About this episode

Debbie and Laurie discuss the changes in backyard habitats during spring and provide practical tips for supporting wildlife.

Spring is finally making itself known, and that means our backyard habitats are changing fast. In this episode of The Backyard Naturalists , Debbie and Laurie talk about what listeners may be seeing, hearing, and experiencing in their own outdoor spaces — from nesting bluebirds, Carolina wrens, catbirds, frogs, butterflies, lizards, bats, possums, raccoons, snakes, deer, and even coyotes. Whether your habitat is an apartment balcony, suburban yard, garden, greenway, or several acres of land, this episode is a reminder that every space can support wildlife in meaningful ways. The conversation also turns practical, with timely spring habitat maintenance tips for nature lovers, birders, and backyard gardeners. Debbie and Laurie discuss when to cut back old plant stems, how to create brush piles and natural shelter, why nest box placement and monitoring matter, and how to keep birdbaths clean, shallow, and filled during dry weather. They also cover wildlife-friendly food sources, live mealworms for baby birds, no-melt suet, mosquito control without harmful sprays, and why avoiding chemical fertilizers and weed killers can make your yard healthier for pollinators, birds, and the…

More episodes of The Backyard Naturalists

• The Matthews Community Farmer's market · July 18, 2026 · 54 min
• ENCORE EPISODE: Benefits of Trees · July 11, 2026 · 21 min
• ENCORE: Bird Feeding 2.0: Elevating Your Backyard Aviary · July 4, 2026 · 39 min
• ENCORE: Frogs, Toads and Backyard Choruses · June 27, 2026 · 21 min
• Names for Male and Female Animals · June 13, 2026 · 24 min
• Wildlife Bridges and Crossings · June 6, 2026 · 22 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Backyard Naturalists podcast page.