Contributing Writer
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| Jessie Smith Jr.'s yard recently received a National Wildlife Federation habitat certification. | |
Tomball resident Jessie C. Smith Jr., a retired private investigator and lifetime musician turned wildlife habitat protector, received a National Wildlife Federation habitat certification in August.
Smith’s love for wildlife has transformed his front yard, on Hoffman Estates Boulevard, into a wildlife habitat that began in 1996 with a bird feeder and the enjoyment of watching the wildlife that wondered onto his property.
“As a PI, doing surveillance gave me a lot of time to observe nature,” Smith said. “I grew to take pleasure in watching the animals that I could observe from my front porch as well.”
According to Smith, the habitat draws approximately 27 species of birds. Local wildlife observed include deer, rabbits, coyotes, raccoons, foxes, squirrels, opossums, and insects including butterflies and moths.
Even though the habitat is currently under a few renovations, it contains nine native tree species including Live Oak, Pine, Mulberry, Willow, Chinese Tallow, Cedar and Crepe Myrtle. Food source plants incorporate lilies, Narcissus, Yaupon, Cannas, Cactus, Coreopsis and Yucca into the landscape. There are four seed feeders, five hummingbird feeders, and several watering stations.
Although Smith has not taken any special wildlife habitat classes, he says he has drawn on his Texas A&M University education with the habitat setup.
“I’m an old Aggie grad with a degree in Agriculture Education with a minor in Horticulture,” Smith said. “Everything I need to know about animal care I learned in college.”
The serenity of the habitat has become acutely important to Smith in the last several years after he was injured in a car accident in 2006. He now suffers from Reflex Sympathy Dystrophy, also known as Chronic Pain Disease.
“I have good days and bad days with the ‘RSD,’” Smith said. “Maintaining the habitat gives me motivation to get moving on the good days and pleasure to watch on the bad ones while convalescing.”
According to the National Wildlife Federation website at www.nwf.org/backyard, habitat restoration is critical in urban and suburban settings where commercial and residential development encroaches on natural wildlife areas. In addition to providing for wildlife, a certified habitat conserves natural resources by reducing or eliminating the need for fertilizer, pesticides, and the burning of fossil fuels used in mowing.
1 comment:
05/27/08 I ran into Nancy Yoder-Karp while shopping in Tomball. She instructed me on how to edit ads from article. Thanks Nancy
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