Recently, the wildlife habitat committees for Eagle Watch, The Arbors and Wyngate met to share successes and to plan for Towne Lake efforts in 2023.
The long-term goal is ambitious: make Towne Lake the largest cooperative habitat effort in the country. When successful, Towne Lake will unite the largest number of neighborhoods working together to create a Certified Wildlife Habitat. (Some certified cities are larger in terms of acreage, but they are single-community habitats.)
Wildlife habitats are certified through the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Certifying is easy, guided by a checklist of simple steps to make your yard a healthy home for songbirds, wildlife, butterflies and bees. The elements include food and water sources, cover and healthy landscaping practices.
“Just provide the basics, and the birds and wildlife show up,” Wyngate Chair Jennifer Ruscilli said. “Most Towne Lake yards qualify with few or no changes because we have so many trees, evergreens and natural mulched areas.”
Wyngate
Jennifer, a Master Gardener and past president of the Cherokee chapter, is leading the charge to earn points for Wyngate’s certification. Wyngate has gained a number of certified yards toward the target of 100, and the committee is planning activities, including neighborhood plant sales and family wildlife education events. Jennifer invites interested neighbors to join the committee.
Eagle Watch
Mary Schuster, Master Gardener and member of the Eagle Watch Wildlife Habitat committee, said: “I want to make a difference for our birds and pollinators. That’s one of the reasons I joined.”
In late 2022, Eagle Watch installed a new butterfly conservation garden, located at the entrance to the parking area for the main pool and tennis courts. The plot will serve as a trial garden for the community, featuring natives and perennials that neighborhood gardeners have found to be deer-resistant.
Later this year, there are plans to install nature-center type signage. Its photographs will help residents identify what plants are in the garden and what butterflies and wildlife they support.
Eagle Watch, now with 179 certified habitat yards, was the first Towne Lake community to achieve certified status in fall 2021.
The Arbors
“Earth Day was a great day for our Habitat Garden Tour,” said Fred McManus, chair for the Arbors habitat committee. “Our group was able to tour four Arbors habitat yards and see the different ways habitats are created. There was a lot of time to share information. I described the process I’ve gone through to gradually replace nonnative species with native plants.
“We had also approached Good Shepherd Lutheran Church to see if they were interested in creating a habitat garden. Their Caring for Creation committee was very enthusiastic,” he said. “They worked through the NWF certification process to create a beautiful garden, and on April 23, the church held a special ceremony for its dedication.”
Fred said this community response has inspired him to approach other nearby churches.
Interested in Getting Involved?
• Towne Lake’s Certified Wildlife Habitat committees organize fun neighborhood activities, like habitat garden tours, native plant sales and such children’s educational activities as the annual Great Georgia Pollinator Count. These activities earn points toward community certification through NWF.
• The Arbors residents can email Fred McManus at jfmcmanus8@gmail.com. Wyngate residents can contact Jennifer Ruscilli at wyngatewildlifeproject@gmail.com. And Eagle Watch residents can email Denise Stephens at eaglewatchwildlifeproject@gmail.com.
• Find out how to certify your yard at www.nwf.org/certify. Most Towne Lake yards qualify with few or no changes; it’s easy!
• To find more about certifying your Towne Lake neighborhood as a Community Wildlife Habitat, contact me at ann@annlitrel.com.
– Ann Litrel is an artist and certified Master Naturalist. She instructs nature journal workshops and paints in her studio, Ann Litrel Art, in Towne Lake.
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