I don’t know where exactly to post this, I figured tortoise lovers might care. Land development sign placed over an active gopher tortoises into burrow in South Florida. Called the company and was told “there are people illegally moving gopher tortoises into the area to prevent us from developing”.
Red Fox Feeding on the Lawn
In the east end have a skunk under our backyard shed we just noticed early this morning
We have 2 dogs that use this yard and have already had to deal with a spray event, not nice!
Services? Advice from homeowners that have dealt with a skunk on your property? We are animal lovers and coexist with lots of wildlife and are open to suggestions
Thanks
I left the a bowl of seeds for the birds but the squirrels would come and eat them which I don’t mind but they chew on the door of the boiler room on my storage where I hid a big bag of seeds. What should I do?
I know nj has a high density of bears, hence the bear hunt debate, but Damn I am still surprised whenever one ends up somewhere like Elizabeth. This is like there being a bear in parts of Queens, in terms of density. I am curious as to what routes they could take around Union county without being noticed till they end up on a residential street hemmed in by the I-95 and the Elizabeth correctional facility. The Elizabeth river? Or just buffer zones around highways and the airport?
Hey everyone,
My wife and I just finished a huge project and I’m honestly so proud of how far our yard has come. We officially got certified as a Wildlife Habitat, and I wanted to share what we planted, how we set up the different beds, and what the process looked like in case it inspires someone else.
🌱 Why We Did It
We wanted our yard to actually support life — pollinators, birds, beneficial insects, everything. Instead of fighting the land, we decided to work with it. And honestly, watching the ecosystem come back has been the best part.
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🌼 What We Planted (Native + Pollinator‑Friendly Mix)
Front Yard Bed
This one is our “pollinator highway.” We packed it with:
• Penstemon
• Columbine
• Lupines
• Sweet alyssum
• Lavender
• Russian sage
• Roses (already established, we just cleaned them up)
It went from “ignored for 3 years” to “bees holding HOA meetings.”
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🌾 Backyard Beds
We’ve got a few zones back there:
Full sun, great soil, perfect for:
• Tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Native flowers mixed in for pollinators
• A few herbs
This bed is about 60–70% native plants now.
This is our “messy on purpose” zone.
We let native volunteers come up, added a brush pile for shelter, and let the dandelions and yarrow do their thing. Tons of insect activity already.
We’re planning a small wildlife pond — shallow edges, rocks, native grasses. This will be our water source for certification.
This one is mostly shade‑tolerant natives and pollinator plants. It’s filling in beautifully.
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🌳 What We Needed for Certification
To get certified, we had to show we had:
• Food sources (native plants, berries, flowers)
• Water (bird bath for now, pond coming soon)
• Shelter (brush pile, shrubs, trees)
• Places to raise young (birdhouse, dense shrubs, native thickets)
• Sustainable practices (mulch, no pesticides, letting the wild corners stay wild