Seeing Desert Native Landscaping as Wildlife Corridors

See the wildflowers in our basin? 

One of the joys of my day is to listen to the birds frolic as I tend the pollinator plants in our rainwater basin. Sure, I probably should have looked up how much water that spiderworts take before planting them. But what the heck! We have gathered plenty of rain in our slimline basin and watering them gives me an excuse to be out there every morning. I also planted Arizona curve leaf, yellow and red salvia, and Mexican honeysuckle to add some color until the poppies, globe mallow, and brittle bush returned with the recent rain to brighten our basin. 

Dan and I love to watch the birds gathering by the birdbath from our dining room window. We've counted 22 varieties using the eBird app. A neighbor mentioned that there used to be 100 varieties in the nearby Arcadia Wash. But loss of habitat, stray cats, and the use of pesticides has contributed to the decline. We feel it is more important than ever to extend the wildlife corridors like the wash to include desert lots and yards - so the birds can find food and safe shelter.

Currently our yard is a lovely bird habitat and pollinator garden, but it wasn't that long ago that it looked pretty stark. It's funny that people take so much effort to rake up all the fallen leaves and organic matter, when ants will gather it all up or it will break down and provide nutrients to the soil. Looking back at pictures (from different seasons) of our basin full of poppy stem or horse purslane mulch, I am surprised that the critters used it all up - leaving the ground pretty bare. But one of the promises of a native habitat is that different plants are in bloom or dormant at different times of the year. It might be difficult for neighbors who keep their gravel pristine (using poisonous Roundup) to understand that the spiney, dead-looking wolfberry in our basin will leaf out to provide shelter and berries for our beloved birds.

Ever since a neighbor reported the native bunch grasses (that are an integral part of a working rain basin), I have been very mindful about how some people see them. I've made an effort to trim off the seedheads along the property line so they don't spread into the neighbors' yards. Recently, I planted poppy seeds and watered them. Up came a bunch of grass. As the grass went to seed I was tempted to trim off the seedheads, but poppies were popping up between them. As I watched a charm of finches go to town on the seeds, I was grateful that I hadn't removed their food!

The problem is that some people only see "weeds" when something green sprouts in a yard. So I do my best to make it look intentional - keeping weeds off of our path and posting signs (like the ones pictured at the top of the page) that read, "Rainwater Harvesting Basin at Work," "Plants for Birds," and "Wildlife Habitat." 

Unfortunately, the city encourages people to report grass and "weeds" over 6 inches. The crazy thing is that it is in direct conflict with their policy encouraging Green Stormwater Infrastructure. Best practices include planting native bunch grass to help the water infiltrate and build healthier soil.

When I was threatened with a $2000 dollar fine, I took it as a challenge and contacted the inspector at Environmental Services, his boss, and some like-minded city council members. I educated them about GSI policies and the importance of native plants in the basin. I even conducted a slide presentation for the Commission on Climate, Energy, and Sustainability requesting a letter of support. Which they sent. It's been years, and the neighbor who reported me has kindly stopped spraying Roundup in her front yard. 

So I was so disappointed to hear that Ann, a fellow naturalist, was being fined $10,000 for her "untidy" landscaping. This scientist has created a lush wildlife habitat with a variety of native plants that extends the wildlife corridor of Arroyo Chico. The complaint included "dead trees." But the trees were actually just dormant - beloved hackberry and ironwood trees. 

Ann's wildlife habitat has a dormant tree, grass & wildflowers. Would pollinators want her to thin it?  

Ann reached out to me for help (as the lead of Sustainable Tucson's Water Committee) and I suggested that she contact the inspector (who happens to be on vacation) and their boss. I made a few recommendations on how to make it appear a bit more "tidy." But the birds love the habitat she created. And the so-called "weeds" are wildflowers that haven't bloomed yet or bunch grass that feeds birds. Why should they suffer because the guy with boring gravel doesn't like it? 

I invited her to attend our water committee meeting on "Rainwater Harvesting and Keeping Cool with Storm to Shade." Storm to Shade is the organization responsible for maintaining Tucson's GSI. Ann shared her story to a sympathetic audience. Hopefully this will lead to the issue being resolved and for an inspector to be better educated. Watch meeting here: https://youtu.be/HU0a-7EUr7M

Maybe we all just need to learn to see our desert yards with new eyes and understand that native plants look different depending on the season. And when you're tempted to call that little patch of green a "weed" remember that native plants are vital for creating healthy wildlife corridors. Can we do that for the birds, please?

More Information: 

Identify the birds you see or hear with Merlin Bird ID: https://ebird.org/home

Good Weeds vs. Bad Weeds blog

Our Yard the Bird Feeder

 #lovemyrainbasin