Presentation Notes SESSION 2: Slide 1 Cover slide Slide 2 Welcome - - PDF document

SESSION 2:

Slide 1 – Cover slide Slide 2 – Welcome and program background Welcome to Session 2 of the ‘What’s In Your WILD Backyard?’ Workshop! We hope you had a little time to process all of the information we introduced in the last session and maybe you found time for a take home activity or perhaps you were able to explore your backyard and identify native plants…hopefully you didn’t find any of those pesky invasives! Don’t fret if you did, today we are going to cover several topics with simple steps for making your yard more welcoming for wildlife, and one of those topics is Invasive Species Eradication. (We know that invasive species may not be on your radar now during the winter season, but spring will be here before you know it, and that’s the perfect time to tackle unwanted invaders!) Today we’ll be covering: Lesson 4: Sustainable Landscaping & Lawn Maintenance Lesson 5: Water Conservation and Recycling Lesson 6: Invasive Species Eradication Lesson 7: Overcoming Obstacles Lesson 8: Drawing Your Backyard Basemap Slide 2 – Lesson 4: Sustainable Landscaping and Lawn Maintenance There are many small and easy adjustments you can make to the way you mow, fertilize, weed and treat your soil that will make your backyard more wildlife friendly. Small changes will make a BIG difference! Slide 3 – Soil and Fertilizer SOIL 101 - Understanding the makeup of the soil in your yard and in your regional area can help you decide which plants will be the best and which maintenance techniques you should use in your yard. Handout: Jar Soil Test Activity – this is an optional at home activity that is very easy but it will give you a lot of information about the makeup of the soil in your yard.

Presentation Notes

FERTILIZER - If the soil in your yard has been relatively undisturbed (not cleared for construction) you will likely not need to supplement with fertilizer. Native plants are adapted to nutrient poor soil and pre-fertilized soils often have too many nutrients and organic material for native plants. Another simple thing to do is have your soil’s nutrient profile tested so that you know exactly what nutrients are in it. If fertilizer is required, be sure to follow the 4 R’s for application:

• 1. Right product – make sure it’s Phosphorus Free! (Remember the Toledo drinking water

debacle?)

• 2. Right rate – use only the recommended amount
• 3. Right place – make sure it stay in the yard or garden and does not spill or drain onto

sidewalks or driveways

• 4. Right time – only fertilize while plants are growing

Slide 5 – Mowing and Weeding MOWING - There are several tips for mowing in your wildlife friendly yard. For all areas that you are mowing, it is best to use a lawnmower that releases clippings back into the soil. It’s like free composting and will enrich your soil! For areas that are planted with turf grasses, it is best to mow only the top 1/3 to allow full root development and to choke out weeds. For other native plants and grasses, it is best to leave some uncut in the fall and winter, feel free to do a bit of trimming here and there but keep in mind what plants and shrubs would make great shelter for your wildlife friends. Native plants will provide valuable food sources for wildlife and add interesting texture to your landscape for the winter.  Key point: You can keep your yard healthy with a few easy tips—mow high, leave clippings on the lawn, and leave some native plants untrimmed in the cold seasons. WEEDING - As far as weeding, it is an important technique that you can use to maintain your wildlife friendly yard and is a great defense against those invasive exotics. It is best for your yard ecosystem and your wildlife friends to avoid using herbicides as much as

• possible. However, for very large weed-ridden areas or for combating aggressive invasives, you

may want or need to use an herbicide. Herbicides can have detrimental side effects so make sure to use one that does not leave a residue.

Another non-herbicide technique for removing weeds is called solarization. This technique basically smothers weeds under a clear plastic tarp after drenching them with water. It only works during hot, sunny summer months.  Key point: regular light weeding can be the best way to stop weeds and invasive plants before they get out of control. For extra large areas, solarization is an effective

