Birdscaping - Plants for Birds

 

Photo: Emma England

“Birdscaping” is the planting of native flowering plants, grasses, trees and shrubs that are important for birds and other wildlife. These plants produce flowers, seeds and berries that insects and birds require to thrive and reproduce. Lake County Audubon Society created the Birdscaping project as part of a long-term commitment to improving the environment by creating healthy habitat for birds and other wildlife - and a pollinator destination for insects. This project endeavors to not only provide bird-friendly habitat with native plants, but also educates Lake County residents and communities on the beauty and value of landscaping with native plants.

About native plant communities

“Native plant species” are the plants that have adapted and developed to live in our area (or ecoregion) over time - they are adapted to seasonal conditions that occur here and are resilient to local variations in temperature, light, and moisture. A native plant community is best suited to provide the habitat native insects, birds and other animals need to survive. Insects pollinate and eat the plants, and birds and other animals eat the insects, seeds and berries the plants produce. Plants also provide insects and animals with shelter from predators and the weather (heat, cold, wind, rain and snow) and birds and other animals also use plants to build nests and raise their young. 

Birdscaping Projects

  • Lake County Audubon’s first birdscape project was a collaboration that began in 2012 with Libertyville Township. Native plant seeds and 160 native shrubs and trees were planted along the Libertyville Township Open Space trail through the Liberty Prairie Reserve south of Casey Road in unincorporated Libertyville. The goal of the project was to provide and expand habitat (food and shelter) for birds and other animals. Native plant species were selected to provide animals with high-energy food during different seasons of the year. Funding for this project was provided by Lake County Audubon, Audubon Great Lakes, the National Audubon Society, Trees Forever, Liberty Prairie Foundation, and others.

  • The John R Lewis Middle School Prairie Garden (formerly Thomas Jefferson Middle School) was developed under a cooperative Memorandum of Understanding between the school and the Lake County Audubon Society.  A section of lawn in front of the school was removed and replaced with native prairie plants to attract birds. The project was completed with students and Audubon Society volunteers and has been cooperatively managed since its installation with supplemental plants and seeds provided by Lake County Audubon Society. In addition to its bird habitat benefits, the native prairie will be used by teachers as a learning tool.

  • The Woods at Adler Arts Center Birdscape Path is a Lake County Audubon Society collaborative project with the Adler Arts Center, the Village of Libertyville, and Landscapes Concepts LLC. The Woods at Adler is an approximate 9-acre woodland surrounding the Adler Arts Center. It includes remnants of the landscape design on the historic estate of David and Katherine Adler that was purchased by the Village in 1956. The woodland has been invaded by non-native European Buckthorn and Honeysuckle trees and shrubs. Since bird diversity decreases as buckthorn invasion increases in woodlands, this birdscape project involves removing the aggressive invasive trees and shrubs and installing bird-friendly native trees and shrubs in pods along a woodland path. This is a multi-year project that began in 2020 and is currently underway.

    Learn More

 

Birdscaping at home

Native plant garden. Photo: Patty Werner

While birdscaping of public open spaces provides important bird habitat, most of our landscape is privately owned as residential yards, business or institutional building campuses, or agricultural areas. Therefore, how we design and manage our individual home and work landscapes will be even more important for the future of birds – and our future.  There are several local, regional and national organizations and nursery businesses that support native plants for birds at home.  Find out how to make your home a bird-friendly place by taking advantage of these resources.

Learn More

Links for more information about native plants for birds:

Openlands Conservation @Home program: https://openlands.org/get-involved/lands-in-harmony/
Wild Ones: https://nativegardendesigns.wildones.org/ 
Wild Ones Lake to Prairie Chapter:https://laketoprairie.wildones.org/resources/ 
National Audubon Society native plant selector: https://www.audubon.org/native-plants
Lake County Forest Preserves: https://www.lcfpd.org/what-we-do/conservation/landscaping/ 
Native gardening club: https://www.lcfpd.org/search/?Keyword=native%20garden%20club
U of I Extension: https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/create-bird-friendly-yard
Homegrown National Park: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/tallamys-hub-1

 

Become a Volunteer

Contact program coordinator, Paul Geiselhart: geiselhart8@aol.com