Kid Connection - The Changing Times, Fall 2021

Each issue, The Changing Times features an organization that works with kids and families in work we view as critical: nature connection, fun and creativity, justice education, and community engagement. In early October, I visited with Anna Baize and Naomi Alhadeff, of National Wildlife Federation, about The Garden for Wildlife™ program. Naomi is the Montana Education Manager and Anna is the Education and Outreach Associate serving as an AmeriCorps member. Fall is a great time to engage the whole family in planting and spreading seeds, watching wildlife behavior, and perhaps, planning YOUR certified wildlife habitat garden.    

Do you have to be a “plant person” or know a lot about native plants, have a giant yard, or know all about wildlife to create a wildlife habitat garden?

Anna: Absolutely not! Creating habitat in your backyard is fun and easy. The National Wildlife Federation has many resources about native plants on their website, but other habitat elements can be fulfilled in other ways, such as by adding dead logs or birdhouses, and by adopting sustainable practices. One of the reasons it’s fun to create habitat space is because you’ll learn about wildlife throughout the journey of creating habitat. The Garden for Wildlife™ program provides instructions and recommendations of elements in each of the five categories, food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices. By experimenting with different elements in your habitat you’ll learn what is attracted to your backyard habitat. On that note, it doesn’t have to be a “backyard” habitat per se. It could be as small as a container garden or wheelbarrow, front porch, or flower boxes. The size of the space doesn’t matter, with all five of these elements you will still be creating a sustainable habitat!

 What interesting wildlife have you noticed in Missoula? Any creatures that you have been especially delighted to see?   

Anna: Oooo! In our backyard, we have a massive bush, where it appears a couple of red foxes have made a den! Every once in a while I’ll see them commuting along the greenway throughout our neighborhood, pouncing in the grass and chasing birds. I’ve been waiting to see if they have any kits, but none have been spotted thus far. 

Naomi: This past spring I had two Evening Grosbeaks hanging out at our feeders for several weeks. I wasn’t sure if they were nesting or not, but it was great seeing them for so long and so close up too. Last week I had a Flicker on my suet feeder, which was beautiful to see too. I do have a very large and cranky squirrel living in my large maple trees in the front yard, who amuses me during my zoom calls.  

Do you have any ideas for getting kids excited about this program and creating the habitat?

Anna: Many families who have shown an interest in creating habitat, walk through completing the Garden for Wildlife™ program together. Within each habitat element, there are many options to fulfill the requirement. Allowing kids the opportunity to help choose which elements they’d like to add and having them research the elements, creates a connection with the space they’re enhancing and teaches them how to plant with purpose. Incorporating children into every step of the way, like purchasing and installing plants, adding a birdhouse, or asking kiddos to water when needed, creates investment in our wildlife and natural spaces growing around them.

Another fun idea is having kids observe the wildlife seen in their backyard, or soon-to-be habitat space, before and after you add any of the habitat elements. Ask kids if they notice a difference? What improvement was the most effective? If you’re looking to do a little DIY, some of the elements can even be created at home like a butterfly puddler, then painted afterward. A butterfly puddler may not attract our largest charismatic megafauna, but you will see a difference over time with our smaller, but important critters such as bees, butterflies, and birds. Here are some tip sheets provided by National Wildlife Federation to help you and your kiddos plant with a purpose!

If you had to pick 5 native plants to purchase and plant for residents of SW Montana, what would you choose?  

Naomi: I would say here in western Montana, and this is no particular order, but some of my favorites are Red-osier Dogwood, Golden Current, Black-eyed Susan, Pearly Everlasting, or Silvery Lupine. Oh, and I do love some Rubber Rabbitbrush! If you’re interested in finding out more about these native plants, just ask me, or I have a bunch of resources on my NWF-Montana site, including local nurseries. However, if you forget this list, or want to add more we have a great tool called the Native Plant Finder where you enter your zip code to discover the best native plants, attract butterflies and moths, and support birds, and other fauna. This is an indispensable tool, based on the research of Dr. Douglas Tallamy of the University of Delaware and in partnership with the United States Forest Service.

Water seems to be the most difficult of the elements to include, if you don’t live next to a stream or pond or body of water? Any ideas here? 

Anna: Nearby streams, ponds, rivers, and bodies of water can easily fulfill the need for a water element. My first recommendation would be adding a bird bath! To keep mosquitos at bay you can add a solar powered pump in the summer to keep the water moving and in the winter a heater or deicer to keep the water accessible for wildlife all year long. Another idea would be to create a container water garden! These are small above ground ponds created with a container, a few water plant species, and soil. Many birds, chipmunks, and squirrels will use this water source to drink or bathe. More on this can be found on the National Wildlife Federation’s website or you can contact the Montana AmeriCorps at mteduation@nwf.org to learn more. 

What makes you most excited to spread the word and promote Garden for Wildlife™?

Anna: When I used to think about creating wildlife habitat I always imagined you needed a large space to be successful, but once I realized you could create habitat for our smaller species in container gardens or even wheelbarrows, I thought it was the absolute most brilliant idea! I love to share and promote the Garden for Wildlife™ program because it inspires others to create a purposeful garden in their backyard that doubles as habitat space.

Naomi: What gets me excited about this program is when I share with people how native plants, instead of non-native or ornamental plants, thrive so much better here and provide food, shelter, and places to raise young for all of Montana’s critters. 

Does National Wildlife Federation (and you in particular) have any other programs that work with/engages youth? Can you mention these?

Naomi: The gardening program isn’t the only project on my virtual plate these days. I also manage Montana’s Eco-School USA program where I currently have 41 registered PreK-12 schools to provide teachers informative and scientifically driven curricula plus work with students around all subjects related to wildlife. If you are interested in becoming an Eco-School too, you can reach me at alhadeffn@nwf.org.