Taking Care of 2010 Online Edition the Abrams Creek Wetlands: Purposes of This Booklet Tips for Homeowners, Landscapers Your property may border the Abrams Creek Wetlands, or you may live or work a few miles away. You may be a construction supervisor, and Businesses homeowner, business executive or landscaper. No matter where you live or what kinds of work you do in our community, the choices you make as you care for a piece of land can affect the Abrams Creek Wetlands and Abrams Creek itself.

This booklet’s next few pages describe why the Abrams Creek Wetlands are important to our community. The sections that follow explain how you can maintain and enhance your property and home without harming the wetlands, Abrams Creek or the surrounding watershed. Included are guidelines for choosing plants for gardening and landscaping, controlling pests, preventing soil runoff, and creating habitats for wildlife. Each section ends with sources of further information.

Eight undergraduates in Shenandoah University’s Environmental Studies Program prepared this booklet as a course project during the spring semester of 2006. We were inspired by previous Shenandoah students and a local citizens organization, The Opequon Watershed (TOW). For more than a decade, they have promoted a greater understanding, appreciation and protection of Abrams Creek and its wetlands. We were also inspired by the Good Neighbor Handbook. Tips and Tools for River-Friendly Living in the Middle Potomac Region published by the Potomac Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy. Our booklet, local in scope, addresses similar issues in our small portion of this watershed. Publication was supported by gifts from private individuals to Shenandoah University. As our work progressed, several persons offered helpful advice. To all who assisted us, supported us and inspired us, we express our gratitude.

Simpson’s Nature Photography Cover: Patient observers occasionally spot green herons (Butorides striatus), like the one in this photograph, stalking fish, frogs and other

aquatic life in the Abrams Creek Wetlands and along Abrams Creek. Prepared in May 2006 by students in Shenandoah Photo by Simpson’s Nature Photography (www.agpix.com/snphotos). University’s Environmental Studies Program The Abrams Creek Wetlands What Are Wetlands, and Why Are Wetlands Protected ?

Where Are the Abrams Creek Wetlands ? Wetlands are transition zones between land and water. They include swamps, marshes, bogs, fens and shallow ponds. In a wetland, the The Abrams Creek Wetlands extend for 1½ miles along Abrams ground is saturated with water for a substantial part of the year. Creek, from Route 37 on the west to Harvest Drive on the east. Some wetlands have standing water, while others are merely soggy. Located in both the City of Winchester and in Frederick County, the Wetlands can occur in areas where surface water collects or where wetlands area includes grassy marshes, tree-shaded swamps, sunny groundwater rises to the surface as springs and seeps. meadows and upland forests. People value wetlands for many reasons. Undisturbed wetlands act as sponges. They soak up rain water, preventing or reducing the impacts of floods. Each acre of wetlands can store more than 360,000 gallons of water when covered by a foot-deep flood. Wetlands gradually release water into , lakes, and groundwater supplies. Thus, wetlands help keep a creek full during droughts and in its banks after storms.

Excess fertilizers and pesticides, agricultural runoff, and leaky septic or sewage systems can release harmful materials into Abrams Creek. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen increase plant growth in streams, which, in turn, decreases oxygen levels for fish and other aquatic life. Sediment from improper construction or faming practices can clog fish gills and bury the aquatic plants and animals on which other organisms feed. Sediment can also breed harmful bacteria. Wetlands help trap, filter or neutralize many of these materials before

