Well, if you start planning now, by this time next year you could be watching a lot of interesting things in your own back yard by turning it into a Backyard Wildlife Habitat. An official wildlife habitat provides wildlife with food, water, cover and places to raise their young. It has all requirements for a fascinating, meaningful, beautiful and pleasurable hobby that also can be economical.

Leisa Royce’s yard was certified in 2002. “Here in Kentucky,” she writes, “our land is paved over and disappearing at rate of 100 acres a day and with that so does wildlife as they have no food or nesting sources to raise their young.” The benefit is not all to wildlife, though. “Using native plants and reducing your lawn area helps to protect natural resources and requires less watering,” she writes, “and cuts down on chemical pesticide use and fertilizers.”

Since starting her habitat, Lisa has identified 65 species of birds and 48 species of butterflies. Think of beauty! Think of learning opportunities! Visit Lisa’s beautiful website and take a look around: http://www.angelfire.com/ky2/mamabird/backyard1.html .

If you want to learn how to attract birds, butterflies and other creatures to your backyard, National Wildlife Federation has lots of guides - http://www.enature.com/backyardwildlife/nwf_bwh_home.asp . On their site, they’ll help you create an online habitat and a species list complete with photos. They offer advice and will even certify your yard. You can also create a habitat area at your workplace, or encourage your employer to, letting areas go “natural.” Steelcase, Inc., in Kentwood and Grand Rapids, Michigan is one example of a company which has done this.

They were certified ( https://secure.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/certify/page1.cfm ) in February 2002. On their property of 640 acres in a rural Kentwood, and 287 acres in urban Grand Rapids, they provide four habitat elements: food, water, cover and places to raise young. The benefits?

Besides feeling good and doing good, they say they save $1000 an acre each year in lawn maintenance.

A work or family project such as this is a great way to build community. As NWF says, “Habitat work days can be used for staff development or as volunteer opportunities.”

It’s also a bonding activity for your family, and a great thing to do with grandchildren, as well as a wonderful source of joy and beauty. If you live alone, you’ll definitely increase your level of “companionship”. GUIDES FOR YOUR AREA

You’ll need to know some things about your own region of country. “Mammal Tracks” will tell you how to identify tracks you’re seeing, by zip code - http://www.enature.com/localguide/localguide_tracks.asp and here you will find a guide to plants and animals in your area that are best avoided (though they play a role in ecology, dangerous or poisonous as they are) - http://www.enature.com/localguide/localguide_dangerous.asp .

BIRDS

Regardless of where you live or size of your property, you can get wild birds to come to your backyard easily. Go here to learn how: http://www.enature.com/birding/garden_birds.asp , with advice specific to your region of country.

WITH NATURE COMES … NATURE

Perhaps you’re wondering what might come along with this, like snakes, insects and like, and what to do, if anything, about cats.

The tempting ads are plastered in newspapers and on television for “fast cash refunds”, “express refunds”, or “instant refunds.” The ads offer to get your refund in a day or two, or in some cases even instantly.

What is a “refund anticipation loan”? It’s a loan that borrows against your anticipated tax refund from IRS. Refund anticipation loans, or RAL’s as they are known in tax industry, carry annual percentage rates (APR’s) of about 60% to over 700%, a fact that many consumers either don’t realize or simply overlook.