I can't believe I spent most of my life until now, taking a bunch of this stuff, sadly, for granted. One needs to try to be a part of the environment and ecosystem instead of always trying to bend everything to be about THEM. I've always been on the fringes of this and didn't know it, living on a farm and trying to be a benefactor to living things that share the space I'm in, but, having taken on a new awareness over time, I now do try to be even more conscious of everything I'm doing, that I'm not always taking from the earth, which after all, sustains all of us. I want more than ever to try to be a part of the solution, as opposed to a part of the problem.
Now, with that rather vague introduction out of the way, I'd like to talk about a way everyone can make their surroundings, no matter where they are, more friendly to wildlife. Whether you live in a rooftop apartment or in the middle of the country like I do, there are ways you can make it easier for your little world to be…..where the wild things are. Birds, butterflies and other beneficial insects as well as animals are highly adaptable. They wouldn't still be here if they weren't, to a degree. 
One way is to create a wildlife habitat. Really there are four things that are the underpinning of a wildlife friendly area, and a lot of them are much the same as we humans need. 1. Food 2. Water 3. Cover 4. A Place to Raise Young
There is a lot of information pertaining to this at the website of the National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org Below is a screenshot the area they have where you can certify your own back yard. I don't think I necessarily need to pay a fee and buy a sign to figure out if I have a good place for wildlife or not, but the information there is very useful.
I checked off the areas in which I am strong right now, and it can show you the things you can improve on as well.
With the extreme early dry weather we have had, I have noticed a lot of the birds and other wildlife definitely “needing help” and it made me renew my own efforts in this area.
Besides being something we can all feel really good about doing, it is fun to watch the birds, butterflies, and other wildlife as well.
And you know what I say about the possible damage to your garden crops……Always, always plant enough to share.
Have a great weekend. ~JB was here.