Wildlife need clean drinking water to survive and during the heat of the summer, providing water is a great way to attract birds and other wildlife. Here are a few easy ways you can provide wildlife with water in your yard or garden:
Songbirds — provide a birdbath filled with fresh water. Place it within 10-12 feet of shrubs & trees that offer birds cover from predators as they drink and bathe
Butterflies — provide a puddling area. Fill a shallow dish with soil or sand, and then top it with water. Butterflies will suck up the mineral-rich water from the mud
Frogs — create a water garden. Fill an 18-24 inch deep container or plastic pond liner with water up to the brim. Plant a mix of native aquatic plants such as water lilies, rushes, and wetland wildflowers
If you provide the four basic elements — food, water, cover, and a place to raise their young — while using sustainable gardening practices, you will give wildlife the safe haven they need.
