Do you wish you had more wildlife in your yard?
Maybe you dream of making some of the animals go away — deer, rabbits and other munching creatures — but you still want to attract birds, bees and butterflies?
There are ways to do both and you can learn a bit about them this weekend by touring seven private properties that have been named official backyard wildlife havens as part of the fourth annual Camano Island Backyard Wildlife Habitat Garden Tour.
And guess what?
It’s free.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Backyard wildlife habitats, certified by the National Wildlife Federation, must provide four essential elements for wildlife to live in harmony with humans — food, water, shelter and places for animals to raise their offspring.
These elements may be present naturally or you, the homeowner, can provide them.
In 2005, Camano Island became the 10th residential community in the nation to be certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a community wildlife habitat with more than 700 properties certified as backyard wildlife habitats.
Information on native plants, wildlife, composting, as well as challenges faced on particular sites will be available on the tour.
Backyard wildlife habitat docents will be on hand to answer questions. Orchards Nursery in Stanwood will have native plants for sale.
To take part in this self-guided tour, sponsored by the Camano Wildlife Habitat Project of Friends of Camano Island Parks, pick up a map starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Camano Multipurpose Center, the blue building at 141 N. East Camano Drive.
Contact Sandy Koffman at 360-348-6360 or sandy@koffman.net or see www.camanowildlifehabitat.org for more details.
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