• technique. Avoid herbicides as much as you can as they are very damaging to your yard

and especially to wildlife! Slide 6 – Composting and Mulching COMPOST - Composting is a great way to keep some of your kitchen or yard waste out of the landfill and repurpose it as a soil amendment/fertilizer that can be used in your yard. There are many different techniques that can be used for composting and there are many setups that can be purchased or made at home. There are whole workshops just on composting so if you are interested, the manual has some more detailed information and the resources section of the manual will lead you to other technical resources.  Key point: Compost is simple to produce and is essentially free fertilizer for your yard! MULCH - There are many materials that can be used for mulching. Mulch can be bark, wood chips, leaves, straw, or grass clipping. Mulch will release nutrients into your yard and soil, will attract earthworms and good bacteria and will improve the overall health of your yard. Mulch can also help control weeds and can be used to give your yard a more polished and deliberate look.  Key point: Mulch is another readily available and inexpensive material that can significantly improve the health of you yard by controlling weeds and adding nutrients. Slide 7 – To Pave or NOT to Pave? IMPERVIOUS VS PERVIOUS - Impervious surfaces are typically made of concrete, asphalt, brick

• r other materials that do not allow air or water to flow through them.

As you can imagine, these types of surfaces are tough on an ecosystem and can have huge impacts on water runoff and soil health. Pervious surfaces are surfaces that allow air and water to flow through them. They may also be made of brick or asphalt but they are laid on a sand sub-base layer and a gravel base layer and then the paving material has enough space between bricks for water and air to flow or with

asphalt a more coarse gravel is used when making the mixture so that water and air can flow through the actual pavement. It may be costly and cumbersome to replace existing impervious surfaces in your yard (such as a driveway, patio or sidewalk), but we encourage you to utilize pervious options when installing any new paving feature!  Key point: Pervious surfaces like crushed gravel and well-spaced pavers can greatly improve soil health and decrease runoff. Slide 8 – Lesson 5: Water Conservation & Recycling One of the most impactful changes you can make is to save and reuse more water. Water conservation may sound like an overwhelming task, but actually, small activities like using a rain barrel, tweaking your irrigation system and habits, building a rain garden or using different paving materials will help you take big steps towards this goal. Slide 9 – Plant Those Natives! Remember talking about the benefits of Native Plants? One more time…incorporating native plants is the best and perhaps easiest way to cut back on water usage and attract wildlife to your yard. Natives need much less watering than exotics and turf grass. Even when they look a little brown, many will re-grow from seed that they have released into the soil. Remember the drought from the summer of 2012, when the city of Indianapolis restricted water use for sprinklers and yards? It seemed like everyone had brown dismal looking yards. Yards full of native plants looked great in comparison! The deep, extensive root systems of native plants are adapted to local environmental conditions and handle drought and flood events much better than turf grass and cultivars. If you are hesitant to make big changes in your yard, start small. Consider replacing a small patch of a turf grass area with native grasses instead. A mix of native grasses will provide a variety of food and shelter for wildlife and the array of textures and colors will make an attractive focal point in your yard.  Key point: Planting with natives is the most effective and probably the simplest way to make your yard more wildlife-friendly and sustainable! Besides providing food and shelter, native plants also require less water which will help you save on costs.

Slide 10 – Test Your Irrigation Savvy! Have you ever thought about what time of day you water your gardens or yard? It makes a difference! Watering in the morning is the best practice as watering later in the day will mostly be lost to evaporation and watering in the evening can cause problems with mold. Other tips:

• Water only when it’s needed. Keep an eye on the weather.
• Water by hand. Avoid sprinklers since they don’t give plants a proper soaking and/or

usually just end up watering driveways and sidewalks!

• Adding compost or mulch to your gardens will help the soil retain moisture longer.
• There are many “smart” systems for using irrigation/sprinklers in your yard.
• A soaker hose or drip irrigation may be a better system for getting the water where it is

most needed. Slide 11 – Rain Barrels RAIN BARREL 101 - Rain barrels are easy and inexpensive ways to capture and reuse water that is already coming into your backyard. You can purchase or build your own rain barrel. The most convenient location is near a gutter downspout close to areas of your yard or garden that you irrigate. It works best if the rain barrel is higher than the area to be irrigated and elevated on a platform or stand so that gravity will help the water flow. The barrel will fill up fast and may overflow so be sure the area under and around the barrel is a pervious surface that will soak up the overflow. Check out the resource section in the manual for additional information on rain barrels! Your soil and water conservation district is another great resource for rain barrel questions. Slide 12 – Creating a Water Feature for Wildlife As we talked about in Session 1, Water is a vital element in your WILD backyard. It can also be the toughest to incorporate into your yard. SIZE - Depending on the size and layout of your yard, you may want to stick with a very basic feature such as a bird bath or puddling pool. If you have a little more space and resources, you may be interested in installing a pond or waterfall feature. A few tips:

• Choose a sunny, open location for your water feature.
• Keeping your water feature away from trees will help keep leaves, twigs and debris from

collecting in it.

