I wanted to focus this week’s something to think about on the importance of working together to reduce our impact on the environment. A healthy environment is an important part of human and animal life and a must for our existence.
The earth is the only known living planet; and it’s because of its special environment and ecology that make it life-supporting.
Forests are one of the most valuable resources and gifts of nature; and they play a key role in climate, rain-patterns, water and soil conservation.
They are natural homes of many animals, birds, reptiles and insects.
So, what is it that you can do? That question is important as we make choices and decisions that affect our personal lives but also impact the world.
Our ecological footprint is larger than needed. So, in other words, we are using resources at a greater rate than nature can absorb our waste, and generate new resources.
So what is it that I can do? Or what is it that you can do?
You may want to develop a plan for your own backyard to help you apply conservation measures that fit your needs, and bring a little diversity to your yard.
Whether your yard is measured in acres, feet, or flower pots. It counts!
You could do something as simple as planting a tree or adding a birdhouse; planting nectar rich flowers such as phlox, zinnias and many varieties of native milkweed.
The Zoo for instance is focusing efforts towards helping the monarch butterfly by creating butterfly gardens in and around the Zoo. It is easy to incorporate these plants into your own flowerbeds and gardens.
To create a habitat for monarchs, we need to provide milkweed for the larvae, nectar plants for the adults, and sufficient vegetation to provide shelters for the larvae. I promise, if you plant it, they will come!
Whether you live in town or in the country, you can help!
For instance, many local farmers and ranchers are installing grass, tree and shrub plantings; ponds; and other wildlife habitat such as buffer strips along waterways, grass areas and native prairie plantings.
They are also planting or leaving food plots of corn or other grains specifically for wildlife.
Quail, Prairie Chicken, whitetail deer, turkey and songbirds benefit from the habitat farmers and ranchers leave on their land.
Bats are another beneficial and interesting mammalian species in your neighborhood. Bats are among the most important consumers of night-flying insects, including mosquitoes, moths, and beetles.
For example, a single little brown bat can catch more than 600 mosquitoes in an hour. Watching bats fly around light posts catching bugs can be an interesting nighttime activity for your family.
To help attract bats and provide them with much-needed roosting habitat you may want to consider putting up a bat house in your yard. The houses should be placed on poles or buildings at least 15 feet high in a spot that receives 6 or more hours of sun per day.
You can find plans to build your own bat house on line by searching websites such as the national wildlife federation or even bat world.
You can join us at The David Traylor Zoo on April 24th for Party for the Planet from 1-3pm and we will help you find easy ways you can make a difference.
If you aren’t recycling at this time, Please take the pledge to start by recycling one or two types of product and then increase the number of products every few months. Before you know it, you will have little trash and a full recycling container!
If each of us does our part we can help save the world!
This is Lisa Keith and That’s something to think about!
It is crucial that we take care of our surroundings and help nature maintain an ecological balance so that we can hand over to future generations an environment that is a good or better than we found it. One person cannot do it alone but working together we can make a difference.
