Spring is just around the corner, and it’s never too early to start planning your garden, especially when you’re getting tired of winter!  This spring, make sure your gardening and landscaping plans take your local animals, birds, and insects into account.

How can you make your yard a humane haven for neighborhood wildlife?  The Humane Society of the United States has put together a practical list of tips.  Here’s how you can ensure that your backyard is safe for local wildlife.

• Provide a source of fresh clean water, such as a birdbath.
• Offer natural food sources like flowering native plants and bird feeders.
• Avoid lawn products with harmful chemicals such as pesticides.

• Build or purchase a bat house so bats can control insects and pollinate plants on your property.
• Convert all or part of your lawn into a natural native plant habitat for local animals.
• Place yard debris in a brush pile to create a shelter for small animals like chipmunks and toads.

• Plant flowers that attract bees and put up specially-designed bee houses for them.
• Make sure your swimming pool has an escape route like a ramp for wild animals that fall in.

• Attract beneficial insects like butterflies and beetles with appropriate native plants.
• Keep cats indoors for their own safety and the safety of local wildlife.

• Watch out for nesting animals like rabbits and birds while mowing and pruning in the spring.
• Use humane methods to trap and release wildlife that gets into your home.
• Prevent deadly bird strikes by applying a few cling decals to your window panes.