With spring upon us, that means a lot of us are doing more yard work. But Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release volunteer Ann Westling reminds us that wildlife may have also started nesting near homes…

click to listen to Ann Westling

To minimize impacts, Westling says you should first walk your lawn or field, looking for signs of nesting or hiding wildlife, also including burnpiles. There are also a variety of things you can do to discourage critters from being around…

click to listen to Ann Westling

Westling says avoid mowing too short in early spring. And when starting to mow, begin in the middle and mow in circles, gradually moving outward, so that escaping animals and birds can move outward through cover to safety. She says one thing people can do to protect very young rabbits is to keep weeds low all year, discouraging them from nesting in areas needing cleanup each spring. Also, late fall is the best time to have trees cut down, when songbirds, small mammals, and raptors are least likely to be nesting.