Whether you live in an apartment in the middle of Manhattan or on a 20 acre property upstate, chances are there’s some sort of wildlife shivering outside your window. Wondering where their next meal is coming from. Looking in on you while you sit in your warm, cozy abode dressed in your hemp pj’s, sipping your organic wine and eating your fair trade chocolates. It’s time to take it up a notch.

1. Shelter. Buy or build a lovely birdhouse or insulated cat shelter. You can create hiding places for squirrels and such by using logs, brush or rocks. Bats need a place to rest and/or raise families. A roosting box would be nice.

2. Food. When we were new to the country thing, we put a bird feeder out in the warm weather. Guess who came to dinner? We attracted a bear. Winter is the time to put bird feeders out. The squirrels may get to it, but hey, they’ve gotta eat too! There’s actually an art to the whole bird feeding thing.

3. Water. Birdbaths and man made ponds are happy things to have around when water sources are scarce during winter months. Or summer months, for that matter.

NYC Wildlife
Urban Wildlife Sanctuary Program
Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Cat Rescue