HARMONY'S WILDLIFE

DID YOU KNOW that Harmony was designed to promote the peaceful coexistence of human and animal residents within the community while striking a balance between the preservation, use and enjoyment of Harmony's natural areas? Harmony incorporates natural and human-built environments that blend in ways designed to enhance the relationships between humans and animals and maximize the benefits of their peaceful coexistence. While retaining natural areas, Harmony is part of a human-dominated landscape where our actions profoundly affect the welfare of wild animals. Here are some tips for living in harmony with our wild animal friends.

Don’t automatically remove the wildlife from your yard. In Harmony we are tolerant of our wild neighbors. Wildlife experts state that it is perfectly normal to see possums, deer, turkey, cranes, armadillos, raccoons, and even alligators in our backyards and people shouldn’t automatically want them gone. One solution is to live trap these animals and move them elsewhere, but this is not an answer. If you move out wild animals from your yard other animals will eventually move in. We encourage you to be patient. Most wild animals are nomadic and in time they will move on.

Don’t drastically trim trees. Local wildlife refuges take in many baby birds each year that are orphaned when their nest is cut from a tree. Experts say there is no substitute for being raised by a parent. It is traumatic for animals to be taken away from their families and reared by humans since they can’t be taught by humans the same way they are taught by their parents. If you accidentally knock a nest out of a tree, the Humane Society of the United States suggests that you should retrieve the nest and re-nest them in the same location.

Clean up food. The smell of garbage is a huge attraction to wildlife. To prevent wild animals from being attracted to your yard, keep lids secured or store garbage in the garage, especially overnight. In addition, don’t leave pet food or water bowls outside and be sure to clean below bird feeders, as seed can attract scavengers such as raccoons and rats. It’s also a good idea to pick up fruit as soon as it has fallen from any fruit trees.

Take care of your lawn and garden with wildlife in mind Always check over your lawn before you mow and search for turtles and rabbit nests. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) advises people to move turtles gently, but rabbit nests should be left alone (and don’t mow near them) so that the mother will return to the nest to feed them. You should also keep your lawn grub-free and you will prevent raccoons, armadillos and opossums from tearing up your lawn to feast on them. If you’re trying to keep animals out of your garden, the best way is to erect a chicken wire fence at least 36" above the ground and 12" below the ground. You can also place mesh cages over young plants. Motion-activated noisemakers available from garden centers, owl decoys and pinwheels can also be effective deterrents.

Check access points. Check and screen off any entry points that allow wildlife access. You should also check your roof eaves, overhangs, vents and even cracks around windows or pipes that lead into the house for bat entryways. They can squeeze through openings 1/2 inch wide. Do not patch holes between May and September or you may trap young bats inside. Small animals can access buildings through holes as little as one-inch wide, so be sure to seal any holes with heavy-weight material (hardware cloth or heavy-gauge screening) or steel wool. Wire mesh can also be used to plug openings in walls and floors.

As suburban sprawl continues to displace wild animals, encounters with humans are inevitable. Ongoing development has forced many wild animals to relocate, so clashes between humans and animals will most likely increase. However, many of these situations can be avoided with a little effort and planning. The bottom line is that all of us need to do our best to live in harmony with wildlife. We love our wildlife in Harmony! n