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© WindStar Wildlife Institute
Managing Woodlands
For Wildlife
T
oday, many nature-loving
home-owners are trying to
protect and enjoy some of our
rapidly-vanishing wildlife habitat
by buying properties which
include woodlots. Some may
even purchase larger tracts of
land with more extensive
forested areas.
Very often, and with the best
of intentions, these landowners
declare that they are going to
leave the woods untouched, “for
the sake of wildlife."
Although their intentions are
good, they don’t necessarily
represent the best approach
for maximizing plant, animal,
and bird diversity on a piece of
woodland property.
This is one of those instances
where the “good news" and the
“bad news" are the same: one
size doesn’t fit all. Each
property will have different “site
factors," including variations in
soil, moisture, sunlight, existing
vegetation, and local wildlife.
That makes it impossible to
recommend the same practices
for every property.
In addition, different
approaches are needed to
Just as you would
make a plan for the
rest of your landscape,
you should also study
your wooded areas in
terms of what
management
techniques you can
use to reach your
wildlife goals.
