Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
be onerous. In fact, natural processes do most of the yard work here, for
free. The mixed l ock of chickadees, nuthatches, and kinglets surrounding
me, as well as the native Douglas squirrel that chatters from above, coni rms
that Kathy is a good neighbor.
Certii cation programs, such as the one of ered by the State of Washing-
ton, are available for most U.S. residents. A quick search of the web reveals
two national programs sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation and the
Humane Society of the United States, as well as state-specii c programs from
California to South Carolina. Some cities even have their own programs—for
example, Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, and Portland, Oregon. If you are in-
terested, check with your local Audubon Society or state wildlife/natural re-
sources agency for more information. Whether you certify or not, you will
learn how to transform your yard of grass into a local wildlife haven.
Replacing part of your personal lawn with more diverse plantings im-
proves the living space of birds, but architects, developers, relators, city plan-
ners, and planning commissions can do even more. Adopting “neighborhood
conservation designs” preserves open spaces by clustering homes on nontra-
ditional, small lots with little area for lawn while maintaining the housing
density allowed by zoning laws. Landscape architect Randall Arendt, a con-
servation planner who leads the company Greener Prospects, details this ap-
proach in his practical and well-illustrated book Conservation Design for
Subdivisions (1996). Akin to planned developments surrounding golf courses,
conservation designs begin with developers working with regional planners,
engineers, landscape architects, and wildlife professionals to identify approxi-
mately half the area that will remain open. Open space might be wetlands,
waterfronts, important cultural areas, and steep slopes that are of limits to
building in conventional neighborhoods, but also forests and i elds of sui cient
stature to sustain wildlife populations. Open space is recognized as a valuable
amenity to residents' well-being and home value that might be amended with
 
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