development on birds. He concluded that what depresses bird diversity is lack of variety in habitat types (such as grassland, savanna and forest) and habitat structure (the various heights of grass, trees and shrubs).

“Homeowners should look at their lot in the context of the neighborhood and install plantings that are consistent with what is around their lot,” Kim says. “If they have woods next door, then a planting of tall native shrubs as a border would be appropriate. If they are next to a wetland, they should plant prairie wildflowers and grasses. Large lot owners can serve the birds best by not clearing all the natural vegetation, by planting and mowing the smallest possible area of bluegrass sod, by not planting invasive non-native shrubs, flowers and grasses, and by keeping their cats and dogs inside or on leashes.”

Daniel points to a use of herbicides and pesticides that makes yards toxic to birds, and he also cautions owners not to allow their cats free rein outside to prey on birds. A recent Australian study discussed in the July 2007 issue of Biological Conservation reported that the use of a commercial collar-worn product called the CatBib reduced bird predation by domestic cats dramatically. These bibs stopped 81 percent of the cats from catching birds.

Water for the wetlands
When Linda and David Prostko built their home on 30 acres south of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Linda wanted to keep the property as natural as possible.
“I have a love of nature and wildlife, and I wanted to preserve this little piece of land for our children, too,” Linda says. “I see that the open spaces are getting gobbled up. It’s development after development and strip mall after strip mall. I wanted to do something good for the environment. I’ve tried to be a good role model and set a good example.”

She contacted the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Barry County Soil and Water Conservation District and asked them the best way to go about landscaping for wildlife.

“We learned that a farmer had drained the land to farm it some 50 years ago,” Linda says, “so we worked with the DNR to re-establish the wetland.”

The project involved creating a pond and seeding an open area with native grasses and flowers, including big bluestem and switch grasses and oxeye daisies.

Linda convinced her husband to eliminate the use of fertilizers and pesticides and to shrink the size of their lawn.

“It took three years before we noticed anything,” Linda says. “But now we have these huge swaths of big bluestem. I can go out there in the summertime, and I’m buried in grass. It’s beautiful, and it’s as tall as I am. Then the oxeye daisies come up in May, and it’s this gorgeous field of white flowers.”

Bringing back the wetland was the most exciting part of the project, Linda says, because it attracted so many songbirds and waterfowl they’d never seen.

Now wood ducks and mergansers, bluebirds and bats (flying mammals) nest in houses they’ve provided. Sandhill cranes return every March, and blue and green herons fish in the pond. Thousands of purple irises that had been lying dormant for years now bloom in the spring.

Roll out the red carpet
Four key components are essential for attracting wildlife to your yard: food, water, cover and reproductive areas. Water is the major limiting resource for wildlife, so it’s no wonder the Prostkos noticed such a dramatic difference when they restored their wetland. Adding water doubles wildlife use, says Carrol Henderson, supervisor of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Division (and author of the definitive text on the topic for Midwest gardeners, Landscaping for Wildlife). Bubbling, splashing water doubles it again. And ponds will also attract frogs, toads, salamanders and waterfowl.

“Water means life,” Daniel Dix says. “It is as simple as that. So adding water in your yard can really be an attraction, since small pools that support so much life are becoming more and more rare in the natural world.”

Carrol encourages the use of structural components for wildlife habitat: nest boxes and platforms, dead trees, fallen trees and perches, brush piles and rock piles, salt, dusting beds, grit and bird feeders.

“To many people, a snag is just firewood waiting to be cut,” Carrol says. He encourages homeowners to leave some dead snags standing because “a snag is a bird’s version of a fast-food restaurant.” Forty-three bird species use them in the Midwest – hollow trees provide nest cavities for barred owls, wood ducks, pileated woodpeckers and eastern bluebirds, to name a few.

Nurture the natives
Selecting landscape materials native to your locale almost certainly guarantees their health and hardiness. Because they existed in your geographical region for years, indigenous plants, once established, do well without much attention.

“They help perpetuate our natural heritage and are adapted to the climate of an area so winter kill isn’t a serious problem,” Carrol says.

Jim Nestingen, former director of the University of Wisconsin’s Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center located near Coon Valley, agrees. “People are beginning to appreciate the beauty of indigenous species and work with them,” Jim says. “They have less time and more awareness of native plants.”

