Tucson Audubon Society
Urban Wildlife Landscape Design Course

January 2009

Urban Habitat

Tucson Audubon’s Urban Habitat Program is part of a larger urban-oriented initiative designed to reconcile the needs of people and wildlife through the enlightened design of urban and exurban spaces. The Urban Habitat Program seeks to create habitat for birds and other wildlife in yards, neighborhoods, parks, commercial spaces, and along roadways. It is motivated by the desire to support and increase wildlife populations, increase wildlife appreciation, and beautify the metropolitan landscape. Research based on the Audubon Christmas Bird Counts and the Tucson Bird Count suggests that even populations of relatively common birds are now declining, particularly in the more densely inhabited central Tucson area.

Wildlife-oriented Landscape Design

While some home and campus owners may create habitats themselves, it is likely that many will engage designers and installers to create and implement these designs.  The Wildlife Landscape Design Certification Course will have, as one of its outcomes, certification to install a Tucson Audubon Landscape. The course will train landscape designers to create landscapes that not only meet traditional landscaping goals, but also provide food, shelter and nesting opportunities for birds, and that provide for the needs of other small urban wildlife (arthropods, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals).

The course will link program designers with suppliers of nursery plants to ensure that we complete the circle between concept and installation.

Course Format

The course will consist of seven meetings on consecutive Saturday mornings (9-11 a.m.) and Wednesday evenings (7-9 p.m.). The first class meeting will be on Saturday January 10, 2009. Meetings will continue every Wednesday and Saturday through Saturday January 31. Wednesday evening meetings will be held at the Tucson Audubon Society offices in the Historic YWCA, 738 N. 5^th Ave. Saturday meetings will be held at other locations to be determined, based on the availability of natural and landscaped reference sites. The final Saturday will be a field trip.

A plant list, an optional reading list, and other useful materials will be provided as part of the cost of the course. The course will need a minimum of 8 students, but will be limited to a maximum of 20.

Cost: $250

To sign up, contact Jean Barchman at 622-5622 or jbarchman@tucsonaudubon.org.

Session 1: Introduction and Background

At each session we’ll introduce a few local birds and their habitat needs.

Introduction to course/orientations

Impediments for wildlife in the city

Providing for needs of wildlife in the city

Urban core vs. urban fringe - different wildlife realities

Goals and benchmarks: criteria for certified wildlife landscapes

Session 2: Heroes and Villains

Principle of the day: “Biodiversity”

Potential inhabitants of our creations, & who eats whom

Problem animals and how to deal with them in ecologically sound ways

Mitigating urban dangers to birds and other wildlife

Role of non-native plants

Session 3: Local plants

Principle of the day: “Think native”

The plant palette: Native plants for wildlife landscaping and how to use them

Beyond plant species (species composition/diversity, structural diversity, cover, patch size)

Session 4: Hardscape elements

Principle of the day: “Minimizing systems & embracing simplicity”

Hardscape elements for attracting (or repelling) wildlife

Rainwater harvesting—maximizing infiltration

Minimizing evaporation with mulches

To irrigate or not to irrigate

Session 5: Designing urban wildlife habitat

Principle of the day: “Integrate, think multipurpose”

Design strategies for attracting what your client wants, repelling what they don’t

Creating attractive designs, balancing wildlife attraction and aesthetics

Microclimates—using and creating

Session 6: “Selling” the urban wildlife design idea

Selling the idea to residential and commercial clients

Think big: creating urban wildlife corridors, involving neighborhoods & local government

Creating a supporting network of designers, growers, and installers; other partners

The Tucson Audubon Certified Landscape Program: achieving certification

Session 7: Examples of success

Field trip to view examples of landscapes

Reference natural areas

Successfully implemented wildlife landscapes

Examples of landscapes that do not work; lessons to be learned.