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Home Landscaping That Benefits Wildlife
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Useful Plants for Native Sonoran Desert Habitat in Tucson
At Tucson Audubon we are practicing what we preach. Just come look at our front yard!
We have always had native, drought-tolerant vegetation in front of the Audubon Nature Shop. Now we have enhanced it with more plants and a new rainwater harvesting design.
The idea is to create a landscape that thrives with little or no irrigation water, and is densely planted with native plants that create habitat for native birds.
The part of the Historic YWCA roof above the Nature Shop is drained by “scuppers,” essentially tubes projecting from near the top of the outside wall. Water spills down from them onto the ground. Formerly, much of this water ran down the front walkway and off into the parking space to the east, ultimately running into the street and contributing to flooding.
Now a good deal of the water will splash into rock-armored basins. In most cases when a basin fills, it overflows into another basin. The basins are located between raised pathways, which also shed water into the basins. In very heavy rains some water is likely to overflow into the street, but much more of it will stay in the landscape, helping plants to grow.
The recently published Layperson's Guide to Arizona Water estimates that about 60% of municipal (non-agricultural, non-industrial) water use is for landscaping. Here in Arizona we can grow lush landscapes of native wildlife—attracting plants with much less water than that, if we divert rainwater from roofs and other hardscape into the landscape. Drip irrigation, if necessary, may be used for getting plants established and during prolonged droughts. ( Note : The Layperson's Guide to Arizona Water is extremely useful and very accessible. It was published by the Water Education Foundation and the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, and is available at ag.arizona.edu/azwater/ under “Recent Publications.”)
The new plants in the yard are all native to the Sonoran Desert and were donated by Desert Survivors Nursery. The plants were chosen with help from Jim Verrier , nursery director, to attract birds and pollinating insects to the yard. The nursery, at 1020 West Starr Pass Road (between I-10 and Mission Road ), has a fantastic and affordable selection of plants for landscaping in Tucson , many of which attract birds. Contact them at 791-9309, or go to www.desertsurvivors.org .
Soon there will be interpretive materials available at the shop about the front yard, and about habitat landscaping in general. We are developing a list of useful native landscaping plants that attract birds and other wildlife. Drop by soon to have a look.
Thank you:
Desert Survivors Nursery; Jim Verrier, Nursery Director
Olivia Morningstar and volunteers from Soka Gakkai International— USA
Lia Sansom , who organized the work days
Tucson Audubon staff members and volunteers: Lia Sansom, Rodd Lancaster, Matt Griffiths, Matt Brooks, Sara Pike, Heather Hatch, Jeff Burrows,Martha Wiewal
Shawn Burke and Joe Schwanz of the Historic YWCA
Bird questions? Check Birding | General questions? Contact: Tucson Audubon Society | Webmaster: Email
This page was updated on 07/05/06