they enter the creek. In October 2003, Winchester’s City Council established the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve on the north side of Abrams Creek and the Wetlands contribute to biodiversity by providing food and habitat to Winchester & Western railroad tracks. Developers donated the 25 many species of animals. Nearly half of all federally threatened and acres that make up the preserve. They also built the pathway that endangered species depend on wetlands for feeding, nesting, breeding forms the first mile of the Winchester Green Circle, an 8-mile route and/or rearing young. Freshwater fish depend on wetlands for food, for walking and bicycling that will circle the city of Winchester. This habitat and breeding places. preserve is Winchester’s first officially protected natural area. It is managed by the Winchester Parks and Recreation Department. A Wetlands can also provide recreational opportunities for both citizens organization, The Opequon Watershed (TOW) has been residents and tourists alike. They offer places of natural beauty for instrumental in establishing the preserve and quiet reflection, wildlife observation, bicycle rides and family walks. Protected wetlands, streams, forests and other open spaces also Most of the Abrams Creek Wetlands acreage on the south side of the increase the value of nearby property and enhance the quality of life in railroad tracks lies in Frederick County. As of May 2006, none of this the entire community. property in the county has been formally protected. Current development plans include leaving an undeveloped buffer zone around the wetlands when residences and roads are built. Why Are These Wetlands Special ? The following sections of this booklet presents tips to help show you how to care for your home, business or other property while taking Wetlands are rare in the Shenandoah Valley. Most rainwater runs off precautions to avoid harming Abrams Creek and the surrounding into surface streams or percolates quickly through cracks in our wetlands. Caring for these places now assures that we can enjoy them limestone bedrock. Many local wetlands have been drained, filled in or in the future. paved over to make way for homes, industries, stores, roads and educational institutions. Few undisturbed wetlands remain. Use Pesticides and Fertilizers Wisely Studies by Shenandoah University’s Environmental Studies Program and by the Division of Natural Heritage show that the Abrams Fertilizers and Soil Tests Creek Wetlands are one of the most biologically rich locations in Virginia. More than 15 species of plants that are rare in the state live Fertilizers are organic or synthetic materials that can be spread in in the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve. In July the small, bright blue lawns, gardens and around landscaping where the soil lacks sufficient flowers of marsh skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata) huddle among the nutrients for healthy plant growth. Most fertilizers provide the three wildflowers and grasses. In the late summer and early fall, you can see major plant nutrients – nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium hundreds of light purple willow asters (Aster prealtus) along the (K) – in varying proportions. The three numbers on a fertilizer Winchester Green Circle pathway as it crosses the marshes. These container’s label show the N-P-K percentages provided. are two of three of plant species found in the preserve that grow nowhere else in Virginia. Since some Shenandoah Valley soils are already high Many animals also make these wetlands their home. Muskrats, mink, in nutrients, many lawn, foxes, deer, herons, ducks, songbirds, turtles, frogs, salamanders, fish garden or landscape plants and butterflies all live in or pass through the Abrams Creek Wetlands may not need fertilizer. area. Naturalist Jim Smith has recorded over 150 species of birds, Before fertilizing, perform a many of which nest in or next to the wetlands. soil test to determine what nutrients, if any, your soil This remarkable variety of plants and animals reflects the different requires. You can test the kinds of habitats along Abrams Creek. The Virginia Natural Heritage Program classifies two of these habitats as rare in Virginia: wet An example of N-P-K percentages. soil yourself with a soil test prairies and calcareous muck fens. While “calcareous muck fen” might kit that can be purchased at not sound like a place of beauty, these calcium-rich marshes make up most local nurseries. An alternative is to contact Virginia Cooperative most of the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve. Protecting these fens Extension office in Winchester (540/665-5699) to obtain a soil testing allows birds to sing, wildflowers to bloom and butterflies to feed. package. With your sample and a five-dollar check, the soil test can be performed professionally and accurately. In the long run, having your The Abrams Creek Wetlands also provide many opportunities for soil tested is a smart way to save money while properly caring for recreation and education. Local school and youth groups – from your property. elementary-school to university level – have taken field trips and carried out service and research projects here. Adult Sunday school Fertilizer Runoff classes have visited. On any day and in any weather, people are Sometimes, fertilizers don’t end up nourishing yard and garden plants. walking, jogging, bicycling, watching the wildlife or just enjoying the Rainstorms wash excess fertilizer into streams, and some soaks into attractive scenery and natural sounds along Abrams Creek. groundwater. In streams, nitrogen and phosphorous can cause harmful algae “blooms” and excess plant growth. This reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water and can cause fish kills. Fertilizer that washes into wetlands alters the natural soil chemistry, Pesticides can have both immediate and longer-term effects. Fish die sometimes favoring plants that wouldn’t normally grow well there. immediately when they absorb toxic levels of pesticides through their gills or by eating pesticide-coated insects. Longer-term effects are Fertilizing Tips and Alternatives harder to identify because the consequences take time to develop and are sometimes indirect. For instance, while adult birds may not show • Test your soil before choosing a fertilizer. immediate effects from pesticides, their delicate chicks often die or fail • Substitute environmentally friendly organic fertilizers for synthetic to mature from the pesticide-contaminated food their parents bring to products. the nest. • Use slow-release fertilizers that are less likely to wash off into surrounding areas. Pesticide Tips and Alternatives • Prevent runoff – and save time and money – by not fertilizing when rain is likely. Applying pesticides carefully and using alternative pest-control • Allow grass clippings on your lawn to decompose by using a methods will help protect beneficial insects, plants and birds on your mulching mower, providing an inexpensive and time-saving property. These approaches also reduce the harm to the Abrams alternative to fertilizers. Creek Wetlands Preserve and other surrounding areas. • Leave an undisturbed “buffer zone” of native vegetation next to a , wetland or nature preserve. Trees, shrubs and other • Plant native shrubs to attract nesting birds that provide natural plants growing here can absorb nutrients before they wash away. insect control. • Ask lawn and landscaping professionals to use organic alternatives • Pull weeds out by hand. and take precautions to minimize runoff from your property. • Try applying pesticides in small quantities, which can often be as effective as larger amounts. Resources • Apply pesticides only on calm days and when rain is not expected for at least 48 hours. • Foundation - www.cbf.org/landscaping • Mow your grass no shorter than three inches to reduce weeds. • Ellis, Barbara. Taylor's Weekend Gardening Guide to Safe and Easy Lawn Care. Taller, thicker grass plants will compete with weeds for light, Houghton Mifflin Company. 1997. nutrients and water. • Franklin, Stuart. Building a Healthy Lawn: A Safe and Natural Approach. 1988. • Potomac Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy. Good Neighbor Handbook. • Move woodpiles away from your house to prevent rodent 2005. Available at www.potomac.org/action/education/goodneighbor.html infestations. • Virginia Cooperative Extension website - www.ext.vt.edu • Try growing pest-repelling plants, such as lavender and basil, on • Walheim, Lance and the National Gardening Association. Lawn Care for Dummies. your property. 1998.

