A Welcoming Home for a Wild Time

Creature-Conscious Owners Turn Yards Into Habitats and Make Less Work for Themselves

The squatter squirrels that had gnawed a hole in the porch roof were what sold Iris Rothman on her Mount Pleasant rowhouse.

"I figured I had a starter spot for urban wildlife. That's what convinced me," she said. In 1991, she purchased the neighborhood eyesore -- peeling paint, rotten wood, crumbling steps, weeds, the concrete remnants of a dog run.

Rothman, a writer, had previously fashioned a wildlife rest stop by hanging a few bird feeders on the balcony of a fourth-floor apartment in Adams Morgan and was immediately rewarded for the effort. Now she was looking for an opportunity to expand her hobby. She has been successful.

Sixteen years later, without traps or an exterminator, the squirrels have vacated Rothman's roof. The rodents left for Rothman's tiny square front yard -- 10 feet by 10 feet -- and long, narrow back yard. Thanks to her green thumb and nature-loving leanings, the industrious, chattering creatures are living amid a smorgasbord of delectable trees, plants and flowers.

The yard now meets the requirements of a Humane Society-certified Urban Wildlife Sanctuary, an oasis to birds and butterflies as well as those squirrels. A small sign posted amid the hostas, ferns and shrubs attests that Rothman has followed guidelines for providing the requisite food, water, shelter and a place to have young -- nest boxes complement the trees and shrubbery. The ultimate proof, however, is the abundance of creatures that either have taken up residence or stop by for respite.

Goldfinches feast on coneflower seeds while hummingbirds hover over tubular monarda blooms. Doves, woodpeckers, robins, cardinals, catbirds and on occasion a hawk revel in an assortment of birdbaths and a circulating six-inch-wide, two-inch-deep stream -- a one-time indulgence that cost about $2,000 -- that Rothman installed a few years ago when she created a green roof over her garage.

"I love to watch. There are all of these little dramas going on in my yard," said Rothman, who is particularly fond of squirrels. "They work out a social hierarchy about who is in charge. They fight, but without a lot of noise. I love to watch the babies come out. First they stick their heads out, and then there is this little thing climbing around 40 feet up in the air."

She observes the antics from her front porch, from one of several unobtrusive seating areas on and around her two-story deck out back, or from the windows of her home office, its perimeter lined with squirrel boxes.

"It's very peaceful, very relaxing, very interesting," Rothman said.

Rothman doesn't bother with "squirrel-proof" birdfeeders, which her favorite visitors tend to circumvent anyway. Instead, she practices what she refers to as "diversion feeding" -- planting saffron and thistle, which, she said, birds love and squirrels hate.

"People want to feed birds and go into all of these machinations to keep the squirrels out, and they can't, and they can't stand that a 1 1/2 -pound rodent can outsmart them," Rothman said. "There's a whole industry to keep squirrels out of feeders, [but] give the birds and the squirrels their own food, and they'll coexist."

Rothman estimates that she has 200 types of plants on her property. With the exception of some roses, which she grows simply because she likes them, everything is there to attract wildlife. And it hasn't been particularly expensive or difficult to maintain. Credit card points and plant exchanges or swaps at her gardening club keep costs down. Rothman tends to go for perennials so that what goes into the ground not only comes back but also spreads.