Carrol advises consulting your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and/or DNR offices to find native plant sources in your area. The NRCS’s ideal rule of thumb is that native seed should originate within 25-50 miles of where it is to be planted. Always get landowner permission before collecting your own native plant material. And rather than transplanting mature specimens, try harvesting a few seeds. If you have access to areas slated for development, it might be possible to obtain plants before they’re dozed under.

Coniferous trees like pines, balsam fir, spruces, cedars and junipers provide protective winter shelter for birds. Grasses and legumes provide nesting cover, winter cover and food. Tubular red flowers like cardinal flower, dropmore honeysuckle, jewelweed, scarlet runner bean, coral bells and foxglove are especially attractive to hummingbirds, and they can spy the color from a half mile away. Staggered bloom times will keep the hummers returning to your yard all season. Orioles are also drawn to orange and red blossoms, and they use milkweed silk for their nests. American columbine, penstemon and monarda species also supply nectar for hummingbirds and orioles. Shrubs and vines such as amur chokecherry, raspberry, wild plum, pin cherry and grapes supply seasonal food and, if allowed to grow densely, can offer shelter year-round.

Winter preparation
Wildlife foods are extremely important in the fall because they allow migratory birds to build up fat reserves prior to migration. Fruits of mountain ash, winterberry and buffalo berry provide fall nutrition and temporary shelter for migratory birds like brown thrashers, robins and cedar waxwings. Many of the best winter wildlife foods do not appeal to birds when they first appear, but remain on trees and shrubs until they are needed. Persistent fruits such as black chokeberry, staghorn sumac, American highbush cranberry and bittersweet offer an excellent supply of high-energy winter food.

Avid birder Molly Hoffman of Grand Marais, Minnesota, began recording bird songs for a local radio program several years ago.

“Bohemian and cedar waxwings favor mountain ash berries in the winter,” Molly says. “It’s a tremendous tree, a good weedy tree that will come up from the stump if part of it dies off. And the flowers are great for hummingbirds.” Molly also observed an interesting relationship between hummingbirds and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. “When hummingbirds return in the spring, even some of the spring ephemeral flowers aren’t open yet,” she says, “but sapsuckers make holes in trees, and the hummingbirds feed off the sap and the insects attracted to that sap.”

Food and fun – year-round
Carrol calls elderberry, which is used by 40 songbirds, an “ice cream plant” because the birds eat the fruit as soon as it appears, whereas he refers to high bush cranberry as a “spinach plant” because the fruit is bitter when it first emerges but hangs on through the winter months becoming sweeter after a couple hard frosts. Hardwood trees and shrubs that produce acorns – white oak, American hazel, shagbark hickory and butternut – provide important fall and winter food for wild turkeys, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other species.

Once established, a natural landscape has ecological benefit, is easier to maintain and offers good opportunities for birds and bird watching. Consider going wild in your backyard, and your efforts will be for the birds – literally.

Margaret Haapoja takes time from her busy schedule to entertain feathered friends in Bovey, Minnesota.

How to Find Your Dream Homestead

By Dave Wortman

(Mother Earth News) Imagine your ideal patch of Mother Earth. Perhaps it’s a place where the sky and land are vast, where the soil is fertile for growing your own food, the trees grow tall, and your neighbors offer genuine small-town friendliness. There’s little crime or traffic, and all you hear at night is the rush of wind through the trees.

Now, imagine that someone’s willing to give it to you - free.

That’s precisely what the town of Anderson, in central Alaska, did in March 2007, when they attempted to lure potential transplants by offering 26 free, spruce-covered building lots. And each 1.3-acre lot had its own view of beautiful natural surroundings. In return, all the newcomers had to do was agree to build a home and stay awhile - not a bad bargain for those looking to head back to the land. And according to Anderson’s city clerk, Nancy Hollis, the plan has been successful, drawing people from all walks of life. “So far, the new land owners are fitting into our community nicely,” she says. (The free lots are taken as of this printing.)

