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While property values have declined all across the nation, the value of wildlife habitats is skyrocketing. Development, pollution, and deforestation have created a huge housing shortage and landed many species on the threatened or endangered lists. There is a difference between attracting wildlife simply for our enjoyment and creating a sustainable wildlife habitat for both the environmental benefit and our own enjoyment. We need to do more than hang a bird feeder outside of a window; we need to create sustainable wildlife habitats in our yards.

Creating a wildlife habitat is as easy as ensuring that there is food, water, shelter, and a place to raise young. This can be done simply or elaborately depending upon the species that you are looking to attract and the space that you have available. Don't let a small space be an obstacle, though. Wildlife habitats have been created on rooftops and small terraces just as effectively as in rural areas.

Your first step is to determine what species you would like to attract. Many people start with birds or butterflies because they are easy to provide habitat for and they are enjoyable to watch. It is best to identify what wildlife is commonly in your area. Do you already have visitors that you would like to see more of? Have you seen or heard something in your neighborhood that you would like to attract to your garden? Perhaps you have a yard pest and you'd like to attract its natural predator. If you're not sure what wildlife is native to your area, take a look at http://www.enature.com/zipguid es/ or visit your local wildlife center.

Once you've decided what you would like to attract, you need to do a little research on its habitat requirements. Almost all wildlife will require some sort of plant material, and native plants provide the most value. Your plant selection will depend on your species' needs (fruit, nuts, seeds, or nectar for food sources; dense evergreen foliage for shelter or nesting), and the characteristics of your planting site (sun or shade, wet or dry, available space, and type of soil). Contact your local native plant society, a native plant nursery, or visit the National Wildlife Federations' web page listing the top ten native plants for wildlife for each state (http://www.nwf.org/backyard/f ood.cfm).

After plant selection look at which of the required four elements you still need to meet. Do your plants meet the food, shelter, and places to raise young needed by the wildlife that you're aiming to attract?

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