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Convert
Your Back Yard Into a "Smartyard"
At No Cost to You
If you
live in the Appoquinimink Watershed, you can provide an oasis
for local birds, butterflies, and other wildlife while helping
to ensure the health of our streams and rivers by converting
your back yard into a “Smartyard.” This
unique program, offered by the Delaware
Nature Society, the Appoquinimink River Association, and the Delaware
Department of Natural Resources is free of charge.
Smartyards participants receive one of three landscaping packages,
valued at approximately $550, that include:
- a variety of native trees,
shrubs, and perennials provided by Gateway
Garden Center. You will have the opportunity to select among
the list of species to fit your personal choices.
- a bird feeder, nesting box, and
bird bath provided
by Wild Birds Unlimited to enhance the habitat value of your property.
- a Delaware Nature Society Backyard
Habitat starter kit filled
with educational and how-to resources to help you begin gardening for
wildlife. The kit contains your application for certification,
water quality checklist, Delaware native plant list, local
watershed information, habitat planning guide, and tip sheets
on attracting birds and butterflies.
- one-on-one technical assistance from
Delaware Nature Society trained Habitat Stewards to help you
enhance the wildlife and environmental value of your property.
- planning and installation guidelines to
ensure proper placement and maintenance of the plant materials.
- a rain barrel to help
you conserve water resources.
Smartyards
provide habitat for a greater diversity of wildlife species,
reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizer and pesticide
applications, and conserve water resources better than traditional
turf grass landscapes. The Smartyards program is a key
component of the Delaware Nature Society’s Backyard
Habitat program.
All
Smartyards materials are provided free of charge. Recipients
agree to attend a brief introductory meeting, pick up and
install all materials, provide mulch for plantings, and display
a small Backyard Habitat sign (less than 8” x 11”).
All residents
within the Appoquinimink watershed are eligible for the Smartyards
program. The Appoquinimink Watershed encompasses
the towns of Odessa, Townsend, and Middletown and drains 30,239
acres to the Appoquinimink River.
Packages
are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. To sign
up for Smartyards, please contact the Delaware Nature Society
at 302-239-2334, the Appoquinimink River Association at 302-312-9034,
or by email before
July 16th. The program will begin this coming autumn.
Even
if you do not participate in Smartyards, you can still take part
in the effort to protect local water quality and improve wildlife
habitat through your home landscaping practices by participating
in the Backyard Habitat program. The Backyard Habitat program
provides official certification for properties where owners meet
the four criteria necessary for wildlife habitat:
- food
- cover
- water
- places
for wildlife to raise young
Certified habitats may range from those meeting the minimum requirements,
such as a small urban balcony or rooftop, to extensive naturalized
areas that meet a variety of wildlife needs. Contact the Delaware
Nature Society for more information.
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