what you've liked or what you would like to see...

Hello from the National Wildlife Federation. I'm excited about this bulletin board and the opportunity to hear from viewers about our new series, Backyard Habitat. Please share your thoughts, criticisms, ideas and questions. I'll be checking in here regularly and will do my best to respond. Thanks for watching Backyard Habitat!

David Mizejewski

Well unfortunately it seems I'm the only one who is willing to take the time to comment about the show, let alone say it's worth watching. It's to bad because I think the show is good.

I like your new show--Backyard Habitat--so much that I have TIVO tape every episode. The show is friendly, informative, and makes me feel that I can actually do something to make my own backyard a better place for wildlife. In short, I'm inspired! Keep up the good work.
Mary Dalheim

My two children and I love Back Yard Habitat. It offers so much to all of us:

My 5 year old son loves the 'boy stuff', dragon flies, lizards, turtles etc. He's never been my nature child before but now takes notice of these creatures when they are in the garden, or in books or other TV shows.

My 9 year old daughter has *always* been my little tree hugger (as we lovingly call her!), the little girl who used to get in trouble with her Preschool teachers for stuffing her pockets full of rocks, flowers, acorns etc at recess). She will not allow us to miss an episode of Backyard Habitat! Now that she is back in school all day I have to tape the shows. The first question when I pick her up in the afternoons? "What was on Backyard Habitat today?"

I'm the gardener of the family. I'd always tried to make the garden fit for birds, but Backyard Habitat has given me lots of ideas... so many that I'm worried that my 1/3 acre is going to run out of planting space!

Our yard was certified a Backyard Habitat just before the debut of the TV series, but thanks to the shows, we have improved the habitat for the local birds, chipmunks, squirrels and toads. Since seeing the episodes about butterflies and hummingbirds, my daughter has helped me create a habitat for these beautiful creatures... the dragonflies really enjoy it too!

Though our favorite episodes are the ones which feature the areas around our home (Northern Virginia), we always bring away some interesting facts or ideas from the other shows too. Would like to see shows from other parts of the country too. Would also be interested in a show on Eastern Bluebirds. We used to see them occasionally in our neighbourhood, but the development seems to have driven them away. I would love to have them back and in my own garden.

Keep up the great work!

Backyard Habitat has potential, and I hope to see some growth and improvement in the upcoming shows. I think the shows look interesting, but what I have seen so far appears to me to be somewhat elementary in content and does not clearly convey the basic purpose and design of NWF’s backyard habitat program. If you want to be a how-to show, don’t dummy-down the content or presentation. Home improvement shows don’t teach you how to hammer a nail; they teach you how to build a deck.
I have helped with a few backyard habitat projects. Those individuals/families I helped are the type of viewers you want to attract. I think they would feel a little disappointed with this show as it is. In addition, I think two hosts with David’s experience and demeanor would go a long way to increase viewer buy-in.

Great feedback! Thanks for sharing. Can you suggest some specific ideas that you'd like us to explore? How can we more clearly convey the concepts of backyard habitat to the viewers?

David Mizejewski
Naturalist and Host, Backyard Habitat

Even though I work for an organization that educates people on how to improve home landscapes for the benefit of migrating songbirds, I have found the Backyard Habitat programs to be very informative. I did not know, for example, that it is possible to purchase (or create) martin houses with entrance holes that prohibit starlings from usurping them - or that osprey platforms should be mounted well away from tall vegetation. The best part of this program is its focus on using native plantings; and my only suggestion would be to offer explanations on how and why natives are better than alien plants.
Also - please let folks know the program can be seen on Sunday mornings. I discovered it quite by accident.

My husband just happened to find last Sunday's show, Ospreys, and recorded it for me. I'll be watching every episode starting this week. I think the show is going to be inspirational for beginners. And there might be tidbits of information that even more experienced people with habitat might be able to take from some shows. It would be nice to have episodes on each level, beginner thru expert, and in between. I truly believe that the success of the show will be measured in how many people will be inspired to restore some habitat to their own backyards. And most of those people are going to be beginners to moderate. So far, I think you're on the right track of acheiving that.

Just wanted to say that I love the show. My husband and I are animal lovers. We own about four acres in Alabama and see deer quite frequently on the road we live on. Unfortunately, the road we live on is a truck route and a lot of the deer get struck. We have a lot of deer that tend to pass through the yard. Also have lots, of dragonflies, salamanders, snakes and butterflies. Even a pesky possum. We have four children. Two grown and two younger that live with their mom in Texas. When they come here, it's like an adventure for them. They both love to go out and catch frogs. Just wanted to let you know that the show is great.

