08/30/2000 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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trrop, Miausata IE111TMEIT 11 Willi n:011Cli NATURALIZING YOUR URBAN LOT An Ecosystem -based Approach NATURALIZE AN EXISTING LOT You can do many things on your lotto improve its "fit" • into the landscape. Proper landscaping can attract wildlife, reduce yard maintenance time and cost, reduce energy bills and improve water quality. The key is prior planning, and plant selection. Planning - You don't need to be a landscape architect to plan your landscaping. Just sketch the existing lot with house, trees and . other features. Next, look for opportunities to improve the entire neighborhood with a key feature. Your lot could be a vital link between two wildland areas. More likely, adding a consistent water source for birds and other animals could complement neighboring cover and food plantings. MAINTAIN NATURAL FEATURES DURING CONSTRUCTION The best time to consider natural landscaping is before the bulldozers reach the lot. Determine the features you want to save and adjust your building pad and driveway location accordingly. Fence the areas you want to save so equipment and building materials are kept well back from the vegetation. Make sure your builder and all subcontractors know what areas you want to save. The booklet "Protecting Trees from 1, Construction Damage" from the Minnesota Extension Service gives detailed information on maintaining vegetation during construction. Ask for publication NR-FO-6135-S. Draw in the features you want to add. Placement is important. Water next to ready perches and food sources will attract more wildlife. To add an evergreen thicket for wildlife cover, place to the north and west sides of the house to reduce winter heating bills. Next time you mow the lawn, think about the areas that take the most time, the odd corners. These are the first places to install mulch beds, rock and perennial gardens, and water features. Curving borders around these areas will really speed up the mowing and trimming. Plant selection - Keep three things in mind when selecting landscaping plants. First is the purpose. Do you want a fast - growing shade tree, shrubs for wildlife cover, or perennials for beauty and bird food? Next, find the species that will grow best in your area and on your soil. Look at nearby wildland areas to see what grows there naturally, and talk to your local nursery. Use native plants whenever possible. Finally, consider the mature size and age of the plant. A 10 -foot maple may look great next to the house. However, when it grows to be 80 feet tall, it may conflict with overhead powerlines or scrape against the house. For more detailed information on landscaping, pick up the book "Landscaping for Wildlife" and the booklet "Energy Conservation in the North: A Homeowner's Guide." CREATE NEIGHBORHOOD WILDLAND CORRIDORS An ecosystem approach to landscaping involves integrating your actions with existing and planned conditions around you. Meeting with neighbors will help you understand their plans and objectives and allow all of you to work together to improve the local ecosystem. Group plantings along common backyard boundaries can create corridors to improve wildlife habitat and tie existing wildlands together. Contact your local DNR Forester to learn more about working together as a neighborhood. ECOSYSTEM -BASED MANAGEMENT THROUGH COMMUNITY PLANNING Large contiguous areas of forest or other vegetation are critical to the survival of many wildlife species such as moose, timber wolves and many songbirds. Fragmentation of the forest, prairie, or other vegetation types by urbanization can seriously affect wildlife habitats. Properly clustering development can help reduce the impact of urbanization, by reducing fragmentation. Citizens active in the community can encourage economic growth while reducing the impact of development on the environment.