Previously I had written a post
addressing the importance of natural corridors both within the park and also
connecting the park to other wilderness areas. While I was researching this
topic I learned about different efforts to preserve these corridors and ways of
working with the community to ensure that the landscape stays as wildlife
friendly as possible. Unfortunately in that post I was not able to thoroughly
explore the ways of making developed areas wildlife sensitive. While looking into the subject I came across
a great article in Adirondack Like
about the effects of a house on the surrounding wildlife and different ways of
mitigating the disturbances. Both the structure and our daily activities can
affect the surrounding wildlife. These activities “cast a wildlife shadow over
15 to 30 acres.” Even though a property can be modestly built in a natural
area, it can still have large impacts on the surrounding wildlife.
The
wildlife shadow can be impacted by different activities including noise and
light pollution as well as landscaping and gardening. Starting with the house
itself, it is important to keep inside vegetation away from the windows and
make sure that they do not reflect outside vegetation. Birds are attracted to
this reflection and are often injured or die when they hit the glass. It is
also important that outdoor lighting is only used when necessary and that it
points down. This will minimize light pollution, which can disrupt the behavior
of wildlife in the surrounding area. One architectural suggestion that I had
not thought about before was the proximity of a house to the main road and the
length of the driveway. Having a long driveway has always been indicative of a
private setting. While it may seem like your property is more natural by having
a long driveway, it is actually a large disturbance for the surrounding wildlife.
A long driveway breaks up the surrounding area and disrupts the range of
certain species. It is important to build a house closer to the road when
possible as to not break up the natural landscape around. Many of these
practices are common sense, yet are often overlooked.
Creating a
home that is wildlife sensitive means more than just developing in a natural
setting. It takes careful planning and consideration of the surrounding fauna
and flora. It is important to keep this
in mind when developing in the Adirondacks. Since more than 60% of the park is
privately owned, we must depend on private landowners to maintain a property
that can coexist with the wildlife. More and more properties are being built
every year, which increase the chances of habit fragmentation and wildlife
displacement. This increase risk of disruption means that it is imperative for
Adirondack homeowners to take these practices into strong consideration to
ensure that the park can stay as wild as possible.
How to Make Your Home Wildlife Friendly Adirondack Life
Make Room For Wildlife: A Resource For Landowners In The
Northern Forest
