Birds are already nesting in our yards. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service states that: “Most bird nests are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). This law says: ‘No person may take (kill), possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, any migratory bird, or the parts, nests, or eggs of such bird except as may be permitted under the terms of a valid permit…’ Under the MBTA it is illegal to destroy a nest that has eggs or chicks in it or if there are young birds that are still dependent on the nest for survival.” https://www.fws.gov/story/bird-nests
There are also baby mammals in our yards right now. Austin Wildlife Rescue (AWR) shares that well-meaning people can inadvertently “rescue” a mammal or bird that does not actually need to be rescued (and can be better cared for by its parents). They have an excellent flow chart explaining what to do if you find a baby bird or baby mammal: https://www.austinwildliferescue.org/foundawildanimal.
One mammal deserves special mention, and that is North America’s only marsupial, the opossum. During our Neighborhood Association meeting last month, we learned from AWR that opossums control our local tick populations. They also eat rats and cockroaches. They are transient, unsung backyard heroes, and they are sometimes struck by cars. Recently killed mother opossums may still have live young in their pouches. If you see an opossum on the road, the Opossum Society of the United States suggests that: “If safe to do so, pull over and move the body to the side of the road. If alive then seek immediate assistance. If it is a deceased female then check the pouch for any live young. If found then wrap in a soft, ravel-free towel and transport to a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Young opossums cannot survive long outside the pouch environment.” https://opossumsocietyus.org/faq-opossum/#I%20saw%20an%20opossum%20on%20the%20road
Finally, now is the time to properly mulch trees (using natural materials in a wide, flat circle and never “volcano mulching”) to prepare them before our summer heat. Earth Day can be observed all month, and “TreeFolks has named Earth Month ‘Mulch Month’ because that is the very best thing you can do for your trees right now”: https://www.treefolks.org/2023/03/28/mulch-month-2023/.
North Loop Neighborhood Association 