• Make sure to change the water frequently in your bath or puddling pool.
• In the winter you can install a heater that will keep water from freezing in your bird

bath.

• If you are planning on installing a larger water feature like a pond, make sure you dial

‘811’ before you do any digging! The resource section of the manual has additional resources for installing water features and handling drainage issues.  Key point: No matter how big or small, a water feature can have a tremendous impact for wildlife. It also provides beauty and interest to your yard! Remember to consider all the seasons in your design and construction. Slide 13 – Rain Gardens and Bioswales RAIN GARDEN - A rain garden is a depression or low area that is planted with native plants that will absorb rain water as it flows off of a house, parking lot, driveway, sidewalk, lawn, etc. BIOSWALE - A bioswale is a similar feature most often used near parking lots. These terms may sometimes be used interchangeably. Rain gardens are becoming more and more popular as they are fairly easy to build and they have huge benefits for helping to control flooding, filtering pollutants out of water runoff and increasing water quality. See the manual and resources section for how-to instructions and additional tips and tricks for building your own rain garden. – HANDOUT  Key point: Raingardens and bioswales are simple to construct, improve water quality through filtration, can help you handle periodic flooding in low spots of your yard, and

• ffer extra resources for wildlife.

Slide 14 – Lesson 6: Invasive Species Eradication Next we’ll talk about those bothersome invasive species again…how to prevent getting them, how to properly handle them if you do find them and how to help stop them from spreading. Did anyone notice any invasives in your yard or alongside the road or elsewhere since our last session?

Slide 15 – The Fight Against Invasives In the first session we introduced you to several common Indiana invasives. That is the first step in the fight against invasives – being able to identify and recognize them! IDENTIFICATION - There are many resources for helping identify invasives – the IWF website www.indianawildlife.org the Midwest Invasive Plant Network www.mipn.org and others are listed in your manual. If you need additional help with identification or on-site assistance, your local soil and water conservation district can be a useful resource. PREVENTION - Prevention is the best way to control those invaders! There are many ways to help prevent invasives from entering your yard – planting natives that will crowd out upstart weeds, mulching can deter unwanted invasives, regular hand weeding of new invaders, maintaining healthy soils, limiting disturbances in your yard, being aware of seed hitchhikers on clothes, shoes and equipment after hiking, biking, or working in other areas and properly disposing of seeds and undesirable plants after weeding(place them in a plastic bag before disposal so that seeds don’t spread along the disposal route). TREATMENT - If you do find invasives that are established in your yard, make it one of your first step priorities to get rid of them. After you know which invasive you are dealing with you can determine the best technique for removal. Some invasives are quite determined and can be annoyingly persistent with their return. MAINTAIN – Keep invasive plants out of your yard with regular maintenance and weeding. It is always easier to catch and remove a few individuals than it is to tackle whole areas. There is a helpful chart in the manual that shows common invasives and treatment options, there are also many additional resources in the manual.  Key point: Identify, Prevent, Treat and Maintain – those are the 4 key steps to keeping invasive plants from overtaking your yard. Remember that planting with natives will also help invasives from getting a foothold. Slide 16 – Lesson 7: Overcoming Obstacles As with any new endeavor, there are sometimes obstacles or common questions that come up. Next up we’ll talk about some common concerns and questions that we hear when folks are getting started with a wildlife friendly backyard. Slide 17 – Permits and Regulations Rules, regulations and permit requirements vary by city and county for projects happening in your yard.