Thanks! You should watch our episode on possums, if you haven't caught it already. Hopefully, it'll give an appreciation for these ancient animals. They really don't deserve the reputation they get as pesky! They can even be beneficial in the garden as they are quite fond of slugs.

Good feedback. We've tried to make the show accessible to all people interested in attacting wildlife. We want people who've never done any gardening for wildlife to feel inspired and pick up some ideas on how to get started while at the same time give long-time backyard "wildlifers" some new tips and ideas on how to enhance their habitats.

I love the show, and haven't missed a single episode! My whole community is a habitat - LOTS of backyard habitats including homes, schools, parks, churches, condominiums, civic areas and businesses. This is REAL - something each of us can get out an do ourselves - even if we live in an apartment. I love all animal shows, but this one has appeal, education, children's activities and a well-informed host, David Mizejewski, who knows all the ins and outs of what our native wildlife need and want. A number of my neighbors also enjoy the show. THREE CHEERS - keep it forever!

Hi,

I love the concept of the show, but I guess I was hoping for more depth. It's definitely for beginners. Please tell viewers about maintenance of their habitats - cleaning baths and feeders, not using fertilizers and pesticides, educating neighbors who may complain. We have 1.3 acres of beaver habitat and some neighbors who think killing is the answer to every inconvenience. The amazing wildlife we have has been a true gift, but the neighbors have been an utter nightmare.

Please cover more of the country, and pretty please find a new co-host. Molly just grates on my nerves!

I love the idea of the show and enjoy the two hosts. However, I wish you would be more selective in your choice of yards to develop the backyard habitats. Most of the sites already have many natural plants, trees, etc. I believe you should focus on sites that have less natural vegetation in typical backyards.

I love the concept! I TIVO the show and have also seen every one of them. I too find Mollie a bit annoying. I think it's important to note that in order to provide a good habitat for animals it's important to limit use of pesticides. Also, when doing episodes on attracting butterflies, you might want to let viewers know that they should not use fertilizers on host plants. When I saw the one of the episodes on hummingbirds I was surprised that you didn't mention how often to clean the feeders and change the nectar. It would be nice for you to come out to other parts of the country, perhaps the midwest or where I am in Dallas, TX surrounded by urban sprawl. It would also be a neat feature if you were to go visit an existing backyard habitat so that people could get an idea of what their yard could look like after the landscaping has been established.

I also TIVO the show for convenience. I agree with other opinions I read that think the show is for beginners, but even though I'm not a beginner I learn something in every show - which is reason to watch. David has a lot of great information to share and I've found that by visiting the NWF web site and taking short online courses I can find more advanced info on my favorite topics.

Wow. I'm glad I found this thread. I have a small backyard that I want to take "wild" with lots of plantings that will attract and safely house lots of wildlife. I guess I'll be watching the show from now on to get ideas.

Hi

This is in reply to what 4784love said about the "killer neighbors." I too have a neighbor that kills every animal he sees. I've spkoen with the DNR (I live in Michigan) and was told that there is nothing they can do unless they catch him in the act. The Michigan DNR offers a special use permit to landowners to take care care of what's considered nuicense animals such as woodchucks. He can become very irrate when in a situation not to his liking, so confronting him about this or asking if he has a permit is out of the question.

There is a lot of talk right now about saving the Artic which I fully agree with. But what about the senseless slaughter of wildlife here at home? My thoughts are, why not first give the landowener the option of live trapping the animals only on his property and moving them to a location where the animal/s won't be a problem.

We are the ones who are moving into the homes of all these animals so why do they have to die because of where we choose to live? Because of senseless people and senseless rules and regulations, why do you think things in the wild become extinct in the first place.

Hi. This is my first visit to the Backyard Habitat Bulletin Board and it is really helpful to see your feedback as we look towards planning new episodes. As a Mom, I am especially interested in getting kids involved in nature and was thrilled to hear that viewers like lizzybennet69 and sunniesbuttercup children like the show. A great way to get children excited about wildlife is to do projects with them. I just helped the kids in my daughter's class create Bagel Birdfeeders(bird garden episode).. very simple.. all you need are bagels, string, peanut butter and bird seed.... it got the kids involved and we talked about area birds that would feed from the bagels. It was amazing to see how their eyes came alive at the idea of an animal interacting with something they had made. Thanks for watching the show and for all your great ideas. Molly Pesce