- Carry a bag to pick up at least a little litter every time you take a walk.

 

- Turtles can die from viruses they have no immunity to only a mile outside of their territories, so if you find a turtle     

   crossing the road, carefully (watch for traffic!) move it to the side that it was heading- no further!

 

- Leave dead trees and snags standing as these provide important homes, food, and other resources for many species, but     remove dead, dry limbs that stress and injure the tree (these limbs are EXCELLENT firewood!)

 

- Learn about exotic invasive species like Privet and Wisteria, and consider removing these species from the area. Do this       mindfully, though, as many of these species provide things for wildlife and for us if we learn how to use them!

 

- When pruning or clearing brush, pile the vegetation along the edges of fields. This provides great cover for small animals         which in turn supports the entire food chain.

 

- Unclog accumulations of branches and debris that impede the flow of creeks and streams. Some 

    debris is beneficial, but you don't want the creek to be choked with it.

 

- When you find one branch that rubs against another branch, this can open wounds in the tree that can allow disease in.

    Remove one of these branches, being careful to cut just outside of the growth ring usually located next to the trunk of the

    tree.

 

- Any time you make a wound on a tree, it's a good idea to "bandage" the wound with a patch of mud until the wound has

    time to "scab over" with sap.

 

- Fire can be very beneficial and sometimes crucial to an ecosystem. Learn about control burns, the ecosystem you're in,

    and fire's role in it.

 

- Never gather a plant unless you're leaving 4 others nearby for every one that you gather.

 

- Talk to those plants! Ask permission before you take anything and always give thanks.

 

- LISTEN.