Georgia Magazine - January 2021 - 35

pursue it. Our property is already mostly forest with no lawn, so
it was fairly easy for us to get our Audubon certification as well, "
he says.
Property owners are asked to commit to controlling invasive plant species, keeping cats indoors and minimizing the use
of chemicals, such as pesticides.
" We ask that at least half of the plants used in the landscape be Georgia natives, and the area [needs to contain] less
than one-fourth exotic or invasive species such as bamboo,
Chinese privet, English ivy and Japanese wisteria, " Andrle says.
" We also ask that homeowners remove plants that can be
harmful to birds, including nandina. "

Certifying organizations
Creating livable, natural spaces for a variety of wildlife can
help maintain populations of birds, butterflies, bees, bats and
other pollinators we all depend on. Contact the organizations
below to learn how to support these and other species in your
backyard.
* Community Wildlife Project, bit.ly/gclubcwp
* Creating a Winter Wildlife Wonderland, bit.ly/wwwonder
* Georgia Audubon, bit.ly/gawildsp
* Georgia Native Plant Society, bit.ly/gnpscert
* Monarchs Across Georgia Pollinator Certification,
bit.ly/mongacert

D HALL

Help birds by participating in the
2021 Great Backyard Bird Count,
Feb. 12-15. Sponsored by the National
Audubon Society in partnership with
the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this
four-day event encourages the public
to record numbers and species of birds.
Scientists use information gathered during the Great Backyard Bird
Count, along with observations from
other citizen-science projects, to get the
" big picture " about what is happening
to bird populations.
To participate, visit gbbc.bird
count.org and create a free account.
Enter the results of your bird
count on the website,
or download the
e-Bird app and use
it to report the
number and
types of birds
you've seen.

HAR

Above: Dan Coleman of Coweta County recently added his Georgia
Wildlife Sanctuary certification to those from the National Wildlife
Federation and the Georgia Native Plant Society. Right: A rose-breasted
grosbeak takes a quick dip during its winter migration through Georgia.

Be a bird counter

RIC

GABE ANDRLE

Gabe Andrle, conservation program coordinator for
Georgia Audubon, is both an advocate for wildlife
habitat certification and an avid birdwatcher.

Applicants are also asked to submit a list of bird species
observed on their property.
" Our certification process includes a visit by an avian
advocate volunteer certifier from Georgia Audubon to assist the
property owner and perform a site inspection to ensure that all
requisites are met, " he says. " If not, the volunteer can recommend ways to bring the property up to the standards. "
Coleman's advice to those seeking certification?
" Read the guidelines and do your best to achieve them, "
the former biology teacher says. " We've made our landscape
as natural as possible so as to be hospitable to all the critters
we can. "
Georgia Audubon has certified more than 500 properties
and works with other Audubon groups, such as Oconee Rivers
Audubon in Athens, to certify properties statewide.
" As wildlife habitats and species continue to disappear,
it's so important to create new places for birds, insects, reptiles
and mammals to survive, " Andrle says. " Our goal is to educate
people-no matter where they live-that they can help reduce
the loss of habitats. "
Pamela A. Keene is a freelance writer and Master Gardener
living in Flowery Branch.
www.georgiamagazine.org

https://www.birdcount.org https://www.birdcount.org http://www.bit.ly/gclubcwp http://www.bit.ly/wwwonder http://www.bit.ly/gawildsp http://www.bit.ly/gnpscert http://www.bit.ly/mongacert http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Georgia Magazine - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - January 2021