Why Audubon At home?Our life on earth depends on natural systems that provide us with air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, and sources of energy and raw materials. Overburdening those natural systems can change the natural equilibrium. Concentrations of the green-house gas carbon dioxide, for example, have increased by more than thirty percent since pre-industrial times. As a result, our world is warming. This is producing a series of changes in climate that threaten the continued survival of many bird species.

Audubon At Home promotes positive change in our daily activities to make our life on earth more sustainable. Careful consideration of our actions can help maintain healthy habitats that can support birds and other wildlife. Audubon At Home provides informa-tion and resources to enable you:

• toincorporateconservationchoicesintodailylifestyledecisionsathomeandatwork, such as deciding which kinds of products to buy;

• todevelopandmaintainahealthyyard;• toworkwithAudubonchaptersandcommunitygroupstocreatehealthy

neighborhoods;• toworkwithAudubonchapterstocreate,restore,andmonitorbirdhabitats.

heAlthy PlAnet PledgeI pledge to the best of my ability to: • Reduceconsumption • Reducepesticideuse• Reducewaste • Plantnativespecies• Conservewater • Removeinvasiveexoticplants• Protectwaterquality • SupportbirdsandotherwildlifeonmypropertyPleasefillouttheformbelowandmailittoyourlocalAudubonchapterofficelistedon this page. With your participation, we can measure our collective impacts on bird conservation and environmental health. Also, take a Healthy Yard pledge by going to http://audubonathome.org/pledge.

I pledge to adopt Audubon At Home principles in my yard and home.

Name:

Address:

Email:

Propertysize(acres): Less than 0.25 0.25 to less than 0.5 0.5 to less than 1 1–2 3–4 5–10 11–25 26–50 51–100 100+ acres

Location: Urban Suburban Rural

I would like to receive more information about Audubon At Home Yes No Thanks

Audubon Arizona4250EastCamelbackRoadSuite310KPhoenix,AZ85018602-468-6470Fax602-468-6480az.audubon.org

desert Rivers Audubon Society1121NTerraceRoadChandler,AZ85266602-388-4072desertriversaudubon.org

huachuca Audubon SocietyP.O.Box63SierraVista,AZ85636huachuca-audubon.org

maricopa Audubon SocietyPOBox15451Phoenix,AZ85060480-966-5246maricopaaudubon.org

northern Arizona Audubon SocietyPOBox1496Sedona,AZ86339928-522-0375nazas.org

Prescott Audubon SocietyPOBox4156Prescott,AZ86302prescottaudubon.org

Sonoran Audubon SocietyPOBox8068Glendale,AZ85312602-257-3951sonoranaudubon.org

tucson Audubon Society300E.UniversityBlvd.#120Tucson,AZ85705520-629-0510tucsonaudubon.org

White mountain Audubon SocietyPOBox3043Pinetop,AZ85935928-367-2462whitemountainaudubon.org

yuma Audubon SocietyPOBox6395Yuma,AZ85366-6395audubonyuma.org

An InvItAtIon to A HeAltHy ArIzonA HomeA healthy yard and home isasafeenvironm

entthatminimize

sthreats to birds, other wildlife, and people, and supports a diversity of plants and animals. A rich personal landscape

helpsminimizeo

urecological impact by providing habitat for plants and animals that may have been destroyed when your house was built, and eliminates the effects of destructive management practices of previous owners.

Keepcats

indoors at all times.

Use decals and screens to

stop window strikes.

Plantnative species

to provide food, nesting places, and shelter for birds and other

wildlife.

Buildwater

harvesting features.

Harvest solar power for lights or use energy

bulbs.

Providea small,

shallow, water source for

wildlife.

Create wildlife

shelters from brush piles.

IllustrationbyKarenStucke©2007.Nottobeusedforany other purpose without permission.

TextbyPaulGreenandKendallKroesenofTucsonAudubon.

Design and layout by Eng-Li Green.

PrintingcourtesyofSRP.Printedon100%post-consumerrecycled paper.

1 ConSume leSS And ConSume ReSPonSibly Question each item you consume. Buyorganicproductstohelpeliminateinputsof

pesticidesandfertilizers.Buyshade-grown,organiccoffee to help retain forest cover for birds. Instead of buying bottled water, fill a metal water bottle from your tap to help alleviate problems arising from disposal of plastic bottles and overuse of aquifers at bottling plants. Use low-mercury compact fluorescent light bulbs, an efficient showerhead, and low-flow faucet aerators. Use vegetable-based soaps and detergents that make use of renewableresources.Rejectexcessivenon-recycled,non-recyclable and non-biodegradable packaging of all kindsincludingplasticbags.Buyreusableorganiccotton bags.

2 ReduCe domeStiC uSe of foSSil fuelS Burningfossilfuelsreleasesstoredcarbonintoouratmosphere which warms as a result. Domestic

use of fossil fuels accounts for one-quarter of total energyconsumptionintheUS.Reducingcarbondioxide(CO2) productionfromthecurrentlevelof22tons(t)perpersoneachyeariscritical(Europeansuselessthanhalfthisamount).Somewaysinwhichwecandothis:adjustthermostatstoreducefueldemandsfromheating/cooling units, replace old, inefficient heaters and coolers, use a clothes-line instead of a tumble drier (whichuses6percentofhouseholdenergy).

3 ReduCe tRAnSPoRt uSe of foSSil fuelS RoadtransportintheUSproducesaround5.6tofCO2

per person each year. Newer, fuel efficient vehicles could reduce this by more than half. However, balance a decision to trade in your old vehicle against the CO2 output in producing a new one, about the same as running a vehicle for two years or more.