Resources Pesticides • Beyond Pesticides - www.beyondpesticides.org/alternatives/factsheets/index.htm Pesticides can have a negative impact on the environment if they are • Dreistadt, Steve. Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs: An Integrated Pest applied improperly. Herbicides, used to kill weeds, are toxic to most Management Guide. University of California. 2004. plants. If they blow off your property on a windy day or wash off • Pesticides and Aquatic Animals: A Guide to Reducing Impacts on Aquatic Systems – www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/waterquality/420-013/420-013.html during a storm, they can kill plants in surrounding areas. Herbicides • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Homeowner’s Guide to … Lawn & Garden Care. can affect wildlife by reducing the plants they depend on for food and 2000. Available at cover. Insecticides, although targeting unwanted insects, can also www.fws.gov/contaminants/Documents/Homeowners_Guide_Frogs.pdf. harm many birds, mammals and fish. Most are poisonous to beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies. Control Storm Water Runoff and Soil Erosion Reducing Pollution by Managing Storm Water Runoff

What Is Storm Water Runoff ? Runoff can be diverted from impermeable surfaces to permeable surfaces in several different ways. Lawns, gardens and landscaping can Land development replaces natural landscapes with impermeable help reduce pollutants. Controlling storm water runoff in back yards surfaces such as roads, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks and rooftops. and around businesses will promote a healthier environment and a These solid surfaces prevent rain from soaking into the ground where cleaner watershed in and around Abrams Creek. Consider these it is broken down, trapped or absorbed by the natural vegetation and ideas: soil micro-organisms. Instead, storm runoff is diverted to pipes and other drainage systems that ultimately empty into streams, rivers, • Limit the number of impermeable surfaces on your home or wetlands, lakes and reservoirs. business property. Try permeable surfaces such as decks, concrete lattice and bricks that allow water to soak into the ground. • Divide large paved areas, such as parking lots, with landscaping to promote infiltration. • Wash your car or truck on the grass so that soapy water soaks into the ground. • Dry-sweep paved areas and carefully dispose of trash instead of hosing down driveways and sidewalks. • Compost grass clippings and leaves; do not let them wash into storm drains where they can clog the system. • Dispose of household chemical wastes properly. Do not pour cleaning solutions, motor oil or other wastes outside. Use natural, less toxic alternatives when possible. • Modify rain gutters and downspouts to drain from roofs into lawns and gardens, instead of onto paved surfaces. • Rather than directing runoff from parking lots into Abrams Creek (or into storm drains that connect with Abrams Creek), establish vegetated areas to promote infiltration through the soil and trap, filter and absorb pollutants. See the section below on rain gardens.

