5
This article was written by
Maryland Master Wildlife
Habitat Naturalist Cathy
Gilleland.
For more information or for
the name of a Master Wildlife
Habitat Naturalist in your area,
please contact:
WindStar Wildlife Institute
10072 Vista Court
Myersville, Maryland 21773
Phone: 301-293-3351
E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org
http://www.windstar.org
WindStar Wildlife Institute is
a national, non-profit,
conservation organization
whose mission is to help
individuals and families
establish or improve the wildlife
habitat on their properties.
space, and the arrangement of
these components.
In addition, humans aren’t the
only forces causing change.
Browsing deer, when over-
abundant, can remove a forest
understory; insects, such as
gypsy moths, can defoliate
large areas of canopy cover,
thus changing the amount of
available light; beavers alter
water levels; and disease can
nearly wipe out entire
populations of trees, such as
occurred with chestnuts and
elms in this country.
We humans are the only
creatures who can plan
changes with a view to the
greater good, and sometimes
thoughtful activism can be
RESOURCES
s
Cooperative Extension Service (to find an office in your state):
http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/statepartners/statetext.htm
s
Forestry and Wildlife Education site:
www.naturalresources.umd.edu
s
USDA Forest Service: download the NED Forest Stewardship
Planning Guide at: www.fs.fed.us/ne/burlington/index.htm
s
Your State Department of Natural Resources:
www.dnr.state.md.us/forests (other states can be found with a
web search)
s
Your local Farm Service Agency (to locate an office in your
state):
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/
s
Natural Resources Conservation Service: http://
www.nrcs.usda.gov/
s
Penn State (lots of information to order on forest
management):
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/forestry.html
better than “benign neglect"
when it comes to promoting
wildlife diversity.
There is a lot of concern today
about “riparian buffers." These
are the woodlands which border
a stream or other source of
water, where the forest soil and
mat of tree roots are crucial for
filtering out pollutants before
they enter the water supply.
The trees also shade the
water, keeping it cool enough for
certain aquatic species.
In many cases, these buffers
have become very narrow or have
disappeared altogether. In some
states, there is money available
to help you restore or create
riparian buffers.
If you have a stream running
through your property, perhaps
you can encourage your
neighbors to join you in
protecting the health of that
waterway by planting trees
and protecting any woodlands
that already exist.
Stewardship of the land is a
responsibility, but it is also a
joy, and there is no better
learning experience for both
children and adults.
Look at your property with
an eye to management, and
you will reap the rewards for
years to come, as well as
having the satisfaction of
knowing you are helping to
sustain nature’s diversity for
future generations.
