S.E. PA Backyard Restoration

Two years ago I began the process of converting my typical backyard lawn scape into native habitat. Beginning in the Fall of 2023, I spent most weekends lugging carloads of arborist wood chips from a township park, which were then applied to heaping piles of leaves collected from around the neighborhood.

By the Spring of 2024 the leaves had broken down sufficiently enough that I began to install plugs of native plant species directly into the wood chips. I also purchased two wine barrels and a Harbor Freight pump to create a water feature. One of the wine barrels was sunk to serve as a reservoir. Within a few days the sound of flowing water was attracting flocks of neighborhood wrens and sparrows.

The freezing and thawing of winter warped the wood in the upper wine barrel, and I made the unfortunate discovery this Spring that it would no longer hold water. I then decided to incorporate both wine barrels into a larger project, creating a stream which would wind through the upper backyard area to a small pond in its center.

Attached are some pictures of the entire rewilding process, as well as some of the wildlife which it has attracted. It is isn't a finished project by any means, and I look forward to adding more evergreen cover and shade loving plants and sedges during the cold months ahead.