Storm water runoff should not run directly into streams through Resources culvert pipes (above) or from paved surfaces. • Center for Watershed Protection - www.cwp.org/ • Ferguson, Bruce K. Introduction to Storm Water. John Wiley & Sons. 1998. • France, Robert L. Handbook of Water Sensitive Planning and Design. Lewis. Water that washes off the land after rain or snowmelt is termed 2002. storm water runoff. Storm water runoff threatens environmental • Herricks, Edwin. Storm Water Runoff and Receiving Systems: Impact, Monitoring quality because it can carry excess sediment from erosion, nutrients and Assessment. CRC Press. 1995. from fertilizers, pet wastes, toxic contaminants from pesticide and • North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources - herbicide applications, and contaminants found in common household www.ncstormwater.org/pages/storm water_faqspage.html • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/weatherchannel/storm products. water.html Soil Erosion Resources

Controlling soil erosion provides us with benefits that are often hard • Erosion Control for Homeowners. Available at to recognize. Preventing the runoff of soil protects water quality. Soil www.dlwa.org/docs/Erosion_Control_For_Homeowners.pdf • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Sediment and Erosion Control for New sediments can suffocate aquatic organisms by clogging gills and Homeowners. 2004. Available at www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/wq-strm2- depleting a stream’s dissolved oxygen content. In addition, sediment 07.pdf can smother aquatic plants and the developing eggs of fish and stream • You and Your Land, a Homeowner’s Guide for the Watershed- insects. Erosion washes away nutrient-rich topsoil, lowering the value www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/youyourland/intro.htm of the land. Preventing erosion can also save tax dollars by reducing the need for silt removal from roadside ditches and storm drains. Choose Native Plants and Remove Invasive Plants Since protecting topsoil has so many benefits, it is important to recognize the signs of erosion. Muddy ditches and driveways, gullies Native Plants: A Better Choice worn into slopes or carved into a hillside, bare spots on lawns, exposed tree roots or soil splashes on outside walls are a few Native plants are species that have developed in, and are adapted to, common indicators of problems. our local area. Encouraging native plants in our community can provide many benefits. They restore and maintain wildlife habitat, Tips for Preventing Soil Erosion because our native butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds and other wildlife are more likely to feed on and nest in native plants. Native • Add a layer of mulch to gardens and flower beds. trees, shrubs, mosses and ferns do not usually require pesticides and • Avoid losing topsoil with a leaf blower by raking leaves instead. fertilizers. They are easier to grow because they are already adapted • Use porous paving materials to allow storm water to soak into to local environments, so they thrive in the present conditions. the soil and reduce runoff. • Plant vegetation along driveways, parking lots and other impermeable surfaces. • Plant buffer zones of native trees and shrubs on exposed soil and along the edges of your property to trap and filter sediment. • Direct roof gutters to a well vegetated area, rain garden or a rain barrel. • Use and maintain silt fences (photo below) during construction to intercept sediment and decrease the velocity of runoff.

Virginia Creeper

Some examples of native plants that are recommended for gardening and landscaping in Winchester and Frederick County appear in the table below. Several species (indicated with an asterisk *) mentioned grow well near wetlands. Be sure not to dig up plants in the wild! Ask local nurseries, or contact one of the native plant growers listed in the Virginia Native Plant Society website (www.vnps.org).

Invasive plants grow and spread rapidly. They can out-compete native Trees Shrubs, Small Trees plants by hoarding available nutrients and blocking sunlight. Invasive plants often replace natural vegetation that many animals depend on Black Gum Pawpaw (Nyssa sylvatica) (Asimina triloba) for food or homes. Eastern Red Cedar * Red Osier Dogwood * (Juniperus virginia) (Cornus sanguinea) Green Ash * Serviceberry (Fraxinus Pennsylvanica) (Amelanchier alnifolia) Red Maple * St. John’s Wort (Acer rubrum) (Hypericum densiflorum) Sweet Gum Winterberry * (Liquidambar Styraciflua) (Ilex verticillata) White Ash Witch Hazel (Fraxinus americana) (Hamamelis virginiana)

Vines Perennials Cross Vine Cardinal Flower * (Bignonia capreolata) (Lobelia cardinalis) Dutchman’s Pipe Columbine (Aristolochia durior) (Aquilegia canadensis) Trumpet Vine Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Campsis radicans) (Arisaema triphyllum) Virginia Creeper Great Blue Lobelia * (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) (Lobelia siphilitica) Virgin’s Bower Late Purple Aster (Clematis virginiana) (Symphyotrichum patens) English Ivy is a popular ground cover, but it escapes cultivation and overwhelms native vegetation as it has done here in Winchester’s Shawnee Springs Preserve (above). What Are Invasive Plants ?

