5 Simple Ways to Help Your Local Wildlife!

Wildlife is all around us, yet it often goes unnoticed in the hustle of every day life. Since I was little, I have been involved with animals & wildlife in one way or another, and my passion for this area has only grown stronger since.

But wildlife isn’t just limited to animals, as one might think. That is why I put together this list of 5 simple ways to help your local wildlife. I will give you tools on how to help your local Hummingbirds, as well as sharing some tips on what to do if you find an injured or orphaned wild animal.

[Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.]

Keep reading to see how you can help!

1- Helping your local Hummingbirds stay happy and healthy!

Hummingbirds are probably my favorite bird… ever. These beautiful birds are incredibly fun to watch, as they fly through the sky with wings that beat at about 80 times per second. They have magnificent colors on them, which really stand out when the light hits them just right.

But, they are also extremely delicate and they need just the right setting for them to remain healthy.

If you currently have a Hummingbird feeder hanging in your yard, then this is for you! How often do you change the nectar in your feeder? Once every week? Every 2 weeks? Maybe it ran out and you haven’t refilled it since then. If this is the case, then you need to go outside right now and grab that feeder! (Believe me, the Hummers will thank you!)

As crazy as it may seem, your Hummingbird feeder should be washed and refilled every 2-3 days. It takes dedication, but providing a healthy environment for your Hummingbirds makes it all totally worth it!

[You can read all about this topic (as well as some other great hummer-related tips!) in my most recent post on Hummingbirds: https://thewildlifediary.com/making-the-perfect-hummingbird-nectar-recipe-included/]

One of the biggest conservation needs that I am going to address in this post is the ongoing issue of a deadly fungus (mold) that can grow inside of the Hummingbird feeders if they are not properly cleaned and maintained.

Candidiasis (more commonly known as Thrush) is a condition that occurs in Hummingbirds when they drink nectar from a moldy feeder. The condition causes their tongues to swell, making it impossible for them to eat or drink, which will ultimately lead to their slow and painful death of starvation. If the mother Hummingbird gets infected, her babies will also die of starvation since they need to be fed every 15-20 minutes for the first few weeks of their lives.

But don’t worry- this is completely preventable with a few simple tricks.

First, you’ll want to make sure that when you wash your Hummingbird feeder, you take apart the whole thing (there are usually 3 separate parts, so double check yours to make sure you’re not missing anything). When you wash it, use warm water and a little bit of white vinegar to remove any mold spots. Don’t use soap, as it could deter your Hummers from coming to the feeder.

Next, I’ll show you a simple recipe for Hummingbird nectar.

You will need:

– 1 Cup of white sugar
– 4 Cups of water
Instructions: Heat 4 cups of water in a pot. Once the water stops boiling, stir in the sugar. (Do not add sugar to boiling water). Once completely cooled, you may add the nectar to the Hummingbird feeder. Remember to clean and replace the nectar every 2-3 days! Leftover nectar can be stored in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

As far as the use of red dye in the nectar, it is best to leave it out completely. It is unnecessary and it can be potentially harmful. Since Hummingbirds are naturally attracted to the color red, there are plenty of plant options that you can add to your landscape that the Hummers will love! I promise- they won’t be missing out on the red dye in your homemade nectar.

Now that you have the tools to maintain a healthy Hummingbird feeder, I hope you put them to good use. Don’t forget to tell your friends about this, too! The more healthy & happy Hummingbirds there are in the world, the better 🙂

2- Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle!

This phrase has been around for such a long time now. It is short, simple, and easy to remember. But it might not always be that easy to act on.

Did you know that there are about 60 million plastic water bottles that get thrown away each day in the United States? That’s about 22 billion per year.

CRAZY, right?!

One of my favorite ways to help reduce my plastic footprint is by using my Reusable Nalgene Water bottle. It is BPA-Free, which is a plus. To put it into perspective, my 32oz. Nalgene bottle holds the amount of two plastic water bottles. It may not seem like much, but it definitely adds up especially when you think of how many water bottles you go through in a week. That number could be reduced to ZERO by using a reusable water bottle.

