Naturalist Urges Wildlife-friendly Landscaping

A Woodbine naturalist is encouraging churches to think about wildlife when they landscape this spring.

Most churches in Cape May County, N.J., especially those on the barrier islands, own tiny tracts of property, according to tax records. But combined, churches in Cape May County own 419 acres, including cemeteries, residential homes and empty lots. This is the equivalent of about 380 football fields laid end to end.

Naturalist and nursery owner Karen Williams said churches and other landowners can take simple steps to help local wildlife. She will present her ideas to the public this weekend at the Church of the Resurrection in Marmora.

"There are ways to make wildlife-friendly landscaping that aren't any more labor-intensive than traditional landscaping," she said.

From the 30-by-40 lot in Ocean City owned by the Christian Brothers Church to the 105-acre Cold Spring Cemetery, church-owned lands can provide a sanctuary for native and migratory wildlife, she said.

Williams said property owners often landscape with an eye toward aesthetics and practicality. But tidy, bare lawns offer little for native wildlife, she said.

"That's the way it was done since World War II. What was important was how the property looked from the street," she said. "It's a big part of the country's culture and it's not going to change overnight."

Churches are not the only culprits, she said. Many office parks and malls do the same thing.

Woodbine, the borough where she lives, is building the final section of its bicycle path. Williams said she plans to ask the borough to add more landscaping.

She recommends native plants such as the American Holly and red-twig dogwoods, blueberry bushes and beach plums. They require little watering and do well in southern New Jersey soils, she said. The flowers and berries provide different foods and cover for birds and butterflies.

"The plants I had survived last summer's drought," she said.

The author, Michael Miller, can be reached at MMiller@pressofac.com.