BACKYARD HABITAT CLASSES AND PROGRAMS
Backyard Habitat Classes - Spring Series
In this series of five classes, you’ll learn from experts from Seattle Audubon, PAWS Wildlife Center, Washington Native Plant Society, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Woodland Park Zoo about how to design your wildlife habitat, attract birds and other wildlife to your backyard, select and care for native plants, manage your backyard sustainably, and get your yard certified as a Backyard Habitat.
Classes may be taken separately or as a five-part series.
Attracting Birds to your Backyard
Wednesday, March 20th from 7 to 9 p.m.
Join Neil Zimmerman, Seattle Audubon Outreach Chair and Master Birder, to learn how to attract and care for birds in your yard through plant selection, gardening practices, placement and maintenance of bird feeders and nestboxes, and use of water features.
Keeping Pets and Wildlife Safe in your Backyard Habitat
Thursday, April 4th from 7 to 9 p.m.
Pets are an important part of many families, but pets don’t always coexist peacefully with the wildlife you attract to your backyard habitat. Pets can also be harmed by certain plants that occur in many gardens. Please join Kevin Mack, PAWS Wildlife Center Naturalist, and David Selk, Woodland Park Zoo horticulturist, to learn how to protect both pets and wildlife in your backyard habitat.
Spring Plants and Planting
Wednesday, April 24th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Join Monica Vander Vieren, Washington Native Plant Society Native Plant Steward, and David Selk, Woodland Park Zoo horticulturist, to discover how different plants in your garden can provide for the basic needs of wildlife. The class includes a plant walk around zoo grounds focusing on aesthetic and size considerations, as well as proper planting techniques.
Site Evaluation, Design, and Maintenance
Tuesday, May 7th from 7 to 9 p.m.
Join Allen Howard, Woodland Park Zoo horticulture staff, to learn the basic principles of creating habitat for wildlife, with a focus on planning, site analysis, design and garden maintenance.
Water Features for Wildlife
Tuesday, May 21st from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Clean, fresh water is a crucial part of any habitat. Join Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Biologist Chris Anderson and Woodland Park Zoo Animal Curator Dr. Jennifer Pramuk in learning about the variety of ways you can provide water for urban wildlife in your own backyard. You'll learn about different types of water features, such as ponds, birdbaths and fountains. You'll also learn about the natural history of local amphibians and how to provide habitat for these sensitive animals.
Cost: $25 per person / $100 for the five-part series if you register before 3:00 p.m. on the first day of the five-part series.
Drop-in classes are $30 each. To see if space is still available in the class and to find out the class location, contact the Individual Registration Specialist at 206.548.2554 or send an email to individual.registration@zoo.org.
Amphibian Monitoring 2013
Woodland Park Zoo is thrilled to announce a new opportunity for westernWashingtonresidents to get involved with local amphibian conservation! Woodland Park Zoo, Northwest Trek, and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium have partnered with Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) to train volunteers in surveying for amphibian egg masses in local ponds and wetlands. Starting in 2012, participants are trained in the WDFW-approved protocol as well as in identification of the egg masses of eight different amphibian species. One of the species that participants are monitoring for is the endangered Oregon spotted frog, one of several Pacific Northwest species which Woodland Park Zoo is captive headstarting to ensure its survival in the wild.
Participants have access to monitoring tools, including hip waders, digital cameras, and GPS units, and are monitoring for the presence of egg masses once a month from February through August in a local pond or wetland. Data sheets with information on locations of sightings are sent to biologists at WDFW, who use the information to monitor the presence of these species at sites across western Washington.
Want to get involved?
Amphibian monitoring training is an exciting opportunity to get hands-on experience with amphibian conservation while increasing your connection to local ponds and wetlands and contributing to authentic scientific research! The 2013 Amphibian Monitoring training at Woodland Park Zoo is full. Sign up here to receive an announcement about the 2014 Amphibian Monitoring season.
Live in south Puget Sound?
You can participate in Amphibian Monitoring at these institutions:
Northwest Trek on Saturday, February 9th. To register, contact Jessica Moore at 360-832-7160 or jessica.moore@nwtrek.org
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium on Saturday, February 23rd. To register, contact Craig Standridge at 253-404-3690 or craig.standridge@pdza.org
BACKYARD HABITAT COST AND REGISTRATION
$25 per person each class
$100 per person for the five-part series if you register before 3:00 p.m. on the first day of the five-part series.
To register by mail or fax, click here to download the registration form.
CONTACT
If you have questions or to find out the class location, contact the Individual Registration Specialist at 206.548.2554 or send an email.