4 ReduCe otheR uSeS of foSSil fuelS Buyorganicfoods(save1.1t),useawood-burningstove(1.0t),subscribetogreenelectricitytariffs

(0.9t),improvehomeinsulation(0.9t),reduceairtravel(0.8t),buylocallyproducednon-processednon-packagedfood(0.8t).If100millionpeoplereducedCO2 emissions by 11t a year, we’d save more than a billion tons each year, around 5 percent of the total.

5 ReduCe lAndfill Throw away less by making maximum use of your local recycling programs. Choose recycled products to support these

programs. Compost your organic waste.

6 CReAte A heAlthy yARd Reduceyourecological impact by providing habitat for plants and animals that may have been destroyed when

yourhousewasbuilt.Minimizethreatstobirdsandother wildlife. Establish a yard that welcomes a wide diversity of plants and animals. Eliminate the effects of destructive practices of previous owners.

7 helP biRdS in youR yARd Providefood,shelter, and nesting sites for five or six bird species that need the most support in your part of the

state. Watch to see how the birds respond to your efforts. To determine which species near you need the most help, and to find ways to help support them on your property, visit http://audubonathome.org/birdstohelp/ and http://web1.audubon.org/science/species/watchlist.

8 uSe nAtive PlAntS Use plants native to your region. Non-native invasive species threaten biodiversity and can displace native plants. Native

desert shrubs and trees provide food, nesting places, and shelter for birds and other wildlife. For details of what to plant in your part of the state, visit http://azgfd.gov/w_c/ landscaping_desert_wildlife.shtml.

Many nurseries now carry native plants and seeds. Spreadseedinthefallinnaturallow-lyingareas,orinyourplantingbasins.Springwildflowerscangrowin good years with well spaced rains through the fall and winter. If you add seeds of summer-germinating wildflowers, you may have summer flowers as well.

9 CReAte multiPle lAyeRS Create multi-layered communities of plants to mimic natural habitats: provide canopy trees, mid and understory

shrubs, grasses and annuals. Many birds forage and nest high in the branches of native trees. Thick, ground-hugging shrubs provide cover for birds that stay closer to the ground such as quail, sparrows and thrashers.

10 uSe WAteR hARveSting teChniqueS Minimizetheneedforirrigationthroughyourchoice of native plant species and by using water

harvestingtechniques.Small,sunkenplantingbedswithelevated walkways harvest rainwater, deliver more moisture to plants, and reduce storm water flooding on streets and urban washes. Once established, most native desert landscaping plants in basins will survive with little or no irrigation. Direct water into the landscape from roofs, downspouts, patios, and other ‘hardscape’. Use organic mulch to insulate and keep the soil moist.

11 feed Wildlife Providefoodforbirds,butterflies, and other wildlife through natural plantings.ItisnotlegaltofeedwildlifeinArizona

althoughbirdfeedingisallowed.Planttoallowforseedingandplantnectar-producingplants.Visithttp://azgfd.gov/w_c/landscaping_desert_wildlife.shtml. In warm desert areas, clean bird feeders and bird baths regularly.Brushingthemoutandlettingthemdryoutinthe sun for a day is an excellent way of killing disease-causing organisms.

12 PRovide WAteR Provideasmall,shallow,water source for wildlife. A drip is good for attracting birds and other wildlife. Hummers like

falling water. Empty and refresh containers daily.

13 don’t be tidy Leave snags for nesting places and create brush piles for shelter. Leave the flowers of annuals to dry so that birds can find the

seeds, and drop dead flower heads in the garden where they remain available to birds and provide mulch.

14 CReAte neSting StRuCtuReS Create nesting structures for cavity-nesting bird species in natural sites which provide necessary insulation.

Traditional bird houses may become too hot in parts of our state. If you use them, place them in areas that are mostly or always shady and provide added insulation. Providehomesandfoodfornaturalpollinatorsincludinghostplantsformothsandbutterflies.Visithttp://www.fws.gov/ pollinators/index.html. Homes for bees can be constructed by drilling holes in wood. Create natural roosting places for bats.

15 KeeP Wildlife SAfe Preventwindowstrikesby covering with screens or drawing blinds. Remember,decalsneedtobespacednomore

than3inchesaparttobeeffective.Placefeederscloserthan 3 feet or more than 30 feet from the window. Keepcatsindoorsatalltimes.It’sbetterforyourcat,andforthebirdsandotherwildlife.Visithttp://audubonathome.org/KeepWildlifeSafe.html.

16 WoRK With youR neighboRS If you have a larger property, work with neighbors to encourage habitatprotectionacrosspropertylines.Screen

fence lines with native shrubs to create wildlife corridors.Alwaysprotectriparianareasfromgrazing.

17 be An AdvoCAte foR youR enviRonment Work with your Audubon Chapter to contact your local, state, or

federal representatives as issues of conservation importance arise.

18 tAKe the Pledge! Complete the pledge at the bottom of the page on the reverse to declare that you will do these things. For more information

please visit http://audubonathome.org/.

Audubon At home in ARizonA

The Audubon At Home website contains information and downloadable resources to help you plan and develop your property in a wildlife- friendly way. You’ll find regional resources and information about the birds, other wildlife, and native plants in your area at http://audubonathome.org/ ranchettes.

KENdAllKROESEN

PAUl&ENG-lIGREEN

PAUl&ENG-lIGR

EEN

TUCSONAUdUBONSOCIETY

ROBERTShANTZ

KENdAllKROESEN