(birds chirping) >>We're in Page Valley.

Behind us is Shenandoah National Park on the Blue Ridge.

We have 200 acres here, about 50 acres that you're looking at here alongside the river of bottomland.

A lot of the birds like the indigo buntings like this type of field.

So wildlife likes lots of different kinds of habitats.

Closed forest is one example, but we have lots of closed forest around here.

But more open woodlands and open fields like this supports different species than you would find in a closed canopy forest.

So keeping the fields open is one of my primary tasks with this effort.

>>We have what we call habitat heterogeneity.

So we're seeing kind of the woods in the background, this shrubby edge layer, and then it comes into this open habitat.

And you can kind of think of your own backyard as maybe a patchwork quilt of sorts, where every piece is maybe doing something different for your native biodiversity on your property.

So if you have an area that's maybe more open for pollinators, you have an area that's maybe more shrubby, you can just kind of think of adding complexity to your backyard.

>>And so this large bunch grass that we're walking by, this is gonna have some seeds, I guess, later.

>>Yes, this grass is going to be doing a lot for the birds at different times of the year.

So right now while it's just getting started, it could provide cover for a nest.

If you imagine yourself as a baby quail, it'd be much more easy to navigate around a bunch-forming grass than it would like a sod, matte-forming, just wall of grass.

>>And what other birds are you gonna expect to see in this kind of habitat?

>>Yeah, so we will probably have a lot of song sparrows, field sparrows, things that will nest in these taller vegetation.

Indigo buntings is one that we see a lot that will nest in something like yellow crownbeard here.

And then, you know, just more American goldfinches will be coming through, flying over, and lots of things that will eat insects in the summertime.

And then it's important to think about how plants will transition throughout the year as well as birds.

So birds will eat insects mostly in the growing season, and then a lot of species will transition to more seeds.

These grasses and the different bee balm that you see here will really come into play and feed those birds over winter.

>>Wow.

And I'm seeing a lot, like you're saying, of heterogeneity in terms of the plants.

It's not all grass.

I'm seeing a whole lot more.

Is that one of the goals that you have for your homeowners?

>>Yeah, if we continue to add different types of species, the insects that depend on them will gravitate towards your yard.

And then the birds that depend on those insects will also come through.

The way you can look at it is kind of different timings of the year.

So during the breeding season, they're really gonna be feeding their young with insects.

Come the dormant season, the winter, they're gonna be relying on those seeds from these forbs and grasses as well.

>>And a lot of us would call forbs perennials.

Is that right?

>>Perennials, yes, yes.

>>If your home is a smaller landscape, what lessons can you take from this larger property and then maybe use to guide your landscaping and ideas for habitat at home in that smaller space?

>>Well, the first thing I would say is maybe just do a little bit less.

So, you know, maybe if you are mowing your entire backyard, maybe if you see some type of forb trying to struggle up, you know, next time you're mowing, just take a little swerve around it.

Let that flowering plant come through, and then you just have some variety to your yard.

More pollinators are gonna come to that plant, and you just kind of continue that cycle.

And then there's a whole host of other things you can do.

Planting native plants is a really great way to do it.

It encourages different types of birds to you come to your yard.

We also encourage, you know, supporting local farmers, and buying bird-friendly coffee is a really great way to support not just the birds that live here in Virginia, the birds that migrate through all over the place.

>>And so if you happen to have an oak or a hickory or maybe a cherry or a walnut, what else could you do?

As I've heard that trees often are in competition with our fescue, and you can do some other things to support the tree by actually not having grass right up to it.

>>Yeah, or stopping any kind of management underneath that tree.

Something we like to encourage is what we call a soft landing.

So if you have a big beautiful oak in your backyard, underneath it is really important for the lifecycle of all of these species of caterpillars that need kind of the soft landing to continue part of their lifecycle and continue to survive.

So birds really rely on, you know, lots and lots of caterpillars in order to feed their young.

So kind of thinking not just about the tree above, but the tree below is something we really encourage.

>>So you're thinking maybe leave the leaves?

>>Leaving the leaves, not mowing, not mulching right up around the bark, to just give that tree some breathing room.

And then if you do have a tree that dies on your property, it's something we call a snag, it's a standing dead tree, and that is incredible habitat for a lot of birds.

>>And so if you've got a little spot in your yard, how would you maybe build it for bird-friendly habitat?

>>Yeah, we could keep building on what we've talked about, kind of thinking about this, you know, different sort of landscape and habitat.

If you have some open area, and maybe you wanna transition to some taller structure, planting a shrub is a really great way to do it.

Elderberry is really important.

Their berries provide a lot of nutrients for birds before migration.

So something like that would be a wonderful addition to your backyard.

>>What about viburnums- >>Oh, yeah.

>>Some of native viburnums?

In fall, they have some really nice color, and in their droops, their fruit have not only lots of carbohydrates, but fats and protein to support our migrating and overwintering birds.

>>Viburnums are amazing choice.

Also, you know, a lot of people have boxwoods.

You could think about replacing maybe a boxwood with an inkberry or a native holly, which also has a lot of great berries, and it has that cover throughout the winter as well.

>>Are there any other perennials besides like the rudbeckia and the monarda we've seen here and some of the grasses that you'd recommend are native plants for birds?

>>I think if you're going native, you're on the right track.

I think having a variety is maybe the most important thing, so maybe not just planting, you know, straight bee balm or straight black-eyed Susan.

Having those species intermingle and just be a part of the whole ecosystem together is really the most important thing.

I don't think you're gonna go wrong with a native plant.

>>Thank you so much, Natalie, for meeting us here and showing us the biodiversity that Virginia Working Landscapes helps support.

>>Yeah, thank you, Robyn.

Our program is really, you know, just trying to study these native species more and improve conditions for them and, you know, just promote sustainable land management practices all across Virginia >>We see the bald eagles and the ospreys and the woodpeckers, lots of smaller birds, the indigos, and if you go up in the woods, there's the scarlet tanagers and Baltimore orioles.

So I like working with wildlife and having wildlife around, and creating better habitat is just really enjoyable.

And working with Virginia Working Landscapes to help improve the habitat has been really great.

(birds chirping)