Habitat "To Do" List
Few of us will do all these things.
Can you pledge to do at least one of them
to help our birds and butterflies?
Things to do
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Add native plants
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Remove invasive introduced plants
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Put out a bird bath or other water source
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Put up a bluebird box
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Plant a native tree, or better yet a grove of trees
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Grow food (organically). Share vegetable seeds and seedlings.
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Change outdoor light bulbs to yellow LED (3,000K or less). Put motion sensors on outdoor lights
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Provide food and habitat for hummingbirds
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Create a stream buffer at least 100 feet wide
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Add a pond
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Create a butterfly garden
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Participate in invasive plant removal events in the local parks
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Protect areas for ground nesting bees
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Compost kitchen and yard scraps
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Put up a solar roof array
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Protect birds against window strikes
Ways for us to learn together about
Clifton's natural beauty
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Watch the movie Hometown Habitat Stories of Bringing Nature Home
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Join the Naturally Clifton Facebook Group and/or sign up for Wild About Clifton updates on our website
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Upload photos of wild things (plants, animals, etc) to iNaturalist
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Read Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy
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Participate in City Nature Challenge every April
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Help identify observations on iNaturalist
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Become a volunteer stream monitor
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Invite a child, or a friend or neighbor, to take a nature walk (after the restrictions are lifted!)
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Ask at least one neighbor to do some of these things
Things to do less of
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Reduce or eliminate lawn chemicals
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Avoid planting invasive introduced plants
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Eliminate outdoor insecticides (except in emergencies)
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Avoid gas-powered leaf blowers
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Don't drown the frogs: add a Critter Skimmer, Frog Log or other escape devise to my swimming pool
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Leave fallen leaves and grass clippings on the lawn (chopping them up with the mower if needed)
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Leave dead tree snags in place
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Keep stormwater on your own property
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Conserve water
Resources
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Plant NOVA Natives website
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Free Audubon-at-Home volunteer site visit
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Erosion control and stormwater management consultations
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Beekeeping help
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Info for HOAs and condo Associations
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Info for faith communities
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Preventing mosquito-borne diseases
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Preventing tick bites
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Free Department of Forestry consultation