An exotic plant is any plant introduced by humans to a place where Controlling Invasive Plants it does not occur naturally. An invasive exotic plant – or just invasive plant, for short – is an introduced plant species that establishes a Invasive plants thrive in areas where the vegetation has been breeding population and spreads beyond where it was originally disturbed, such as construction zones and new lawns and gardens. planted, replacing native species and reducing biodiversity. As their Help control invasive plants by following these tips: name suggests, invasive plants are aggressive. They can flourish and spread quickly because the insects, diseases and animal species that • Choose native plants when gardening or landscaping. controlled them in their home habitats are not present here. Many of • Request native, non-invasive plant species from your local us admire these species but are unaware of the damage they can cause nurseries. to our local habitats, plant species and wildlife. • Remove invasive species to prevent them from spreading. • Use the resources listed at the end of this section to learn how to identify native and invasive species on your property. tolerant plants. In rain gardens, several natural processes reduce Invasive Plant Species to Avoid and Remove pollutants:

Autumn, Russian Olive Norway Maple Adsorption: mulch and soil particles capture dissolved pollutants (Elaeagnus spp.) (Acer platanoides) such as heavy metals and phosphorous. Bush and Vine Honeysuckles Periwinkles Breakdown: microbes in the mulch layer break down organic (Lonicera spp.) (Vinca minor and V. major) substances and consume harmful pathogens. Chinese Wisteria Purple Loosestrife Plant uptake: the vegetation in a rain garden absorbs the nutrients (Wisteria sinensis) (Lythrum salicaria) from fertilizers and pet wastes that are carried in the runoff. English Ivy Tree of Heaven (Hedera helix) (Ailanthus altissima) Filtration: rain garden plants trap the suspended solids and nutrients attached to the sediment particles. Storm water then soaks slowly Garlic Mustard Wineberry (Alliaria petiolata) (Rubus phoenicolasius) through the rain garden into the ground rather than scouring its way downhill. Multiflora Rose Yellow Iris (Rosa multiflora) (Iris pseudacoris) How to Choose a Location

Deciding where to put a rain garden is one of the most important Resources steps in creating one. A rain garden must be located in a depression. • Heffernan, Kevin E. Managing Invasive Alien Plants in Natural Areas, Parks and Try to find places where rainwater runs off from an impervious Small Woodlands. 1998. Available at www.dcr.virginia.gov/dnh/mnginv.pdf surface, such as a driveway, roof or hilly area where there is little • Indejit, S. Invasive Plants: Ecological and Agricultural Aspects. Birkhauser. 2005 vegetation. Watch where rainwater flows and collects during a • Invasive Alien Plant Species of Virginia - www.dcr.virginia.gov/dnh/invinfo.htm rainstorm. Locations to consider for rain gardens are: • Potomac Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy. Good Neighbor Handbook. Available at http://www.potomac.org/action/education/goodneighbor.html • National Arboretum, Invasive Plants - • existing natural depressions www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/invasives.html • at the end of a downspout from one or more rain gutters • Virginia Native Plant Society – www.vnps.org • along parking lots, driveways and walkways (to keep storm water from entering streams or storm sewers directly)

• in view of windows (to allow people to see the plants, birds and Try a Rain Garden ! butterflies) • at least 10 feet away from buildings (to prevent water drainage Why Create A Rain Garden ? from damaging foundations)

As mentioned above, storm water runoff can cause erosion and may carry harmful sediment, pesticides and fertilizers. Runoff also picks up other pollutants, such as automobile fluids, along the way. This polluted water enters wetlands and streams directly or else ends up there after flowing through storm-sewer systems.