For some, a dream homestead means secluded rural acreage. But for others, an ideal homestead may be in a small town, where you might find less expensive housing and a lot large enough for a garden, some fruit trees and a few chickens - plus the benefits of nearby community amenities. There are some locations where you can still find your dream homestead without breaking the bank. And with the fallout from the recent mortgage crisis, land prices - at least in some areas - are tumbling, offering an even better reason to jump into the game.

Navigating the Market

Anyone who has searched for affordable land near the nation’s major cities or in booming retirement and resort areas knows how challenging the process can be. Even some more remote rural areas, particularly in the fast-growing retirement and resort areas of the West, have experienced price spikes. “I am seeing land prices increase dramatically in southern Utah, northern Nevada, southern Idaho and eastern Oregon,” says John Allen, director of the Western Rural Development Center at Utah State University. And in many areas of high-cost states such as California, spiraling prices have put land well out of reach for many buyers.

But the picture is far different in other parts of rural America, and for those looking for a quiet country life, opportunities abound. Between July 2005 and July 2006, the population of the nation’s rural areas as a whole grew by just 0.6 percent. In rural parts of the American Plains (stretching from Texas to the Dakotas, east through Indiana, and across poor counties in the Mississippi Delta) many areas have seen a steady decline of population since the early 1900s. In the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota, 89 percent of the 2,421 cities and towns have fewer than 3,000 people - hundreds have fewer than 1,000 - and most have been hemorrhaging population for years. To turn the tide, local governments are often eager to entice newcomers to boost their tax base for schools and other essential services.

If you’re simply looking for a low-cost home, many of the same areas of the country where land is affordable offer good housing deals, too. “As recently as three years ago I was in northwestern Nebraska where you can buy a house in a small town for under $10,000,” says Steven Saltman of Land and Farm.com. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that home values in the Midwest and Deep South are among the most affordable in the country. While most economists don’t expect home prices to pick up until 2009, Dan Duffy, CEO of United Country Real Estate, the largest rural real estate company in the United States, says that rural homes remain a solid long-term investment. “Rural home values have steadily appreciated since the 1980s,” he says. “Rural homes tend to be less pricey and haven’t experienced a big run-up as we have seen in urban areas.”

Curtis Seltzer, a land consultant and author of How to be a Dirt Smart Buyer of Country Property, cautions buyers tempted by low cost or free land that it may be cheap for good reasons. “Rural land is cheap where there are negatives such as difficult climate, ruined aesthetics from activities like mining, environmental problems such as drought or pollution, or chronic problems such as high unemployment,” says Seltzer. 

Giveaways Galore

To turn the tide of population decline, many Midwestern towns have turned to drastic measures - such as land giveaways - that offer options that are hard to pass up. As of mid-2006, Hazelton, N.D.; Hendrum, Minn.; Chugwater, Wyo.; Kenesaw, Neb.; and 21 Kansas towns were offering free building lots to newcomers. (See “Resources,” below.) It’s an offer that many land seekers are taking. Most towns have been flooded with thousands of requests. By November 2006, 74 of the 80 free lots in Marquette, Kan., had been given away. The programs have appealed to a broad cross section of people, from young couples with children to retirees who have come from as far as California and Louisiana.

If a free lot isn’t enough for you, consider that most of these towns also offer other incentives, such as property tax rebates over five to 10 years, building permit fee waivers, down payment assistance, complimentary memberships to local country clubs, and even help finding jobs.

Some rural banks are getting in on the game, too. In Iowa, Franklin County’s Hampton State Bank developed an innovative loan program to lure former residents back home. The program, called “Come Home to Franklin County,” gave former residents financial incentives (in the form of below market rate home and auto loans, free bank services and a free personal computer) to move back permanently, provided that person graduated from a Franklin County high school. In Kansas, lenders and bankers in Ellsworth County agreed to reduce required down payments for new homes by the value of the county’s free lots, plus they waived other fees.

Even federal elected officials from Midwest states are hoping to lure newcomers with enticements of land. Several legislators have banded together to co-sponsor a $30 billion “New Homestead Act.” If enacted, it would provide special tax credits for homebuyers and small business startups in rural America - and student loans would be partially repaid if a graduate settles in a declining area (click here for the current status of the bill).

Look Beyond the Listings

Even if you can’t find a free land deal that suits your needs, there are many ways to find an affordable homestead.

