T
ake a step into the backyard of Rachel Hansen, ’09, a New College Business and Management major, and you might forget you’re not far the hustle and bustle of Austin-Bergstrom Airport. Butterflies flutter near cedar elm trees. Birds sing from one of 20 birdhouses in Texas red oaks, flowering plums and wisterias. Squirrels gather acorns that have fallen among the Virginia creeper and maiden grass. Armadillos sleep in boxwoods. Hansen’s half-acre property isn’t a private nature preserve, but it’s the next best thing: an official Backyard Wildlife Habitat certified through the National Wildlife Federation. The certification process requires residents to provide the four elements wildlife needs to thrive: food such as native shrubs that produce berries, a reliable water source from a birdbath or pond, dense natural cover for protection from predators, and mature trees or other safe places to raise young animals. Homeowners must also employ sustainable gardening techniques like mulching, xeriscaping and replacing invasive plants with native plants. Hansen took a few moments away from tending her slice of paradise to talk with St. Edward’s University Magazine about her experience as a backyard conservationist.
magnificent to look at. The parks and wildlife service estimates that they are probably over 20 years old. I’ve also seen armadillos, coral snakes and wild parakeets. What do your friends think of your backyard? One of my friends, [Assistant Professor of English] Susan Gunn, ’91, was so impressed by it that she went ahead and got her own backyard certified. Are there ever any squabbles over territory between the inhabitants? I notice a decrease in the fish in my pond when the hawks come around. Another time a water moccasin showed up in the pond, and most of the frogs disappeared. Additional reporting by Stacia Hernstrom, MLA, ’05
Want to get your backyard certified? It’s easy to get your backyard certified by the National Wildlife Federation. Go to www.nwf.org/backyard and follow the six-step process of certification. Step 1: Decide you’re ready to set up your yard and garden for wildlife. Step 2: Create a food source. Step 3: Create a water source. Step 4: Provide cover and places for wild animals to raise their young. Step 5: Develop environmentally friendly ways to garden. Step 6: Apply for certification through the National Wildlife Federation.
Why did you get your yard certified, and how long did the process take? I started about five years ago as a way to support conservation. I’ve always been into gardening, and once I realized how much natural wildlife was already in the yard, I took it to the next level. How much work have you had to do to your backyard? A lot of the wildlife like raccoons, squirrels and armadillos were already there when I started, but the snakes, frogs and most of the birds have arrived because of my efforts. In terms of plant life, I’ve put in 95 percent of all the plants, along with the redbuds, two of the mountain laurels, the flowering plum, one of the live oaks and the red oak.
Rachel Hansen, ’09 (above), tends to her backyard, certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Fake flamingos (right) share Hansen’s pond with more animate animal neighbors such as snakes, frogs, birds and armadillos.
katy rogers, ’08
What are some of the different species you’ve spotted? There are two great horned owls, a male and female, that I’ve seen a few times. I usually hear them more than see them, but they are
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