We really had it good this year, with so much rain and so many months without the punishing daily temperatures that characterize our typical summers. The heat index and heat warnings came late this year, but they are back and it shows. One would be forgiven for thinking that we are already in the midst of autumn looking at the leaf drop from our neighborhood pecan trees on our streets.
Please pay attention to the plight of native and adapted plants upon which wildlife rely for food and shelter (and which we need to cool our urban heat island!). There is no reason to allow plants to wither and die if we are irrigating within the city’s watering schedule: https://www.austintexas.gov/water/find-your-watering-day. One can irrigate responsibly following guidance by plant type, location, age, soil and microclimate: https://tngaustin.com/how-to-water/. Trees, even native ones, sometimes need help, too: https://tngaustin.com/wp-content/uploads/TREES-HOW-TO-WATER-DON-GARDNER-2025-update.pdf.
In fact, many creatures are starting to migrate that desperately need sustenance from our very own yards. Migrating hummingbirds “typically gain 25-40% of their body weight before they start migration in order to make the long trek over land, and water.” https://www.hummingbirdcentral.com/hummingbird-migration-spring-2026-map.htm All migrating birds need you to turn off all non-essential lights daily between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (https://travisaudubon.org/lights-out-texas) so that they can navigate safely. Migrating birds are coping with extreme heat, migrating throughout the night, and traveling with first-time youngsters born this spring who may not have encountered city glass in urban settings before. Please make sure your home’s windows are not a hazard for struggling bird populations: https://www.audubon.org/news/reducing-collisions-glass
Finally, do not miss an opportunity to build your soil and wildlife habitat while doing nothing (or close to it). Leaf “litter” is not trash, it is critical to many creatures: https://xerces.org/leave-the-leaves Little guys like the skink in this month’s photo appreciate leaf litter so that they can hunt down garden pests in your yard: https://txmg.org/galveston/beneficials-in-the-garden-and-landscape/skink-lizards/
North Loop Neighborhood Association 