Looking around today, we can all see that there are fewer habitats available to support wildlife. While most of us are not in a position to stop something like development, horse property owners do have the ability to create or restore wildlife on their own land.
Jay Mirro, Senior Resource Specialist with the King Conservation District in Renton, Washington, knows about creating wildlife habitat. He has worked with horse and livestock owners for over 25 years, assisting with land management issues and teaching conservation practices. He and his family also have a 34-acre farm where they raise livestock and grow hay. They are mindful of wildlife needs so they can enjoy hawks soaring above, bobcats in the woods, deer and elk on the pastures at night, and the bold voices of tiny spring peeper frogs in the evenings.
Provide Wildlife with Suitable Living Conditions
“Wildlife need four things: food, water, shelter, and space,” says Mirro. “A frog is going to need something different than an owl.”
“When I help someone with their farm and we talk about how to make their land friendly for wildlife, the first thing we discuss is streams and wetlands.” Aquatic areas are sensitive to impacts from human activities but “they also offer the most diverse habitat,” explains Mirro. Some of his suggestions include preventing access to water bodies by horses, perhaps by providing an out-of-stream watering point and planting a barrier of native plants that extends 20 to 50 feet back from the edge of the water. Buffer vegetation acts as a filter, cleaning dirty stormwater runoff before it reaches the stream. “That buffer also offers the four essential components for wildlife,” says Mirro. Aquatic animals, birds, and small mammals will use this area. “It becomes a corridor for wildlife, a vegetative path along the streams that allows animals to travel naturally.”
Rewilding is a term Mirro uses to describe ecological restoration with increased biodiversity. “There is something satisfying about a freshly mowed lawn,” says Mirro carefully. “But do you need every square inch to be manicured?” Consider allowing corners of pastures or hard-to- reach sections to become revegetated with native plants. Mirro explains this practice will create pockets of habitat for wildlife like rabbits or meadow voles, which become food for Sharp Shinned hawks or nocturnal Great Horned owls.
Practice “leave the leaves” over the winter. “There’s a compulsion to rake up all the leaves, which provide micro habitats for insects and amphibians that overwinter in leaf litter. If you can live with leaf litter, you provide a lot of habitat for small critters.”
Design Habitats that Fit Horse Properties
Hedgerows are another way horse owners can provide for wildlife. “I have walked along miles of hedgerows, and they are full of life,” says Mirro. “A hedgerow is a narrow planting, mostly of shrubs but possibly a few trees, too. The plants create a thick, vegetative line that can be planted along an edge of a pasture, providing habitat and food for birds and small animals. Choose plant species that aren’t toxic to wildlife or horses.” A hedgerow can also double for other uses like a privacy barrier between neighbors, a windscreen shelter, a dust barrier next to an arena, or a sunshade. “The hedgerow could even be a physical barrier that keeps the public from contacting your horses, if you want that,” offers Mirro.
Instead of burning downed sticks and branches, add them to your hedgerows or create brush piles with them. These provide natural habitat for small mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. “I add all the winter’s downed branches to my brush piles every year. Rabbits love to bolt into them—which is terribly frustrating for the dogs when they are chasing them,” Mirro says with a grin. Just mind any invasive weeds in these areas, as they can establish if you are not careful.
Pollinator gardens are an attractive addition to pockets of a yard or along a driveway. Choose flowering plant species which provide food for butterflies, hummingbirds, and native bees. “It’s important to have species blooming in these areas early season, mid- and late season,” recommends Mirro. “That way, there’s nectar or pollen as long as possible.”
“If you are managing hay ground, consider leaving unmowed tall grass in strips 10 to 25 feet wide from October to July (through winter and into summer),” offers Mirro. This provides habitat for ground nesting birds like Towhees, along with other smaller animals like gopher snakes that will prey on the shrews and rodents they find there.
Get Help
For assistance, Mirro suggests landowners work with their local conservation district, state department of fish and wildlife, extension office, National Resources Conservation Service, land trust, or other non-profits. “There might even be financial support to install these practices.” Our Custom Consultations are also a great way to get personalized advice and help creating or restoring wildlife habitat on your property.
From beneficial pollinating bees and butterflies to toads and salamanders, to larger animals like owls and foxes, inviting wildlife into our properties has wonderful payoffs for the landowner, as well as for our neighbors and the environment.
