By Janet Lubman Rathner
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, August 18, 2007

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.

"The front is far more work because I have more annuals there," Rothman said. "In the back, I water less and I have far fewer weeds because I have ground-cover plants like wild ginger, which grows so thick nothing can get through."

She said insect problems are minimal. "I don't do any spraying. The birds seem to take care of most bugs, or they keep it to a manageable level. Things can work to a pretty good balance."

The Humane Society is one of a number of environmental protection organizations that promote urban or backyard wildlife habitats, via publications and Web sites.

"We basically all do the same things," John Hadidian, director of the Humane Society's Urban Wildlife Programs, said of the plethora of information available on how a homeowner, a high-rise apartment dweller or even an entire community can go about providing the food, water, shelter and cover that will earn the wildlife habitat designation.

While there are specifications, there are also degrees of involvement. Mary Burnette, spokeswoman for the National Wildlife Federation, said people who become interested in making their yards wildlife-friendly tend to find more and more ways to embellish.

"They'll go from a birdbath to a pond, or they'll build a bat house," Burnette said. "Habitat loss is the number one threat to wildlife, and people are more aware. They see wetland bought by a developer that is now a shopping mall. Anything people do is most commendable."

Dona Hardi, a retired elementary school teacher living in Falls Church -- where some residents are working with the National Wildlife Federation to certify the entire city -- said that in addition to helping the local wildlife, there can be practical reasons for transforming a property from suburban lawn into a certified habitat.

"Our house is on a hill. We wanted something that would be less work, less mowing," she said.

Her solution? Take out the grass and put in a perennial garden that includes plants such as lavender and phlox, butterfly bushes and black-eyed Susans.

"We did it ourselves. It's an ongoing process and never complete," Hardi said.

She said the upkeep is minimal. "We do water, but it's easier than lugging a mower, and we enjoy watching the birds."

Melissa Teates, a Falls Church homeowner who turned a portion of her yard into a certified wildlife habitat, initially embarked on the project because of health concerns.

"We had a lot of invasive English ivy. It was dense, almost a foot deep, and it cupped water. It was a mosquito hazard. It was also strangling the trees. Also the rats build highways underneath it. They are moving through your yard, and you don't even know it," said Teates, director of research for the American Society of Travel Agents and a mother of three.

Today, coneflowers, blackberries, American holly, tulip poplars and hickory nut trees are among the numerous offerings that invite birds, butterflies and squirrels to Teates's yard.

"Every winter, we get robins stopping by. Each December, they strip the holly before going south," Teates said. "I'm much happier with my yard. It's healthier for my children and my dog."