move wildlife forum

Hello. I garden exclusively for the wildlife, so can the wildlife forum be moved over into the gardening section? It says : Many gardeners want to attract wildlife to their backyard. Here's a forum to discuss ideas and questions on creating a wildlife habitat in your gardens., yet it's mostly pictures of the wildlife. Not anyone asking questions on creating a habitat. Might make it easier for people to find? Or to understand that it's to ask questions regarding plant types to bring in the wildlife?

Terry (the other one!)

Maybe we should have a Gardening for Wildlife forum instead.
Josephine.

Yes, I agree, that a gardening to attract wildlife would clear up any confusion.
Dena

I garden for wildlife and would like to see a thread.

ditto, I'd like to see such a Forum.

I agree, I'm interested in gardening for the bees and butterflies too.

I'm interested also.

There is a gardening for butterflies & hummingbirds forum here
http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/bbb/all/

it was recently moved from the 'home' section and 'gardening for' was added to the name I would wonder if wildlife could be added right there? 'gardening for birds, butterflies, hummingbirds and wildlife' or 'gardening for all creatures great and small'. hmmm ants to elephants

That works for me. Great suggeation Angele, because we garden for a variety of creatures, even benificial bugs.

Maybe the forum Gardening for Butterflies and Hummingbirds, could be changed to, Gardening for Wildlife, it would be a shorter title, it would include all wild creatures, and the ways to attract them.
Josephine.

I think the two should be kept separate. My hope would be that the two different forums would attract a lot of discussions on how to attract the various animals wanted.

I have enjoyed both those forums very much. I garden to attract wildlife and I also enjoy observing/photographing wildlife wherever I find it. On my desert treks today I photographed plants that had been severly munched, animal burrows, a coyote skull bleached by the sun. I have photographed butterflies, birds, bee, rabbits, snakes, deer etc. both in my garden and out. So for me that's where the difference is. I also personally like fewer forums rather than more (just a personal preference). I guess that's why I love the photo forum - so many gardeners visit it and so many different things to see.
Just my 2 cents & I'm sure there's room for as many forums as everyone wants!

angele, that's the whole thing. I garden for the wildlife. To create a habitat for the wildlife. I want to discuss what different plants will attract what animal. Right now, the wildlife forum is a photography forum. If it's a photo forum, they need to change the heading to Many gardeners attract wildlife to their backyard. Here's a forum to showcase your photographs of the wildlife in your garden. Instead, keep the wording as it is and let's discuss creating habitats. There can also be a photo gallery for those who like to show their photo's ( as it is now) and not discuss their habitats.

Terryr, are you saying, to keep the forums as they are, but let us talk about how to attract wildlife to our gadens?

terryr, please excuse my clumsiness.. I'm afraid I did not communicate what I meant to...

frostweed, To keep the wording as it is, but move it over under the gardening tab. Right now, it's under the home tab and then in leisurely pursuits. There isn't anything leisurely about all the work I'm doing to create my habitat. I'm gardening. So yes, I want to talk about what I'm doing to attract the wildlife, to create my habitat. I also want to hear what you've done. Pictures are great, but I'm not learning on how to create a habitat...or how to attract....

angele, don't worry about it :o) sometimes my words do not properly convey what I'm thinking or trying to say.

I hope this clears it up?

I understand your purpose now, and I agree with you.

Please Dave would you move the Wildlife forum to the gardening section?

Josephine.

I would like to see the Wildlife Forum remain just as it is and have a seperate Gardening for Wildlife forum created. Or change the name of Wildlfe to Wildlife Photography and still add a GforW.

That makes the most sense to me.

I believe what I said above was if it stays the same, then the wording needs to changed. Right now it says Many gardeners want to attract wildlife to their backyard. Here's a forum to discuss ideas and questions on creating a wildlife habitat in your gardens. It isn't a forum to discuss ideas or questions on creating a wildlife habitat. It's for pictures. There should be 2, 1 to discuss ways to create a habitat and 1 for pictures.

I like what Floridian said.

I dont understand what the problem is, yes there are a lot of pictures of wildlife in the wildlife forum. Some are taken in gardens and some are taken in the "wild". In a LOT of these treads if you read them there are a lot of questions and answers on "howtoo" make everything better for our wild friends and also pictures showing what kind of wildlife there is.They go together so to speak.
terryr, I have read the tread you started "Attracting the wildlife" in the wildlife forum, you got 66 answers and a LOT of good advise.
The forums are what WE the posters make of them and if you think there is to little posts in the wildlife forum the only thing to "correct" it is to make more post so the forum becomes what you want it to become, No one there will object to it, just welcome it.
Personally I think these both forums covers the whole perpective from frogs snakes to birds and butterflies etc, from what attracts them to what repells them. One only have to ask.
Janett

I agree with Floridian. To me, there is a difference in attracting wildlife to my garden and observing wildlife outside my garden.

