What Are "Wild Acres"?

Because wild animals need areas of suitable habitat to find food, water and shelter, your backyard wildlife home can be a part of an important network of "WILD ACRES" used by Maryland's wildlife.

If you would like to begin or enhance your efforts, here our Tips for a Wild Backyard including:

• Building bird boxes.

• What to feed birds.

• How to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

• Building a backyard wildlife pond.

• What to plant & why

• Habichat- A Quarterly Newsletter For Steward's of Maryland's Backyard Wildlife

Does Something Wild Live in Your Backyard?

Wildlife Fact Sheets & Nest Box Plans

• American Kestrel

• American Robin

• Eastern Bluebirds

• Northern Cardinal

• Wrens

• Mourning Dove

• Purple Martins

• Feeding Wild Birds

• Discover Maryland's Bats

• Wood Ducks

• Owls in Maryland

• Barn Owls

• Turtles in Maryland
  

• Squirrels in Maryland

• Hummingbirds, Butterflies & Bees

• Bees
  

• Uninvited Wildlife

• Predator Guards

• Reference Guide

• Planting Shrubs for Wildlife

• Shrub and Tree Pruning

• Native Maryland Trees

• Groundcovers

• Maryland Wildflowers

• WildScape; 1-Acre Lots

• WildScape: 2+ -Acre Lots

• WildScape: Porches & Decks
  

• WildScape: Townhouses & Condominiums

• Water Drips for Wild Places

Habitat Suggestions

• Brush Piles

• Snags and Logs

• Backyard Ponds

• Hedgerows

• Warm Season Grasses
  

• Mowing Cycles
  

• Crops for Wildlife

Habichat - A Quarterly Newsletter
For Steward's of Maryland's Backyard Wildlife
Complete the online Habichat Reader's Survey

For Additional Information, Contact:

Wild Acres Program
Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service
Attn:  Marilyn Mause
Gwynnbrook WMA
3740 Gwynnbrook Ave
Owings Mills MD 21117
410-356-0941
mmause@dnr.state.md.us

Access For All

Habichat - Articles From Past Issues

Native Plant Profiles

• American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
• American Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana L)
• Highbush "Black" Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
• Gray Birch (Betula populifolia) 
• Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)
• Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
• Alternate-leaf Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
• Wild Asters
• Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
• Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
• Brambles (Rubus spp.)
• Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
• Coralberry, (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus)
• Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
• Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
• Serviceberry, Shadbush, Juneberry (Amelanchier canadensis)
• Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobes)
• Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolium)
• Persimmon  (Diospyros virginiana)
• Sassafras (sassafras albidum)
• Wild Grapes (vitis spp.

Maryland Wildlife

• Cedar Waxwing
• Wood Mouse
• White-throated Sparrow
• Flying Squirrels
• American Robin
• Insects in the Snow
• Let's Go Owling!
• Gray Fox “Tree Fox”
• American Vultures
• Northern Mockingbird
• Coyote
• Opossum
• Eastern Chipmunk
• Backyard Damsels & Dragons
• Baltimore Oriole
• Martin Magic
• Discover Maryland's Bats
• Cats and Wildlife
• Birds- Essential Bug Controllers
• Field Guides

Habitat Tips

• When to Plant
• The Benefits of Snow
• Songbirds In Your Meadows
• Helping Migrant Songbirds Survive
• Planting that Sun-baked Hillside
• Container Gardening
• Leaf Litter Has Its Advantages
• Hardscaping
• Gardens for Dogs
• Dealing with County Nuisance Ordinances
• Native Pollinators
• Coffee and Orioles
• Pruning Trees & Shrubs in Late Winter
• Moon (Moth) Gardens
• Habitat Savvy Lawn Care
• Lawns & Wildlife: What You Can Do
• It Starts with the Soil – Hints from the E.P.A.
• Soil Fertility
• Berries for Winter
• Seed Heads for Wildlife
• Build a Hibernacula for Amphibians
• Logpiles for Butterflies
• Suburban Deer Management:
  Repellants Can Provide an Effective Deterrent
• Nesting Materials for Birds
• Window Box For Wildlife
• Nest Box Maintenance
• Water in Winter
• The Pond
• How to Pick a Garden Center

Feeding Wildlife

• Seed Preferences in Songbirds
• Backyard Hawk Watching
• Platform Feeders for the Birds
• Project FeederWatch
• Fruits for Butterflies
• Backyard Wildlife Fun for Kids
• Homemade Suet Feeders
• Fresh Garden Seeds for Birds
• Prevent Bird Seed from Spoiling
• Keep Those Bird Feeders Clean
• Feeding Birds, Not Squirrels

Activities for Children

• Geocaching with Children
• Enjoying Nature in Winter with Your Children
• Planting for Wildlife with Your Children

Photo Credit: Red-bellied Woodpecker on peanut feeder, courtesy of
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch member Linda Williamson.