Urban Wildlife Sanctuary
“Our yard went from a conventional yard to an urban oasis, backyard, wildlife sanctuary.
Cohabitats co-created a design with us that included native plant selection and vital habitat features.
Cohabitat’s facilitation resulted in our application and successful award of a grant through the King Conservation District cost share program for Upland Wildlife Habitat Best Practices.
Since transforming our yard 10 years ago, our property is a robust native habitat that abounds with numerous songbirds, woodpeckers, and birds of prey and pollinators. It’s a wonderful place to relax, connect with nature, and enjoy the bounty of birds. It’s good for the wildlife and good for our souls.”
Dr. Afia Christine Menke & Dan Thielman
Image: Dr. Afia Menke & Dan Thielman (Photo by Heather Swift)
Awarded King Conservation District Grant
Project Description:
A suburban pie-shaped 7,582 square foot property. The wildlife habitat project enhanced approximately 4,000 sq ft.
The project area was predominately shade and had an existing patio, fruit trees, invasive species and ornamentals. The property borders several mature Douglas firs, western hemlocks, western red cedar, and Pacific madrone, all of which greatly enhance the wildlife use of the property.
Image: Afia and Dan’s yard 10 years after installation.
(Photo by Heather Swift)
Client Vision
Convert traditional backyard to a thriving wildlife habitat with sitting areas and pathways for people to enjoy and special areas for composting and foliage debris clean-up.
Image: Afia and Dan’s backyard 10 years after installation. (Photo by Heather Swift)
Cohabitats Services & Deliverables
Site Assessment
Wildlife Habitat Backyard Design and Installation
Contracted through King Conservation District’s Upland Wildlife Best Practices Cost Share Program
Image: Before picture (Photo by Heather Swift)
Image: This Great Blue Heron is one of many bird visitors since the backyard transformation. (Photo by Dr. Afia Menke)
Project Story
Dr. Menke applied for a grant through the King Conservation District Upland Wildlife Best Practices cost share program. Cohabitats was a contractor for the King Conservation District to provide the professional expertise to help landowners convert their portions of their properties into wildlife habitat. Dr. Menke was awarded $10,000 to help with the installation of their project.
Cohabitats worked closely with Dr. Menke and Dan Thielman to meet their goals for human uses and wildlife needs. The project transformed the backyard from predominantly grass, patio and bamboo to a wildlife rich habitat of native shrubs, herbaceous plants, a major water feature, a well-place snag and several nesting boxes. These natural provisions and flora provide local wildlife with native food sources, familiar cover and rich places to safely nurture their young.
After the installation was complete, Dr. Menke engaged neighbors to augment wildlife habitat in their yards by sponsoring a backyard wildlife yards tour called “WOWTA” (Where Our Wild Things Are.)
Dr. Menke and Dan’s yard has been certified a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by department of Fish & Wildlife and King Conservation District (KCD), as well as having received the Rock Award from KCD.
Since the installation ten years ago, their yard has matured and flourished. Dr. Menke reports attracting a wide range of birds including owls, hawks, woodpeckers, and songbirds, as well as a variety of insects including various dragonflies, butterflies, bees, moths, ants, and ladybugs.
Image: Stumpy and native vegetation create a rich urban habitat for wildlife. (Photo by Heather Swift)
Meet Stumpy
A small snag was installed as a great resource to wildlife. The woodpeckers have really been enjoying it!