In 1994 the Texas Parks and Wildlife started the Texas Wildscapes Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program to educate residents about the importance of enhancing wildlife habitat through wildscaping. Wildscaping is simply the practice of attracting and nurturing wildlife.
Since then over 2,000 properties have been officially certified Texas Wildscapes and Best of Backyard Habitats and they have touched tens of thousands of residents through their educational programs and workshops. About 97 percent of Texas' nearly 170 million acres are privately owned good stewardship ensures the continuation of wildlife habitat through sustainable agricultural and wildlife management practices. As the physical structure of habitats change, whether by nature or humans, the wildlife habitat populations change in response.
Over three quarters of Texas residents live in six cities: Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. As suburban areas creep out into forests, grasslands, and marshes, the habitats become fragmented and the survival of many organisms become threatened. Texas' population will continue to increase and and progressively squeeze wildlife out of the habitat it needs to survive. Fortunately, Texans hold great potential for restoring quality, quantity, and richness of the wildlife habitat that has been displaced. The Texas Wildscapes Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program website has lots of great resources and they even offer a free interactive DVD. It looks like it's on back order right now, but please check the website out to learn how you can do your part to preserve wildlife habitats in Texas.
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An outdoor retreat can be created regardless of yard size or income, but common denominators include hardscaping and landscaping to shape the space, just as walls, floors and ceilings do inside.
