From Orange Audubon
On Sunday, October 12th, from 9 am to 2 pm, explore bird-friendly native landscapes and feeder yards on this self-guided tour hosted by Orange Audubon Society, with co-sponsors Florida Native Plant Society, Tarflower Chapter, and Wild Birds Unlimited, Winter Springs. You can visit 8 great examples of how to put together a Bird-friendly Yard.
Tarflower Chapter's Backyard Biodiversity Day will be one week later, Saturday, October 18th, at Mead Botanical Garden. This event provides an opportunity to buy the plants you learn about on the tour.
A Yards Tour has not been hosted by Orange Audubon since 2016 and is back by popular demand! “I still meet people who toured my yard in 2016. It is really rewarding to be able to inspire other people to try native plants,” says Deborah Green, Orange Audubon Society President. “The landscape plants that have been planted in new developments for years have been those that are easy to propagate and resist insect damage, many of them waxy. Creating a bird-friendly yard is a totally different concept. For birds, we want some little caterpillars on the leaves for them to eat. ”
"Getting started with natives involves going to a specialized nursery or to an event where Florida Native Plant Society members are selling native plants, like Backyard Biodiversity Day. But once established, you don’t need to continually replace plants. A native yard can be extremely low maintenance as well as attractive and wildlife friendly."
Following registration, a few days before the event, you will be emailed a map and descriptions of the yards. If you don’t have time to see all the 8 yards between 9 am and 2 pm, you can plan your route to see those of most interest. Three yards are in the Wekiva area, and five are from Oviedo to Winter Park. All of the homeowners are eager to show what they have done in transitioning from typical landscaping toward native and bird-friendly landscaping.
At each stop, information will be provided on featured native plants, problematic invasive plants, and plants for birds and pollinators.
Price is $15, and all proceeds go to support Orange Audubon’s future Nature Center at Apopka Birding Park. Tickets are available online at
https://orangeaudubonfl.org/yards-tour/. Tickets are also for sale at Wild Birds Unlimited. Up to 2 youths (ages 8-16) can accompany a registered adult at no cost. For additional information, call 407-637-2525.
