Reducing Risks to Wildlife
Even well-intentioned landscaping choices can create unexpected hazards for wildlife. Backyard swimming pools may become deadly traps for frogs, salamanders, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and even young birds that cannot climb back out. Outdoor cats can dramatically reduce local bird, reptile, and small mammal populations. Large reflective windows often cause fatal bird collisions by mirroring the sky or nearby vegetation. While no yard can eliminate every danger, thoughtful design can greatly reduce these risks and make your property safer for native wildlife.
Wildlife Escape Ramp
You probably won't find this exact design in stores, but it's easy to build your own. Place a sturdy floating or partially floating ramp that extends from the pool wall to the deck, allowing animals that fall into the water to climb out. Since reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals naturally swim along the pool's edge looking for an exit, the ramp should always rest firmly against the wall where they are most likely to encounter it.
Backyard Pools
Swimming pools are among the greatest hazards many backyard animals face. Frogs, toads, salamanders, lizards, snakes, chipmunks, mice, and other small creatures can become trapped and drown if they cannot escape.
The safest option is to keep the pool securely covered whenever it is not in use. If you are designing a natural wildlife pond instead of a swimming pool, it should include gently sloping edges that allow animals to enter and leave safely. For conventional pools, installing one or more wildlife escape ramps is an effective way to prevent unnecessary deaths.
Cats: The Small Predator in the Backyard
Domestic cats should not be allowed to roam freely outdoors, even in neighborhoods where wildlife may seem scarce. Although beloved pets, free-ranging cats are highly effective predators and kill large numbers of native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians every year. Keeping cats indoors—or providing a secure outdoor enclosure ("catio") or supervised outdoor time—protects both wildlife and the cats themselves from traffic, predators, disease, and other hazards.
Bird Collisions with Windows
Clean, reflective windows often mirror trees and sky so convincingly that birds mistake the reflection for real habitat and fly directly into the glass.
Simple steps can dramatically reduce these collisions:
- Install exterior screens or lightweight curtains to reduce reflections.
- Apply bird-safe window markers, films, or closely spaced decals across large panes of glass.
- Place feeders either within about 3 feet of windows or more than 30 feet away, reducing the speed at which birds can strike the glass.
Silhouettes of hawks or other raptors have long been sold as deterrents. While they may occasionally discourage birds, research has shown that patterned films or closely spaced markers covering the glass are generally much more effective at preventing collisions.
Roads and Wildlife
When planning wildlife-friendly landscaping, avoid concentrating habitat along busy roads whenever possible.
If trees, shrubs, ponds, or feeding areas are placed near high-traffic streets, animals may be forced to cross the road repeatedly, greatly increasing the risk of being struck by vehicles.
Whenever possible:
- Place bird feeders, nest boxes, and water features toward the center of your property.
- Use fences, hedgerows, or natural vegetation to encourage wildlife to remain within safer areas.
- Minimize features that attract animals to the roadside.
Even short crossings can be dangerous for wildlife, particularly during dawn and dusk when many species are most active.
Protect Amphibians During Seasonal Migrations
Across much of the United States and Canada, frogs, salamanders, and toads often migrate between breeding ponds and upland forests during rainy spring nights.
Because these movements frequently involve crossing roads, amphibians suffer heavy mortality from traffic.
If your yard includes a pond or wetland near a road:
- Install wildlife-friendly fencing that guides amphibians away from traffic.
- Leave natural vegetation around breeding ponds.
- Avoid steep concrete edges or barriers that trap small animals.
- Where communities provide amphibian tunnels or seasonal road closures, support these conservation efforts.
Small changes can save hundreds of animals during a single breeding season.
Mammals at Risk
Many native mammals—including raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, and badgers in some regions—are frequently killed on roads while searching for food or moving between habitats.
These animals play valuable ecological roles by controlling pests, dispersing seeds, and scavenging carrion.
Reducing nighttime speeds in wildlife-rich areas, preserving habitat corridors, and keeping attractive food sources away from roads all help lower wildlife-vehicle collisions and create safer environments for both animals and people.