This is a fabulous debate! I have posted my pictures in the wildlife forum, and was thinking to myself as I posted, that I wish there were a forum to share how much work I have put into getting the wild life to come to my gardens.
I clearly didn't see the connection, and maybe that was an oversight on my part, IMHO, I think there should be a gardening to attract wildlife forum, under the gardening tab, and leave the wildlife forum as is to show off all the pictures we get to take and share with others reguardless of where they pictures were taken (in the gardens or the wilderness).
Dena

Janett, I guess we'll agree to disagree. I have read many posts and I'm not hearing what was planted or done to bring in the snakes. What was planted to bring in bluebirds. Anything? How did you turn your typical green lawn into a habitat for wildlife. Which plant in your opinion is the best bird eating berry producing shrub. And what birds eat the berries. What evergreen do the birds in your habitat flock to. What's the best seed producing perennial. What birds eat the seeds. What tree is the most attractive for squirrels. How big does a pond need to be in order to get frogs. What birds eat what in your habitat. How big does a brush pile need to be to be effective. What all have you spotted in your brush pile. Since you started your habitat, what different wildlife have you seen. Do any of your neighbors do the same. Do your neighbors like what you've done. How long have you been gardening to bring in widlife. I'm not reading any ideas or reading any discussions on how to create a wildlife habitat in my garden.

I don't think the pictures should go away, but since the heading now is creating a wildlife habitat in my gardens and it certainly isn't a leisurely pursuit, I think it should be moved to the gardening tab. Or change the heading in leisurely pursuits under the home tab, and start a gardening to attract wildlife under the gardening forum with the heading Many gardeners want to attract wildlife to their backyard. Here's a forum to discuss ideas and questions on creating a wildlife habitat in your gardens.

Dena, I wish you would share the work you put into your habitat. Hopefully, they will change it or add to it, so that it becomes a discussion and questions are asked regarding all our hard work. If they choose not to, then please, share with the ones that are interested in what all you have done to make your garden attractive to the wildlife. I'm interested.

I feel like I'm repeating myself. If anybody out there understands what it is I'm not saying to make myself clear, please feel free to speak up. Or to speak on my behalf :o)

You have forgotten to ask Sam's opinion...

Sam.......bucus? John, why don't you explain for me? I'm not expressing myself very well.....

To resume to wordpicking to make a point....................................I did mention what repels them too. yes if you make flowerbeds with old treetrunks or driftwood to make more"natural" looking garden and you have snakes around you make a better place for them to hide. So the content is if you don't want snakes in your garden don't use old hollow wood as Magpye said in one tread. in one other there is drought so the gardener put out water outside the fence to lower the possibility to get the snakes in the garden seeking water.

As I stated above
The forums are what WE the posters make of them and if you think there is to little posts in the wildlife forum the only thing to "correct" it is to make more posts so the forum becomes what you want it to become, No one there will object to it, just welcome it.

The text in the headline is a guideline for what the forum is about and if you don't find the answers to your specific question just start a tread about it. Thats why I dont "get" the problem. If I go to a forum, read the header and dont find answers on, or discussions about what I am specificly looking for I just post a new tread asking for it when the headline allowes me too.
If everything you are looking for already where asked, discussed and answered then Daves Garden would just resume to be a information site and not the alive growing place where you can get new ideas, new knolidge about and around the wildlife and gardening.
Start treads about your questions, start treads to discuss gardening for wild life, start treads about what you have the knolidge about, start treads about everything the headline allowes you too in the wildlife forum and I am sure it will be welcomed.
Janett

Wow! This isn't a place for me to discuss and get answers to my questions? It would make it just an information site? Wow again. I thought this was a site with many forums to ask questions. I didn't know it was a site where questions and discussions were not welcomed. But then you say you can get new ideas, new knowledge....how? If you don't ask questions and get answers? But then you say to ask questions. It's word picking to ask that the forum be moved into the gardening forum? All the work I do, all the planting I do, is really just a leisurely pursuit? Photography is a leisurely pursuit, IMHO. Gardening is not. If it was, wouldn't all the forums be under the home tab? When I first came here, I looked under gardening for wildlife...attracting it, gardening for it, I found nothing. I didn't know that it was a leisurely pursuit in the home section. Where in the text does it say that the wildlife forum is a place to showcase your photography?

I'm not sure I understand why you are so against having a forum to discuss gardening ways for making habitats and another forum for showcasing pictures. Can you elaborate a bit more on that?

I think its getting alittle warm in here...
I can understand all points of view on this matter. As the Wildlife forum seems to be misplaced in the home tab, and so many folks are enjoying it there (including me) why not leave it that way and put a Gardening for Wildlife forum under the gardening tab? It sure would be better than making everyone who is having a great time showcasing their pictures already, who may not be interested in gardening for wildlife jump to another tab and forum, and we could all discuss how we garden for the ctitters over in our little spot. Clears up a bit of confussion if you ask me. I don't think its as big a deal to leave it where it is, for those of us who wish to see everyones exciting photos, but I never would have thought to annoy everyone there with my blatherings about all the stick piles I have created, and all the plants that I have added to my yard that to other gardeners might look a bit messy...

