Butterflies & Wildlife

Butterflies and Backyard Wildlife Made Welcome

Gardens can support far more than birds. Butterflies, bees, toads, hedgehogs, bats and other small animals all need food, water and shelter, and many have lost habitat to tidy, treated landscapes. Knowing what each visitor needs makes it easier to help without causing harm, and small changes to a yard often make the biggest difference through the seasons.

These guides cover which plants feed adult butterflies and which host their caterpillars, how to build simple shelters and log piles, and how to cut back on pesticides that harm insects. You will also learn how to tell common garden visitors apart and how to coexist with animals that raid vegetables or dig up lawns. If you find an injured animal or a wild animal behaving oddly, keep your distance and contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or local animal control.