From Publishers Weekly:
Creating a backyard garden that will attract and sustain agreeable wildlife becomes a delightful task with this informative guide by Canadian naturalist Merilees. Songbird enthusiasts will learn how to construct singing stations and grouse dust baths; urbanites are told how to convert balconies into more modest habitats. For the adventurous, Merilees recommends methods to lure insects and spiders ("least understood, most overlooked . . . yet among the most fascinating"), butterflies (enchanted by sun, fragrant flowers and watery "seeps"), small mammals and shy yet beneficial reptiles and amphibians (garter snakes). He frankly acknowledges the potential problems (and offers workable solutions) of attracting such a gamut of visitors--property damage, disease transmission, disturbance of the natural balance--but argues convincingly that nurturing wildlife rewards the effort of planting native species or building bumblebee nest boxes. Though neither exhaustive nor without bias--opossum, deer and wild geese are mysteriously neglected, and the domestic cat is maligned--this guide is richly imaginative. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal:
This fine book stands out from the crowd of books on this subject because it is not overwhelmingly concerned with birds. In additon to information on attracting wildlife, there are also tips on controlling pests and how to perform wildlife first aid and handle orphaned animals. A list of helpful agencies and organizations is included. Chapters cover seasonal cycles; bird and animal houses and feeders; and the best food mixes and plantings for everything from butterflies and mammals to hummingbirds. There may be no other book that describes recipes to attract moths, or has directions on how to construct a bumblebee nest box, bat box, toad and bat lights, and artificial burrows for toads and rabbits! Highly recommended.
- Henry T. Armistead, Thomas Jefferson Univ. Lib., Philadelphia
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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