Backyard Conservation

How small is too small? No such thing!
•    Even small changes in habitat can aid local animals and pollinators, and improve soil/water quality
•    The tiniest native plant plot may influence neighbors and friends, leading to further conservation efforts
•    Children find small plots novel and unintimidating 
•    Any novel native plant garden offers interest and educational opportunities to adults – both for gardening and ecology concepts
•    Island effect: a network of native plant islands in a large area of city structures and/or agricultural land may allow native animals and insects to hop from one small habitat to the next.
•    Whimsical features in a small bed add to the playfulness of nature

Provide Habitat: Food, shelter, water, space…build it and they will come!
•    Replace lawn grass with plants that provide food, shelter, or space (native forbs and grasses, trees and shrubs)
•    Add water (saucers, ponds, bird baths)
•    Leave dead trees for bird, amphibian, mammal habitat
•    Select nectar-rich plant species
•    Install bat houses
•    Install bird houses, feeders
•    Beware “meadow in a can” mixes

Embrace Insects: they do more good than harm, but we usually only hear about the bad guys
•    Learning to “live thru” an insect life cycle can make life much easier, and lower input
•    Most native plants have insect “relations”, letting them go thru their natural cycle is part of backyard conservation
•    Insects are not out to get you – learn to look for and watch their antics
•    Huge percentage of pollinators are insects

Be conscious of “inputs”: the plants and items in your yard….what effort/resources/chemicals do they require?
•    Plants: do they need water if it’s hot and dry? Consider substituting native species that are adapted to the local climate
•    Fertilizers: why fertilize?  If it only leads to lawn growth that then needs mowing, what is the rationale?
•    Chemicals: why are they being used?  Are there alternatives?
•    Irrigation: is there an alternative to establishing vegetation that cannot survive without routine irrigation?  What are the reasons for using landscapes that require irrigation?
•    Advice: who is dictating what management should be done – are they likely to profit?  Evaluate suggestions of industries based on sales of high-input vegetation.

Fight Invasives: many plants available commercially are a threat to natural areas
•    These include: buckthorn, crown vetch, tree of heaven, birds foot trefoil, black locust, burning bush, dame’s rocket, miscanthus, reed canary grass, clover
•    If something is advertized as “naturalizes easily” – be concerned about it’s invasive potential

Quote:
Smart Growth: http://www.wildlifehc.org/managementtools/backyard.cfm
Over the past 30 years, numerous studies have shown that residential developments which employ the land’s natural features and implement innovative ecological technologies have reduced construction and long term environmental costs. A residential model incorporates open space or greenspace design, cluster or low impact development and smart growth concepts. It takes advantage of the land’s contours, natural hydrology, and established environs to create a community with minimal impact during development and more permanent, natural open space at completion.

List of native plants recommended for landscaping, sorted by height, sun exposure, moisture need etc.  Also, a list of plants to avoid!
http://www.prrcd.org/inl/recommended_plants.htm