A rain garden is a portion of a lawn or other landscaped area that is designed to capture and clean storm water naturally. Rain gardens improve water quality and help prevent erosion while creating beautiful areas that attract birds and butterflies. They offer gardeners an innovative, environmentally friendly project using native water-

Building a Rain Garden To cleanse storm water properly, the plants and soil in these areas must remain undisturbed. It is important to know where these structures are Rain gardens can take many different forms. These are limited located and to avoid mowing, picking flowers, adding plants or primarily by time, money and the size and contours of the land. Rain otherwise disturbing them. garden plants must tolerate short periods of standing water but have deep roots to withstand drought. Choosing native plants for rain Riparian zones are the strips of land along a stream or pond. When gardens supports a diversity of local wildlife and involves using little or native trees, shrubs and perennials grow there, these zones function as no pesticides and fertilizers. Several of the resources listed at the end riparian buffers: they help purify water, mitigate erosion and of this section provide simple directions for building rain gardens, and sediment pollution, and provide habitats for wildlife. A riparian buffer they suggest native plants for rain gardens in Virginia. of 30 feet usually removes 75% of the pollutants before they reach the stream. Water quality in our community improves when riparian Biofilters and Riparian Buffers: Rain Gardens on a Larger zones are protected as riparian buffers. Scale Resources Larger areas can be modified to handle storm runoff from a group of residences, city streets, large lawns or parking lots. One structure, • Arlington Virginia Rain Gardens - called a biofilter or water quality swale, often looks like a small www.arlingtonva.us/departments/EnvironmentalServices/epo/EnvironmentalServicesE poRainGarden.aspx marsh or a long ditch filled with wetland plants. Several were recently • Rain Garden Network - www.raingardennetwork.com/ constructed between the Morlyn Hills housing development and the • Virginia Department of Forestry, Rain Gardens website - Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve. You can see another beside the www.dof.virginia.gov/rfb/rain-gardens.shtml parking lot and Green Circle pathway within the Abrams Crossing • Virginia Native Plant Society - www.vnps.org commercial center. More complex bioretention systems • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Rain Gardens. 2002. Available at http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/raingarden/gardens.pdf incorporate drains and amended soil mixtures. In Winchester’s Jim

Barnett Park, a bioretention system treats a half-acre of runoff near the War Memorial Building. Control Pets and Handle Aquarium Animals and Plants Properly

Dogs, cats, fish and other pets can bring us years of enjoyment and companionship. If not cared for properly, they can harm wildlife and natural areas. A few simple precautions will help avoid potential problems.

Control and Clean Up After Pets

As natural hunters, cats and dogs can harass, injure or kill local wildlife. Dogs should be kept on your property or leashed. Bird survival increases if cats remain indoors, or at least have reduced outdoor time, during nesting season.

Pet waste often contains harmful microbes such as E. coli, salmonella Biofilter under construction at Morlyn Hills, 2003. Mowing greatly and giardia. Not picking up after pets allows rain water to wash reduces their effectiveness in cleaning storm water runoff. disease-causing organisms through storm drains and into local water bodies. Pet waste runoff also carries excess nutrients into streams Protect Habitats and Enjoy Wildlife and wetlands. In your yard, around the neighborhood and in the Wildlife Habitats Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve, remember to pick up and dispose of pet Healthy habitats help assure healthy wildlife. The National Wildlife waste properly. Keep a plastic bag tied Federation advises landowners that birds, mammals and other native to your pet’s leash -- don’t leave home wildlife species need five basic elements from their habitats: food, without it! water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable gardening and landscaping. The following simple guidelines can help sustain wildlife Handle Exotic Aquarium Pets and habitats in our community: Plants Properly • Plant native species of flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees. See this Invasive exotic species pose serious booklet’s section on native plants for some good local choices for threats to natural areas and native wildlife. wildlife. These exotic pests include the aquarium fish, snails, frogs and plants • Remove individual branches selectively when pruning shrubs and sold at pet stores. If released locally, small trees, rather than shearing the entire plant. Restrict pruning some of these exotic species can thrive to late winter -- after last year’s berries have been eaten, before and out-compete our native plants and new berries form and prior to nesting season. animals, upsetting the food chain. • Compost leaves and other yard waste to help build healthy soil. Aquarium snails, for instance, have overpopulated some Frederick County • Avoid mowing, tree-trimming or removing plants from natural ponds. Since native fish and wildlife often avoid unfamiliar species of areas such as forests, meadows and the Abrams Creek Wetlands. snails, the exotic snails have reproduced rapidly. In Abrams Creek and its tributary spring runs, an aquarium plant called parrotfeather • Know when and how to feed wildlife, and which species should (Myriophyllum aquaticum) has spread rapidly. Native water plants, not be fed (see below). including at least one species on Virginia’s Rare Plants List (star