I seriously take this thing with me everywhere I go. (Which also helps me to stay on top of drinking lots of water each day!). I love taking it to baseball games, and other events like that.

Pro Tip- If the venue doesn’t allow you to bring unsealed drinks through the gates, just take your empty reusable bottle with you and head to a drinking fountain or concession stand to get it filled up once you’re there!

You’ll reduce trash and plastic use by a HUGE amount, which will help oceans and other areas of the environment in the process. Who doesn’t love that?!

3- Rodenticides (a.k.a. rat poisons)

When you have a rat problem, you probably aren’t thinking that the rodent poison you just bought to use in your yard could likely effect other wildlife species such as Hawks, Owls, or Coyotes. If your rodent poison contains Anticoagulant Rodenticides, then you could be sickening more than just rats or mice.

Anticoagulant Rodenticides are rat poisons that cause death to rodents by preventing their ability to clot their own blood. (This is bad news for a big chunk of your local wildlife!) The rodents won’t die quickly… Instead, the rodenticides will slowly weaken them which makes them easier prey for some of the animals listed above. When Hawks, Owls, Coyotes, or other large animals of prey eat these rats, they too ingest the poisons.

Over time, the poison reaches their blood stream (just as it did for the rat), which causes the same inability to clot blood. This could turn a simple cut or scratch into a life-threatening problem where the animal bleeds to death.

Luckily, there is a light at the end of the tunnel regarding these rodenticides. There is currently a state bill in California (AB 1788) that would ban the ‘second generation’ category of Anticoagulant rodenticides, as well as the use of any rodenticide within California State Parks.

So, the next time you find the need to use pesticides for rodent problems, please keep in mind that rats and mice are not the only critters who could be harmed by these poisons!

4- What to do if you find injured or orphaned wildlife.

Maybe you saw an opossum get injured in the road, or your cat brought in another little bird (but this time it’s still alive!), and it needs care. As tempting as it is to try and take care of it on your own, it’s in the best interest of your new furry or feathered friend to bring it into the hands of someone who is trained to care for them.

A Wildlife Rehabilitator (or rehabber, as some call them) is someone who is trained in the treatment and care of injured, orphaned, or sick wild animals so that they can eventually be released back into the wild.

If you visit the website of a local Wildlife Sanctuary or Nature Center, you will find instructions on what to do if you happen to find an inured or orphaned animal in need. If its late at night or after hours, instructions should be provided for how to provide shelter to the animal overnight until you are able to bring it to the wildlife rescue or rehabilitator.

When in doubt, give the rescues or sanctuaries a call so they can provide you with more specific instructions based on the wild animal that you find.

5- Last but not least, Volunteer!

{NO ONE} can do everything, but {EVERYONE} can do something.

-Max Lucado

Volunteering is one of the biggest ways to get involved with your local wildlife community, and the wildlife/ nature center that you volunteer at will be eternally grateful for your help.

Although it takes some work, you will enjoy every minute of it. I currently volunteer at my local nature center, and even though one of my biggest tasks is cleaning the Bird of Prey enclosures, I know that it is something that has to be done in one way or another. The cleanliness and upkeep of the animal enclosures is necessary for the health of these wild animals.

It doesn’t mean that your only task will be to clean lots of Hawk and Owl poop. The center may need help with creating flyers, or even feeding some of the smaller animals that live there, like Desert Tortoises!

You’ll meet other people who share the same interests as you, and you will get to know more about the local wildlife that’s native to your area. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!

To get more info on Wildlife/ Nature centers in your area, just head online to look them up! You’d be surprised at how many you’d find!

Are there other ways that you currently help your local Wildlife? I want to know! Comment down below!

I hope that these 5 tips were helpful to you, and that you’ll be able to implement them into your daily life if you haven’t already!

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