{"id":1547,"date":"2024-10-23T14:33:26","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T18:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/?p=1547"},"modified":"2024-10-23T15:50:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T19:50:33","slug":"your-garden-a-bird-palace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/2024\/10\/your-garden-a-bird-palace\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Garden, A Bird Palace: Conservatory Conversations with Lynn White"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

By Darrel Helm —<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

There are many species of birds living in the local area, and it\u2019s a fantastic pursuit, scouting for
them out in the wild. Lynn White, Education and Volunteer Specialist from Butler Soil and Water
Conservation District (SWCD), recently spoke with students and members of the community at
Miami Hamilton Conservatory at a \u201cCommunity Conversations\u201d event.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As discussed, there are several considerations when attracting our winged friends to our yards
and gardens, and tips on preparing for them.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numerous types of birds live in Butler County, and the ecosystems within our yards and
gardens play a large role in the lives of many species that come to visit. White explained how
each local environmental feature affected birds, and instructed the group on how to make
specific decisions that encourage healthy interactions. Gardeners may encounter plenty of
naturally occurring elements that promote a happy ecosystem, as well as factors that pose a
threat.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kinds of plants and trees in our yards act as natural homes as well as food for birds. For
example, honeysuckles attract orioles and waxwings but are considered the \u201cjunk food of birds,\u201d
White explained. In this example, we have a plant that can pose a threat to the birds\u2019 well-being
in the long term. Instead of attracting birds with sugar, White says to use high-protein nuts and
seeds to get them near your home. Nuts and seeds offer birds steady nutrition that lasts
throughout the day.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding bushes and shrubs where birds make low nests is something to consider, since
neighborhood dogs and cats can pose a threat to the nest. White mentioned that if gardeners
notice these types of nests, it is helpful to discourage any progress in nest building before they
have a chance to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Concerning adding a bird bath to your yard, White advised that you should also consider the
texture of the bowl. Smooth glass bowl bird feeders don’t offer ample traction for birds, so
choosing a stone bath would provide a better experience. Don\u2019t worry if you already have a
glass bowl bath, because adding a few rocks from the yard will give a foundation for those
splashing in.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this fall, instead of cleaning up that pile of leaves in the corner of the yard or hauling off a
pile of branches from a trimmed tree, White encouraged the audience to leave these in place, to
promote a healthy ecosystem for the kinds of worms and bugs that birds feed on.
On the windows of our homes around feeders and gardens, White suggested taking a bingo
dabber and marking our windows. This will help flying birds avoid a collision, and keeping furry
pets indoors more often also removes predators from the environment. White mentioned that
our pets were once wild, and we can\u2019t expect them to operate against their instincts when they
go outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also don\u2019t forget that there is a common jester in the equation: the squirrel! Squirrels pose no
specific threat, but are eager to come out to enjoy the food. They are known for knocking over
feeders, dropping feed on the ground, and their mischief tends to keep birds away. It’s important
to consider how squirrels will affect the food supply, feeders, and homes of the birds.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Butler SWCD works in the local area on conservation projects, community workshops, and
education. White mentioned the Master Rain Gardener program listed on the SWCD site. Rain
gardens are small, and designated for local plants; they accumulate water from natural sources,
roadways, gutters, roofs, etc. These areas are naturally biodiverse and attract birds and bugs
that serve as food. Adding a rain garden to your yard is a good way to invite birds, while
learning about the local ecosystem. The Master Rain Gardner course is a five-day program that
occurs across consecutive Fridays. You can read more about this at
https:\/\/www.cincyraingardener.org\/.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservatory Conversations is a program at Miami University Regionals that gathers every two
weeks to discuss topics of botany, conservation, and community. Be sure to check online for up-
and-coming seminars. And, stop by the Hamilton campus Conservatory to take a look around.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Darrel Helm — There are many species of birds living in the local area, and it\u2019s a fantastic pursuit, scouting forthem out in the […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":9167,"featured_media":1595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,14,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-around-campus","category-arts-and-entertainment","category-our-communities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9167"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/mu-regional-pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}