Ad
As wildfires sweep across the Western landscape with increasing frequency and intensity, the destruction left behind is more than just charred trees and blackened soil. The silent victims—wildlife—are often forced to flee their habitats, disoriented, dehydrated, and desperate for food and water.
It’s heartbreaking to think of a frightened fox, a thirsty deer, or a scorched rabbit wandering through unfamiliar terrain in search of refuge. But the good news is: even if we can’t stop the fires, we can help the four-legged and winged survivors.
One of the simplest—and most impactful—things we can do is leave out water. Birdbaths, small tubs, or even upside-down trash can lids placed in the shade can offer lifesaving relief for displaced animals and even insects. New Mexico is home to around 1,000 of the 4,000 wild bee species found in the US. With the state’s large variety of ecosystems, it’s home to many other important bug friends, too, such as the endangered Sacramento Mountain checkerspot butterfly and the Nokomis silverspot butterfly.
Just make sure the water container has sloped sides or add a rock for smaller creatures to climb out safely, and refresh it daily. Stagnant water can breed bacteria or mosquitoes – not exactly the critters we want to protect.
If you notice wildlife migrating through your property, it’s best to leave them alone, and open gates if it’s possible. If you live near a fire or recent fire-affected area, predators may be among those passing through, so keep your furbabies safe and stay vigilant of livestock.
Beyond water, avoid using pesticides and rodenticides during fire season. With natural food sources disrupted, wildlife are more likely to come near our homes in search of nourishment. Poisoned bait may kill more than the pests—it can also harm the predators who eat them, like owls, bobcats, or snakes. It’s always best to let nature handle pest control by itself when possible.
Even if you aren’t near a fire-affected area, planting native vegetation that supports local pollinators and herbivores is a really fun way to see what types of creatures you can attract. For example, this spring I bought a pound of wildflower seeds, and two pounds of wild New Mexico grass seeds from Plants of the Southwest and just sprinkled them around my yard. (I’m what they call a chaos gardener.) You can also check out the farmers market and research local seed banks, or just go out in the early fall and collect your own wildflower and wild grass seeds.
Now I have a little prairie of knee-high New Mexico feathergrass and patches of purple “turkey bean” flowers, milkweed (the Monarch butterfly’s preferred meal), apricot colored globemallow, and fuzzy stalks of mullen (nature’s TP). The other morning a family of ducks was resting in my grass, and I’ve seen the most incredible red summer tangers and once even found a peacock hanging out in my cottonwood tree. I also proudly host many a toad and a colony of bats. I don’t know what species they are, as New Mexico has 29 different types of bats, but I do know they are not just my favorite animal, they are the unsung heroes of the pollinator world.
There is so much good about planting Native species. They are resilient, drought tolerant, and provide shelter and food for displaced species trying to rebuild their lives after a natural disaster. We’ve been somewhat brainwashed into believing a lot of these plants are “weeds,” when in fact they bloom beautifully and are such an important part of our state’s unique biodiversity, which is one of the largest in the nation. An added bonus is that a lot of these plants are good for humans, too!
Globemallow can be used for tea, mullen is good for reducing inflammation, and lambs quarters is a wild spinach that New Mexicans have been eating as quelites for who knows how long. Even pigweed is a species of amaranth whose seeds have been used as a foodsource by Indigenous peoples for centuries. Of course, don’t take it from me. Do your own research before you start grazing in your yard.
Ad
But all that to say, in times of disaster, it’s easy to feel powerless. But the truth is, even the smallest gestures—a bowl of water, a patch of native flowers, a night with your dog inside—can make all the difference in supporting our fragile world.
