Stick with Your Sticks

Not only should us wildlife gardeners leave the leaves until the weather has warmed in spring, but we should also stick with our sticks to encourage and support wildlife in our yards. Creating a permanent brush pile from fallen sticks and branches and other garden debris will provide shelter, safety, and sustenance to a wide variety of animals.

Brush piles provide refuge from extreme weather, especially during the winter, and give small animals such as songbirds, chipmunks, and toads a place to hide from predators. Many insects, especially beetles, will take up residence in the decaying wood of a brush pile, and these insects will become a welcome food source for a variety of animals. Butterflies may also make use of a brush pile at various life stages–mourning cloak and eastern comma butterflies may choose to hibernate in the brush, while other species may overwinter as chrysalides, eggs, or caterpillars.

Brush piles need not be large to be beneficial, but should incorporate a variety of different types of materials, including logs, sticks and twigs of different diameters, large pieces of bark, and leaves. Rocks and stones can also be used to form the foundation of the brush pile.

When building a brush pile, start with your largest materials first. Lay down a foundation of logs and rocks. Next, lay down branches or large-diameter sticks, and then smaller sticks on top of those. Be sure to leave open pockets between the layers that animals can use as entrances and exits. Whether you choose to stack your materials neatly or leave them in a more naturalistic state, your brush pile will provide a wonderful haven for wildlife.

Sources:

“The Brush Pile: Build it for Our Wild Friends,” Choose Natives (choosenatives.org)

Steve Kress, “Build a Brush Pile for Birds,” National Audubon Society (www.audubon.org)

Joshua Rose, “Brush Piles: A Backyard Bonanza for Wildlife,” Hitchcock Center (www.hitchcockcenter.org)