The Village at Castle Pines boasts an active and involved neighborhood. Several hundred members of the Homes Association were in
Understanding the unique behaviors of these subterranean and surface-dwelling neighbors is the first step toward managing them humanely and maintaining a healthy backyard environment.
Colorado is home to eight different species of voles, which residents in The Village often refer...
Raccoons are highly intelligent, nighttime foragers that thrive in our community. Thanks to their incredible physical dexterity, they can easily open container lids, enter garages, and access home attics. Once they locate a reliable food source, they can become incredibly...
While backyard bird feeders are a wonderful way to view birds, native plants offer a superior, year-round food source that fills critical gaps in their life cycles.
Native pollinators have spent thousands of years adapting alongside local flora, creating specialized...
The core principles of a wildlife-friendly yard boil down to two simple goals: providing essential food, water, shelter, and safe nesting sites , while actively reducing environmental risks by avoiding pesticides, preventing window collisions, and managing domestic pets responsibly.
To...
Before taking any action, it is vital to carefully evaluate the situation from a safe distance.
If you are uncertain whether a mammal needs intervention, reach out to a local rehabilitator or an established wildlife help line for guidance. When...
It is natural to want to step in immediately, but the first and most critical step is to stop and observe. Surprisingly, most birds that appear to need help actually do not.
When a bird likely needs your help:
If...
Free-roaming cats, whether they are beloved domestic pets or feral animals, stand as a leading human-related cause of bird mortality. Even well-fed household pets possess a natural instinct to hunt, posing a major risk to vulnerable fledglings and ground-feeding species.
...
Understanding coyote behavior and adopting a few proactive habits allows us to safely protect our families and pets while respecting our local ecosystem.
Coyotes are active year-round, and while they are most visible during the quiet hours of dawn and...
Fostering a beautiful garden while living alongside these herds requires a bit of strategy. Here is what you need to know to balance community beauty with our local ecosystem.
To effectively protect your landscaping, it helps to understand exactly which...
As Colorado's native plants adapted to our local climate and shifting seasons, birds simultaneously adapted their migration timing, breeding cycles, and diets to perfectly match when natural food and shelter would be available. This synchronized timing match is absolutely essential...
The single greatest benefit of feeding backyard birds is the deeper connection to nature that it fosters for us. However, bird feeding is actually a subject of controversy among many wildlife experts, as it can cause unintentional harm if it...
Here is a practical guide on how to protect your home while maintaining a healthy balance with the nature around us.
Most indoor insect issues are directly driven by three factors: moisture, shelter, and seasonal movement. Establishing a strong perimeter...
Before trying to stop the behavior, it helps to understand what the birds are trying to accomplish. Typically, drilling and pecking boil down to three main biological drivers:
Deterrence methods vary depending on the species targeting your home. Implementing these...
Before managing bear activity around your home, it helps to know a bit about our local bear population:
Bears are highly opportunistic omnivores whose lives revolve around food availability. Surprisingly, their diet is overwhelmingly vegetarian:
Most black bears in Colorado...
Wild Turkeys are highly adaptable birds that easily thrive in foothills landscapes like ours, which combine open grasslands, woodlands, and nearby water sources. Within our community, they depend on specific natural features to meet their daily survival needs:
A wild...
When you come across a young wild animal, your first instinct might be to step in, but it is important to pause.
If it is determined that an injured animal needs to be moved to a rehabilitation facility, safety must...
The size and type of the mammal you encounter dictates the best course of action and the appropriate agency to contact:
When dealing with potentially sick or injured wildlife, safety and legal parameters must always come first.
Keep this list...
Native plants and pollinators beautifully co-evolved alongside one another over thousands of years. Because of this shared history, native species provide the highest quality and most abundant sources of food—including nectar, berries, seeds, and pollen—along with optimal habitat structure.
Many...
For individuals and families relocating from out of state, understanding the geographic landscape of the Colorado Rocky Mountain region is crucial. There is an essential operational distinction between purchasing a property situated deep in the high country versus investing in...