 When most of us think of natural resource protection or wildlife habitat, images of vast expanses of open land and unbounded water probably come to mind. But to hundreds of species of animals and insects, home is where they find it. And many of them would love to find their home in your backyard. Your yard can be rich with life using the conservation practices you'll see in the next few minutes. These methods have been used successfully in the countryside by America's farmers and ranchers for years. In miniature, with some adapting, they'll work in your yard too. And this can be done regardless of the size of your yard, or if you have a brand new home or an existing one. Like your neighbors in the country, you'll soon discover that by making your yard more hospitable to nature, you'll add pleasure to your life and harmony around your home. An easy way to get started on a more diverse backyard is to plant trees and shrubs. Let your children or those in the neighborhood help. It can be one of those pleasant, lifelong family memories, like the day you helped plant a tree, built a tree house, or put up a backyard swing. Trees and shrubs soothe the soul. Homeowners and farmers alike plant them for many of the same reasons, shade, energy savings and soil savings. Trees and shrubs also help make a more beautiful landscape and provide space and habitat for nature's creatures. As a matter of fact, private landowners provide the bulk of the food and habitat for wildlife in this country. They deserve the credit for making a home for wildlife on a whopping 70% of the land. In your backyard, you can simply change the scale and the species of wildlife you want to attract. Look to plant trees and shrubs that offer fruits, berries, nuts and insects for the wildlife you want. For some small birds, such as the warbler, a meal from a tree in your yard just might be the difference in a successful migration. Native plants and wildflowers are good ideas too. They lure butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife. Add a mix of plants to your backyard and you and your family may soon see wildlife you never dreamed of seeing so close to your home. On the farm, sometimes the trees, shrub and grass plantings don't offer enough food or cover for wildlife, so some farmers plant food plots especially for wildlife or put up structures geese and ducks and birds can use as protected nests. In your yard, the extra food and cover may come from simple bird feeders, small nest boxes or other bird houses. When it comes to welcoming wildlife and adding tranquility and beauty, nothing beats water, especially ponds and wetlands. Although these conservation projects require planning and some maintenance, small backyard ponds, water gardens and wetlands provide many benefits for birds, butterflies, frogs and fish, not to mention the rewards they give you and your family. But if you're worried about the extra effort involved for a pond or water garden, your water source option can be as simple and inexpensive as a bird bat. Of course, managing and conserving water is just as important in your backyard as it is on farms and ranches. It makes sense to save water wherever you live. Reducing the amount of grass you need to water is one solution. You can design your yard to include more native grasses and less lawn grass that you would have to fertilize, weed and mow. If you need to water your garden, consider installing a more efficient irrigation system. Drip irrigation systems deliver water directly to the plants and may soon pay for themselves in water savings and increase production. Conservationists also want to conserve and recycle waste and build healthy soil. On the farm, animal and plant waste are returned to the land to enrich the soil. That can be done in the backyard too by composting. Composting is easy. It turns lawn debris and fruit and vegetable waste such as melon rinds and banana peels into organic matter that makes high quality soil. Here are a few more conservation techniques you can use to improve your yard and the environment. Like your neighbors in the country, you'll want to test your soil before you add nutrients or fertilizers and put them only where you need them and in just the right amounts. This not only makes for healthier plant life, but it also saves money and helps keep our water clean. And when it comes to pesticides, the best conservation advice is prevention. When you can, plant disease and pest-resistant species and introduce beneficial insects such as the ladybug and praying mantis. When you need pesticides, pinpoint the problem and read and follow the label instructions carefully. Mulching is a good way to protect your soil from erosion, cut down on weed growth and conserve soil moisture. You can recycle the materials in your own yard as mulch. One last conservation technique is terracing. Although terracing might involve more initial expense and effort, it's an excellent way to increase gardening areas and to reduce soil erosion. Plus, it can add beautiful architectural touches to yards and gardens. Conservation, whether in the countryside or in the city, starts with a personal commitment by farmers and ranchers who keep soil productive and water clean and share their big yards with fish and wildlife, by neighbors who come together to develop their parks as a place of harmony and diversity, and by homeowners who provide a sanctuary in their backyards for butterflies and birds. Together, we can make our homes, our neighborhoods, and our earth a friendlier, better place to live, one yard at a time. When you look at all the different plants and what we have here, the maintenance has been surprisingly simple. But now that we have this yard, we're out in the yard more on the weekends, not just to cut the grass, not just for maintenance, but to really enjoy it. And there's a certain pride in, you know, just I think anybody would feel that way. We enjoy having friends come over because they enjoy the yard. I wish I had done it a long time ago. We've kind of been more involved in the yard, because I didn't realize how much enjoyment there is to it. There are a lot of rewards. There really are. And once you get into it, it's a lot of fun. It really is.