Springtime in Clark County

Spring Has Sprung!

It's a magnificent time of year and it's great to spend it in Clark County. The bulbs are bursting, the bees are buzzing and the birds are chirping. You're probably starting to think about your garden. You may have started up your lawnmower a few times already. We would like to encourage you to get your garden even greener by following these helpful hints.

Sustainable Gardening Tips

• First of all, no pesticides! Don't use them! They're hazardous to our health and the beneficial bugs in your backyard. Learn about some alternatives to pesticide use.
• Next, plant with natives. Native plants attract more wildlife, require less water and need fewer chemicals because they are adapted to our local environment. Find out about some native plants that you can incorporate in your garden.
• Another great thing to do is compost! By using your kitchen scraps and yard debris, you can create a useful supplement to your garden, "black gold." Learn the basics of backyard composting and worm composting.
• Are you already doing all this? Learn about what else you can do to get to a more natural garden.

Emerging Wildlife 

While you're out in the garden making it more sustainable (or when you're sleeping at 4:00 in the morning), you may notice that we're getting into baby bird season. You also may see a baby bird on the ground. Don't fear! You have a decision to make and some questions to ask:

Is the bird fully or mostly feathered? Chances are it won't need help—it just needs time to learn to fly.

Is the bird naked or with just a few fluffy feathers? Put it back in the nest. It's a common misunderstanding that birds abandon their young if a person handles them (in fact, most birds tend to have a poor sense of smell).

Is an entire nest on the ground? Replace it in the nearest tree and put the chicks back!

Have the parents not returned in two hours or are they dead? Is the bird sick or injured? Call a Wildlife Rehabilitator. Remember to wash everything that came into contact with the bird as birds can sometimes carry diseases or parasites.

Learn more about what to do in the event of a bird fall. The more you know, the better prepared you'll be (and then, of course, chances are it'll never happen to you)!