Make sure you check with your local authorities to see what permits may be required…particularly for rain garden or bioswale projects and for water feature construction. Examples: weed ordinances, rain gardens, storm water management. Always CALL Indiana ‘811’ before you start digging in your yard! Slide 18 – Community Avoid misunderstandings with neighbors about native planting projects by talking with them and explaining what your plan is. Reassure them that native plants are not weeds and that you intend to keep a well maintained and visually pleasing yard. Use popular and recognizable native plants, and start your yard transformation slowly. Clustering flowers and grasses creates a planned look and feel. Consider certifying or registering your yard/habitat through your city or an organization (NWF/IWF!) Slide 19 – Costs & Maintenance If you are concerned that a wildlife friendly backyard will require a lot of time and money, don’t worry! After the initial installation costs and establishment period, native landscapes actually require less money and less time for upkeep and maintenance than traditional turf grass lawns. Native plantings also require little watering, little to no cutting and typically absolutely no fertilizer. All of these things mean more free time and money that you can spend doing other activities with family and friends! Slide 20 – Other General Tips ALLERGIES – Native grasses and flowering plants tend to be pollinated by insects and animals and are not big contributors to wind-borne pollen. TICKS – The number of tick related cases in Indiana is still quite low. Tips for reducing tick presence in your yard – Discourage deer from entering your yard(they are the FAVORITE food

• f adult ticks), use hardscaping barriers like gravel paths and pervious pavers for walking paths,

ticks prefer shady areas and

MOSQUITOES – Native plants will bring natural predators such as birds, frogs and toads. They also have deep root systems that will reduce the amount on standing water in your yard (necessary for mosquito breeding). NUISANCE WILDLIFE – As wildlife adapts to more urban habitat, they sometimes look for food and places for shelter in unwanted areas. Look for tips/resources for dealing with specific scenarios in your manual! Additional Technical Resources – More questions? Don’t feel overwhelmed! Our manual has TONS of additional resources. Slide 21 – Lesson 8: Drawing Your Backyard Basemap Preparing a landscape plan or a basemap is the simplest and most effective way to begin building your wildlife friendly backyard. You plan and basemap can be as simple or as complicated as you want. *Handout – refer participants to the “Tips for Creating Your Backyard Basemap” handout in their packet or to page 32 and 33 of the program guide. Slide 22 – Creating Your Basemap Collect your materials for drawing your basemap – graph paper and tracing paper, a ruler, pen

• r pencil, colored pencils or markers, a measuring tape, your Backyard Plant Inventory

Worksheet(included in your workshop folder), a computer, smart phone, camera or tablet might come in handy as well. Start by taking a few photos of your yard from different perspectives and if possible, at different times of the day. If you want a birds eye view of your yard, try doing a quick search on the internet, Google maps and Zillow are likely to have satellite photos of your yard. Depending on the detail that you plan on including in your basemap drawing, you may want to do a little research on property boundaries, utility lines and house and building footprints. These details will probably be available on property deed or tax documents. City or county planning or tax departments may have this information on file and sometimes make it available

• nline.

Decide on a scale and begin outlining your house and yard. Don’t forget to add porches, retaining walls, sheds, driveways, sidewalks, paths, fences, patios and other structures.

Add any existing plants that you intend to keep. Estimate the canopy or shaded area from trees

• r bushes.

If you have existing water features in your yard, note those and also mark any sloping areas or places with different elevations. Slide 23 – Next Time! Session 3 Topics In the next session we’ll look more closely at creating a plan with easy steps for inviting wildlife into your yard. We’ll look at the importance of pollinators and why everyone should support them in their yard. We’ll look at ideas for attracting specific wildlife like birds or amphibians. We’ll also check out customized native plant lists for specific conditions. The last session will give you tons of ideas for simple, small things you can do for wildlife in your yard! Slide 24 – Head Outside for Fun! *Direct participants to group activity location; instructor may also announce a 5 minute break during which he/she can prepare for the activity. Slide 25 – Takeaways

• There are many, easy-to-do techniques you can use to create an attractive and wildlife-

friendly backyard.

• When creating your landscape plan, remember to ask yourself whether or not you’ve

provided food, water, shelter and a nesting place for wildlife.

• A little research and planning ahead of time will make creating a wildlife friendly

backyard fun, educational, and safe.

• Be sure to check out page 34 in your manual for additional at-home activities and

suggested readings! Slide 26 – Photo Credits *For reference only