Gardens for Wildlife!

On this page, our Education Staff will share with you how to attract wildlife to your yard. We’ll begin with pollinators and conclude with birds.

Pollinators’ Garden at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Come Visit the Pollinators Garden

Birds and insects depend on plants and vice versa. To showcase this relationship, our Education Staff created a Pollinators’ Garden at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine in 2016 which continues today. Walk through the 6,600 square foot garden on a meandering decomposed granite pathway to view 22 different Southern California native plant species that attract local pollinators in addition to being adapted to dry summers and can live in full sun and clay soil.

Pollinators’ Garden Plant List

Not sure which native plants to put in your garden? Our one-page handout of recommended plants can help! It features information on each plant species such as height, width, flower color and season when it flowers.

A large part of the garden features native plants that attract insect pollinators. These plants have flowers that are open and more flattened as a landing pad for insects. The flowers attract insects with sweet aromas and bright colors like yellow or purple.

The other part of the garden features plants that attract hummingbirds. These flowers are tubular-shaped and colored red, purple or even white.

Investigating Pollinators

While visiting the Pollinators’ Garden, check out the literature boxes for brochures about how to create a wildlife garden plus Audubon Adventures newspapers for children. You can also use these activity cards for your enjoyment:

Sea and Sage Audubon gives our thanks to:

The Irvine Ranch Water District for providing the site and on-going maintenance of the Pollinators’ Garden.
Celso Morrison for making the rabbit-proof fence to protect growing plants.
Eagle Scout Matthew Charles for creating the nesting structures for native bees.

Funding was generously provided by Vic & Bobbie Westling plus the Judy Gordon Generation Fund who support education about the important role of pollinators in the ecosystem and our lives.

(photograph of Vic Westling by Marquita Miller used with permission)

You Can Help Pollinators!

What are pollinators? Pollinators are hummingbirds, insects and bats that help transfer pollen from one plant to another to help create new plants. You are familiar with the non-native, colonial European Honey Bee, but did you know that California has at least 1,600 native bees? Bumble Bees, Carpenter Bees, Digger Bees, Leaf-cutter Bees, Mason Bees and more may be living near you. These native bees are solitary and build nests in the ground and in wood.

Pollinators are important to our culture because they are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat, drinks we swallow, fibers we wear or use, and medicines we take. But their numbers are decreasing, and they need our help.

We can help stabilize and increase native bee populations in these ways:

Plant southern California plants.
Make it easy for bees to find flowers. Put the same plant species in clumps that are 4-foot wide.
Plant variety of species that bloom at different times of year.
Use sunny sites.
Garden without pesticides.
Leave some bare ground and leaf litter (for bees that build nests in soil or burrow into leaves).
Provide a bee nest box with bundled hollow stems.

Want to learn more?

Watch our video on “The Buzz about Pollinators and Native Gardens” (Coming Soon)

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation works on pollinator conservation, endangered species conservation, and reducing pesticide use and impacts.

Example of a pollinators garden in an Orange County front yard.

You Can Create a Bird-Friendly Garden!

You can help birds in your yard. Simply provide what birds need to survive: a source of clean water, natural food (especially insects and seeds), protective plant cover, and freedom from harm. It’s easy to learn how to improve yard habitat and reduce threats to birds! Read our suggestions below.

Plant southern California native plants in your garden

(they’re what birds are used to).

Get suggestions for your zip code at CalScape.org.
Create a diversity of ground covers, shrubs, trees and wildflowers.
We recommend bladderpod, buckwheat, elderberry, lemonade berry, mallows, manzanitas, penstemons, sages, and toyon.

Provide food and water

Make water available year-round (shallow water is best). Birds are attracted to the sound of water!
Keep feeders and water baths clean (to prevent spread of bird diseases).
Provide safe nesting places and natural perches.
Let birds eat bugs (those pesky caterpillars and aphids are bird-food and shouldn’t be removed).
Leave the leaves (for ground-foraging birds).

Prevent hazards to birds

Prevent window collisions. Make windows look like a barrier. For information, Learn More
Eliminate use of poisons. They kill other animals, not just the target pest.
Keep cats indoors or build an outdoor “catio” (to protect injury to birds, fledglings, lizards, and more) (photograph by Dan Trinidad used with permission)
Dim outdoor lights (so migrating birds are not confused). For information, Learn More

Protect nesting birds

Prune trees in fall and winter (so you don’t disturb hidden nesting birds).
Let fledglings learn to fly in safety (don’t rescue unless they are truly injured).
Important: Native birds and their nests are protected by federal law and cannot be harmed in any way. Keep your distance and do not disturb them.

Resources To Help You Create a Bird-Friendly Garden!

Download our trifold brochure “How to Create a Bird-Friendly Garden.”

Download our one-page handout “Plant List for a Bird-Friendly Garden” here

Listen to an hour-long podcast about “Creating a Bird Friendly Garden” by UC Master Gardeners featuring Trude Hurd and Carolyn Noble.

Go to UCCE Master Gardener Radio Show website: Learn More
Scroll past In The Garden Monthly collection to the Radio Show Podcasts alphabetical listing.
Choose “Bird Friendly Garden” and enjoy listening.