What lives in the old Oak hollow across the street? It may surprise you to know the diversity of animal life that thrives there.
We often discuss habitat and habitat preservation. Do you ever wonder what you can do to enhance wildlife habitat on your urban plot? Maybe find some simple, cost effective ways to keep you and the critters happy? Creating or, better yet, preserving homes and food for the animals can be pretty painless and as easy as leaving trees standing! Nature knows what to do with a dead tree.
If we want more birds like chickadees and nuthatches, or bigger birds like owls, we need them to have homes to live in and food to eat. Pictured below is a hollow lilac stem we found on a job site. The startled mother mouse jammed herself into part of the trunk to hide the babies, but left one in the nest and another wedged and exposed.
Cavity in Lilac
Mama mouse squeezing in with baby
We spoke to the client and she was thrilled that we left it alone. Mice are a great example of a food source for other animals we cherish, like owls. Unfortunately, we can’t have one without the other. Creating small spaces for insects and animals is just the start. I have no doubt that dead shrub stem hollows like this are used in yard after yard.
Pictured below is my attempt to attract wildlife in dead spruce stumps. This past spring I drilled into the stumps with a 1-1/8” bit and bored out a larger hole on the inside. As the stump rots, it will attract bugs and woodpeckers and hopefully some small birds who like the habitat. This is just year one, patience is the key. I’m hopeful a chickadee or wren will find it this spring.
The structures we are talking about don’t need to be big, they just need to be big enough to house the smallest of creatures. Large, old trees tend to have more holes, also known as cavities, in them, providing ample housing opportunities for big and small animals alike. You can see this cavity is already the beginning of a “grain bin” for an animal as someone has started to store seeds there.
As a tree care professional, my job is to remove trees that are considered a hazard in order to mitigate risk to person and/or property. Often those trees are the ones that have the most wildlife in them. The most common approach is to remove the entire tree to the ground and then grind the stump, essentially erasing the tree from the landscape. Although we do this often, we also encourage people to consider other options when available.
Elm developing nesting spaces
The photo above is an example of a standing snags, or wildlife trees. The elm above died and was left to fall apart on its own. Not a dollar was spent on this removal as it has been “dead” for 10 years. I say “dead” in quotes because it has so much life in it still. Yes, I was sad to watch it die, but I have enjoyed observing the decay process as much as observing the live tree. You can see the big hole at the top of the large stem, and what you can’t see are all the holes up near the top that provide habitat for smaller birds and animals. I’m tempted to punch some bigger holes in the trunk to try to encourage more nesting.
The photo above is likely my favorite wildlife tree in Madison. You may have driven by it, as you can see it’s right by the street. This red oak lost its top around 10 years ago at a hollow (still there) and sprouted a new canopy. This tree is still providing clean air and its housing animals in its upper stem. Can’t beat nature!
Around 10 years ago, we removed a similar sized red oak, about a block away from the red oak above, that had flying squirrels living in its cavities. Each encounter with wildlife encourages us as a company to work harder to protect habitat. In this instance we waited to remove the stem until spring so the squirrels had time to move to one of their other nests.
These are good examples of why we should leave some trees for wildlife. Often, this might involve leaving a stem or trunk of a tree at 15-20’ tall or even shorter, rarely taller (all dependent on risk factors). There are a couple of benefits to performing tree care in this manner….
The reduced scope of work can save the client money!!!
Old or veteran trees already have nesting cavities in them so we can avoid destroying established habitat.
Wildlife trees or snags can be interesting to watch and observe as they deteriorate over time. You would be surprised how long a snag can stand without a canopy to support.
Serves as monument to the living tree that once stood in that spot.
If the tree is not dead there is a chance that the tree will sprout new growth to continue in a smaller state.
Retains more of the nutrients from the decaying wood in your yard or property.
Finding balance between our desire to keep a tidy property and nature’s needs can be a challenge. Leaving habitat trees for wildlife is one option, another is leaving the leaves in your yard in fall. Both have many benefits to the natural world and help to keep the nutrients where they land, or at least close by. You might even find that having natural areas in your yard makes the “tidying” easier and more efficient! Start making a plan for a natural area or areas in your yard where you can compost leaves or leave a standing dead tree or shrub. Make space for nature in your landscape. We’re betting you’ll be surprised and delighted at what unfolds.