It would also be easier to find threads that way, rather than for them to be mixed in with all the photo threads.
: )
Dena

I'm really sorry the forum intro has turned into a bone of contention, and source of confusion and debate.

Please keep in mind that back when the forum was created, it was just a general "wildlife" forum - there weren't any guidelines as to its specific use or goal.

I added the blurb at the top to help visitors understand why we would have a wildlife forum within a gardening website. (This was back when you could look at an alphabetized list of all forums, along with their introductions. When you saw all the forums summarized that way, it raised some questions, so we (I) added introductions to segue from one forum to the next and "tie" them all back to a gardening theme.)

What I'm trying to say is the forum is not bound or limited by the wording at the top. While we're not opposed to more forums, I'm not sure this forum is so busy it warrants a second forum at the present time.

If you have general questions about what to plant to attract specific wildlife, you can ask them there. If you want to know how someone else got the [bluebirds, snakes, frogs, whatever] into their backyard, ask them on the thread where they posted their photo of the critters

As to whether it should be renamed and moved to garden talk...I don't know - I think that one should be given some thoughtful consideration before we move it.

But I would point out something - I'm not sure why "leisurely pursuits" is seen as a negative. No one would argue that we put a lot of work into our non-work activities whether it's gardening, photography, or another hobby. (For most of us, we probably exert far more physical effort with those activities than we do in our day jobs.) "Leisurely pursuit" simply means that it is an avocation you pursue in your spare time, as opposed to your profession, vocation or career ;o)

Right you are Terry, and for some of us, gardening doesn't feel like work at all.
Not that it doesn't require effort, but is done for love of plants and animals, and for fun at the same time.
Josephine.

terryr - you have d-mail.

I think there has been a bit of misunderstanding here about what terryr really wants. This request is NOT to move the current wildlife forum under "home talk" as such, but about creating a forum under the "garden talk" tab for "gardening for wildlife". The two forums would be competely different and in my opinion, it is a valid request on terryr's part. I agree with terryr in that I, too, am interested in planting for attracting wildlife, and would like some input as to what and how from a gardening prospective.

I am sorry if any of DGs members have a problem understanding what terryr and I are asking for. I really can't understand what has caused all the "heat" that has arisen here, but I will try to answer any questions that anyone has. It *seems* a simple request, but maybe it isn't so simple. I love looking at the current wildlife forum, and I wouldn't want it changed, but I would like to have a place under the "garden talk" tab for the kind on information that would help me provide a better "garden" habitat for my wild animals and birds. We have lots of interesting forums for growing so many great plants, why not one to target wildlife? Even if it gets combined with Butterflies and Hummingbirds at least it could address the actual goal of a garden for wildlife.

Please help us get all this straightened out and not get into some kind of debate that will divide this wonderful family.

ginni

I would like to see turtles, frogs, chipmunks,etc included with the hummingbirds and butterflies if it wouldn't upset the butterfly and hummingbird people.

I'm not mad and I'm not hot. I'm confused. I keep trying to write something (since last night), but you can't hear me, so it sounds like I might have a tone, or that I am mad. I'm not. I'm going to use this analogy.....people say that WalMart is the "one stop shopping" place. You buy clothes, shoes, paint and then hop on over and get your groceries. What I was hoping for, was my "one stop gardening" forum. Where all my questions pertaining to gardening to attract the wildlife would be put. Where everybody was out for that one cause, to attract wildlife to their gardens. It is fun, yes it is.....however, when you're starting fresh yet again in yet another yard and have to remove sod, remove trees, shrubs and perennials that don't do a thing for attracting wildlife, than it does become work. Fun work, but work none the less. I am gardening with one goal in mind....to attract wildlife....making a habitat. It's gardening....I'm planting trees, I'm planting shrubs, I'm planting perennials.......I want to make a bog, I want to make a brush pile, I want to learn all I can about gardening for the wildlife. My habitat isn't done. It's only beginning.

Once again, I'm not mad, angry or anything like that. I'm just confused why planting to attract the wildlife isn't considered gardening. That's all. I love the pictures. They're great. I just want to read other peoples questions, other peoples experiences on attracting the wildlife....

Terry

So.....I have some good news. Dave and I talked about the possibility of launching this and a prairie forum today.

He'd like to see a little broader base of interest in a prairie forum before we make it happen, but he's amenable to creating a separate forum for wildlife gardening based on the feedback this thread received. (I suspect it peaked at about the same time our energies and efforts were being poured into the server transition-related problems earlier this year.)

My one and only question at this point is what to call it. So let's do a quick "poll" via this thread and I'll tally the votes on Monday. Here are the choices, in alphabetical order:

#1: Backyard Habitats (see note below)
#2: Gardening for Wildlife
#3: Wildlife Gardening
#4: _________________ (your write-in vote)

(Note: I suggest this because I think it might clearly distinguish this forum from the current Wildlife forum.)

Gardening for wildlife

Gardening for wildlife


Maggie

Gardening for wildlife.

Josephine