Backyard Habitat Steward

In the Spring of 2012, Quinta Mazatlan is again offering theBackyard Habitat Steward program! Participants will receive 15 hours of classroom and hands-on training —and will be encouraged to design a small wildscape in their own backyard. The Rio Grande Valley hosts an incredible diversity of birds and other wildlife but also faces the challenge of maintaining habitat with increasing urbanization.

Topics for this 6-session Program include: Wildlife in Your Backyard, Xeriscaping to Reduce Water Usage, Green Tips, Top Native Plants, Native Trees and Soil, Garden Ideas, Compost and Mulch, Offering Shelter, and Feeding Birds. Local experts will be on-hand to answer your questions. You will also tour the Gardens of Quinta Mazatlan to get ideas and inspiration for your own backyard. In addition to learning how to attract wildlife, you will make your own “hanging mesquite bird feeder” which attracts Great Kiskadees, Green Jays, and other colorful Valley birds.

This spring, the Backyard Habitat Steward program will be hosted on Saturdays from 9:00-11:30am from February 4 through March 10. Registration fee is $60.00 on a first-come-first-served basis. Book your spot now or give the gift of the class to a loved one! Upon completion of Quinta Mazatlan’s Backyard Habitat Steward program, participants will have the knowledge and resources necessary to transform their yard into rich wildlife habitat and have the opportunity to become a Certified Backyard Habitat Steward. We hope to see you there!

You can register for this program by calling 956-681-3370 or by emailing cwilliams@mcallen.net!

Note: The Program is designed for first-time attendees in order to encourage more stewards of the land. We’d like to encourage “graduates” to continue to learn by certifying their backyard habitat, attending the Thursday Evening Speaker Series, Thursday Tree Walks, and Saturday Woodland Walkabouts; Volunteering their time in the gardens at Quinta Mazatlan, and working with the speakers who donated their time.

2012 Schedule Coming Soon!

• Session 1: February 4th Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard

Topics Include: Create Backyard Habitat; The Importance of Water; Establish and Objective

• Session 2: February 11th All About Native Plants

Topics Include: Providing Food for Wildlife with Native Plants; How to Plant; Plant Sale

Special Guest Speaker: Mike Heep, Heep Nursery

• Session 3: February 18th Attracting Birds and Butterflies

Topics Include: Feeding Birds; Keeping Wildlife (and you!) Safe; Butterfly Habitat Needs

Special Guest Speakers: Jennifer Owen-White, Santa Ana NWR; Mary Thorne, Caterpillar Caregiver

• Session 4: February 25th Native Trees and Healthy Soil

Topics Include: How to Plant a Tree; What Makes Healthy Soil; Top Native Trees

Special Guest Speaker: Assalia Belmares, Quinta Mazatlan’s Native Plant Expert

• Session 5: March 3rd Green Tips

Topics Include: Using and Making Compost; Using Mulch; Reducing Your Water Bill

• Session 6: March 10th Show and Tell

Topics Include: Question and Answer Session; Share Photos of Your Yard; Build a Mesquite Bird Feeder

Special Guest Instructor: Allen Williams, Williams Wildscapes