duckweed, Lemna trisulca), have little The National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat program room to grow. has helped thousands welcome wildlife into their yards, work places,

and neighborhoods. Detailed recommendations appear in their Be sure not to release these unwanted website www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat. Completed projects are aquarium pets and plants into ponds, eligible for certification as Backyard Wildlife Habitat sites. streams or rivers. The consequences

are difficult to predict. Instead, give To Feed or Not to Feed … and How ? your unwanted aquarium residents to

friends or relatives. Pet shops may also Feeding birds is a popular hobby. A healthy bird population controls take back the animals you purchased. annoying insects, such as mosquitoes and gnats. Bird feeding and bird

watching are educational, and they help instill an environmental ethic.

Seed mixtures, thistle seed, fruit and suet all provide appropriate

Parrotfeather. Photo courtesy of AZ Gardens.com nutrition for local birds. Among the bird species attracted to feeders are cardinals, sparrows, goldfinches, woodpeckers, orioles and juncos. Keep fresh seed in the feeders, provide a bird bath or other water Get Involved . . . source, clean feeders frequently and keep cats indoors. In the winter, once you begin feeding birds, be sure to continue until they can find The authors of this booklet hope that the information they have other food sources in the spring. presented will help you enjoy and protect the Abrams Creek Wetlands and Abrams Creek. We close with some suggestions for While feeding songbirds is acceptable, feeding geese, ducks, raccoons getting further involved in taking care of these special places in and other wildlife species is not. In most cases giving them food is Winchester and Frederick County. both illegal and harmful. Feeding wildlife causes adults to produce larger families than the natural environment can support. The extra Visit the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve and the offspring usually die. Geese and ducks have become pests because too Winchester Green Circle. Enjoy the outdoors and get better many people feed them. These once-migratory birds now stay here acquainted with our local natural heritage. Learn more at year-round. www.winchestergreencircle.org or contact the Winchester Parks and Recreation Department (540/662-4946). Many people feed wildlife as a form of entertainment. However, bread, popcorn, pizza, and other human food can cause malnutrition, Join and volunteer for a local conservation organization. The throat obstructions and even death in animals adapted to other diets. Opequon Watershed (540/667-4272), Friends of the Shenandoah Wild mammals and waterfowl simply cannot digest most of our River (www.fosr.org 540/636-4948), Shenandoah Audubon processed and preservative-loaded foods. (Remember to bring pet (www.audubon-nsvas.org 540/667-6778), Virginia Native Plant Society food indoors and secure trash cans.) Feeding wildlife also causes these (www.vnps.org 540/837-1600) and the Potomac Conservancy species to lose their fear of people. This can lead to property damage (www.potomac.org 540/667-3606) sponsor local environmental and dangerous confrontations with people. Enjoy wildlife … but from education programs and service projects. Become a member and a safe distance. assist with their projects.

Support the Abrams Creek Wetlands financially. Through the Resources Parks Foundation’s Green Circle Enhancement Fund, you can support interpretive signs, plantings, path construction, maintenance and other • Backyard Bird Watching - www.howtoattractbirds.com projects at the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve. Contact 540/662- • Conover, Michael R.. Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts. Lewis Publishers. 2002 4946, or mail your donation directly to the fund at 1001 E. Cork St., Winchester, VA 22601. • Ellis, Barbara W. Taylor’s Weekend Gardening Guide to Attracting Birds and Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1997

• Mancini, Julie R. and Pamela L. Higdon. Guide to Backyard Birds. Barron’s * * * * * Educational Series, Inc.. 2004 Prepared by Shenandoah University students Andrew Clark, Sean • Department of Natural Resources - www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/feedingwildlife.asp Dare, Lyla Gray, Catheline Huynh-Lam, Heather Kepple, Andrea Martin, Michelle Miller, Patrick Mulrooney and Robert Weiss. Faculty • National Wildlife Federation - www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/ supervisor: Woodward Bousquet.