The first tip is to make your intentions known to as many people as possible, says Gene GeRue, author of How to Find Your Ideal Country Home. “Land seekers should contact realtors, banks, lawyers, insurance brokers, appraisers, tax collectors and auctioneers for leads on stressed properties.” If you spot a piece of land you like, find the owner and ask if it’s for sale. They might be more willing to sell than you think. (See “How We Found the Farm of Our Dreams,” below.)

Pick up a copy of the local newspaper to look for advertisements from land brokers or for sales directly by owners. Take out a “land wanted” advertisement in the local paper, and look for property auctions. Beware, though: Auctioned properties are often sold “as is.” Always thoroughly research a property before making an offer.

In the slumping real estate market, foreclosures are increasing, and some rural areas have been hit especially hard. Both lenders and the federal government are eager to unload properties, sometimes atbargain prices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains a Web site where buyers can search state-by-state for properties. Foreclosure buyers also can ask lenders about available real estate.

Land given away by the U.S. government under the 1862 Homestead Act is long gone, but the federal government does occasionally sell public land. Homesteaders will be most interested in public land, most of which is located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the 11 Western states. The downside is that the agency must sell the land at no less than fair market value. And most plots are located in areas short on water or with poor soils that have little agricultural potential. Your best source for finding federal land is the local BLM office with jurisdiction over the area you’re interested in. State land programs also occasionally sell land.

Abandoned farms may provide another enticing and affordable option. But do your homework first: Seltzer cautions that owners often walk away from abandoned farms because of water problems or marginal soil. But if income from farming isn’t your goal, poor soil may not be a huge concern. Frequently, a small plot of poor soil can be improved with proper management so that it will serve nicely as a garden. If your goals are primarily agricultural, soil surveys are a handy tool to assess the fertility of soil.

Buying a parcel of land with friends also can be a cost-saving option if everyone shares the same long-term objectives for the property and there’s a written agreement detailing a way for a partner to exit if the need arises. “Such arrangements work where they’ve created a legal document to satisfy not only lenders but future purchasers,” GeRue says. Before you buy a property with others, you’ll want to check local zoning ordinances if you plan to subdivide it legally, and determine any restrictions that may apply.

Ask the Right Questions

Of course, it’s wise to approach any land purchase thoughtfully, and GeRue cautions buyers to look beyond the appeal of cost alone. “Those who focus on low-cost land risk shortchanging their lives,” GeRue says.

Hollis agrees, noting that some people who initially accepted the offer of free land backed out after they realized the challenges and costs of building - and living - in rural Alaska.

GeRue suggests that buyers first make a list of criteria to guide them in their decisions. Are you planning to farm the land, and if so, is the plot large enough, and is the soil fertile? Are there any signs of contamination, wetlands or flooding? A quick search of a property’s environmental history through Web sites such as Environmental Data Resources will help you avoid potentially contaminated well water, leaking underground tanks and other potential hazards.

Think about what you’d like from a community. Is the rural life right for you? How will you support yourself? While today’s small towns have better access than ever before to cable, cell phone and high-speed Internet service (making more room for work-at-home careers), rural life can be isolating at times. You might want to consider the commuting distance to larger communities, where jobs and amenities may be more available.

More isolated rural areas may also lack services to support you or your family. Will being near a quality hospital be important to you? Will your children be attending local schools?  

Thorough research is the best guarantee of purchasing land that fits your needs. The Web sites (below) will get you off to a good start.

Top 10 Tips for Finding Your Affordable Homestead

1. Make a list of your required criteria, along with what you’d like but isn’t necessary.
2. Focus on a particular county or region where you’ll begin your search.
3. Research free land opportunities.
4. Spread the word that you’re looking for land.
5. Scour local newspapers and Web sites for available properties.
6. Drive the back roads  -  knock on doors and ask questions.
7. Research foreclosure properties and government land sales.
8. Consider teaming up with friends to buy property.
9. Think of your long-term plans as you search for property.
10. Make an educated offer based on the market.

Dave Wortman is a writer with a love for the land and the West’s wide-open spaces. His work has appeared in Sierra, High Country News and other publications.How We Found the Farm of Our Dreams.
 

Flowers of Every Hue

Gardening with annuals is a colorful experience.

By: Mike Lang