Since it's inception, the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy has hosted major conferences for educators, environmentalists, developer groups, MBA students, local leaders and dozens of other groups interested in wildlife at its headquarters, the Bengel Wildlife Center, in Bath, . 

Members of the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners have visited the Center several times to learn how to provide wildlife habitat in conjunction with drain improvement work. 

The Center and its grounds have served as "learning laboratories" for students majoring in environmental, natural resources and land-use planning disciplines at colleges and universities across the state.

Additionally, many people have visited the Center to learn how to develop backyard ponds and other habitats by touring our Demonstration Gardens. (see article below)

Our training efforts are not confined to the Bengel Wildlife Center. Conservancy staff also works with volunteers providing "on the job training"  and conducts educational workshops on a variety of wildlife-related topics statewide.

SUBURBAN WILDLIFE HABITAT

The Bengel Wildlife Center, home of the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy, has some outstanding areas that demonstrate what landowners can do to attract wildlife. Included are three plots that show habitat components appropriate in urban, suburban, and rural settings. The model backyards have already been visited by hundreds of conservation-minded citizens looking for ideas to spruce up their own properties.

A growing number of Michigan residents are interested in well-planned landscaping to increase wildlife viewing opportunities. But many homeowners are reluctant to give it a try because they assume that special landscaping for wildlife is complicated, expensive, or unsightly.

Actually, the basic principles are easy to understand, and attracting wildlife does not require big budgets or sacrificing aesthetics. Wildlife needs can often be met by rather simple modifications of landscapes designed for beauty, energy conservation, and the comfort and enjoyment of the yard's most important inhabitants, people.

The suburban model at the Bengel Wildlife Center illustrates this well. This backyard targets song birds and has as much vegetational diversity as practical in the space available. The north and south edges have a mix of trees and shrubs of different heights and shapes, and evergreens as well as deciduous species. Patches of native prairie grasses up to eight feet in height form a transition area between the woody vegetation and a traditional lawn. Viewed from the east or west, the habitat is somewhat U-shaped, with the short grass lawn in the middle.

The suburban model also provides several special "microhabitats" designed to meet particular needs of certain wildlife. These include a rock pile, thistle patch (for goldfinches), log pile, a garden for hummingbirds and butterflies, and a small, shallow pond. Bird and bat houses are scattered throughout the yard.

Many visitors to the suburban model at the Bengel Wildlife Center seem most interested in the pond. It has a surface area of about 40 by 30 feet and is planted with pond lilies and shoreline plants such as pickerel weed, duck potato, bulrush, and blue flag iris. A floating log, which provides a loafing site for turtles, is anchored near the pond's center. The pond was constructed by digging a three-foot deep hole with a backhoe and installing a rubber liner. Some of the excavated soil was then put back over the liner so the resultant pond is now one to two feet deep in most spots. A few dozen plants were transplanted from ditches and small wetlands and allowed to spread naturally. The entire cost including excavation was about $800.

The hummingbird/butterfly garden also generates interest. Tubular red flowers are especially attractive to ruby-throated hummingbirds, which are very popular because of their unique nectar-feeding habits, rapid wing beat, and tolerance of people. In the suburban model, they are attracted to a variety of shrubs, and vines such as red weigela, dropmore, honeysuckle, clematis, and trumpet vine. Perennial flowers such as butterflyweed, columbine, corabells, and black-eyed susans make the garden visually attractive and help bring in butterflies and moths.

There is no single "blueprint" for making yards attractive to wildlife. Location, space, soil conditions, exposure to sunlight, and numerous other variables determine the range of possibilities. The best way to get started is to look at a few examples and modify the designs as needed to fit your situation. The Bengel Wildlife Center is a good place to take the first look. 

The Conservancy has also developed model backyards for wildlife at the Detroit Zoo, Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, and at the Shiawassee River National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County.