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Take Action

Invite Them In

To get rid of destructive bugs in your garden, create habitat for the "good ones" and leave the pest control to the birds. More >

Perk Up Your Plants

A cup of joe will chase away that "slug"-ish morning by giving your garden a wake up call. More >

Make It Official

If you've been having a life-long love affair with wildlife, it's time to take the next step. More >

The tiny bog turtle, listed as endangered in nearly all of its resident states, has lost much of its basking and nesting habitat due to encroachment by dense stands of this environmental bully. Now restricted to the wetlands and bogs of the eastern U.S., most of the bog turtle's historic range has been lost or fragmented.

For more than five years, the Philadelphia Zoo has supported the research of Dr. Russell Burke, from the biology department at Hofstra University, who is working to determine the impacts of habitat conditions on natural sex determinations of three of New Jersey's most vulnerable turtles, including the rare bog species. The results of his studies will help the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to identify and protect remaining pockets of viable bog turtle habitat.

Restoring a species' natural environment is a complicated process. Creating habitat for local wildlife in your backyard, on the other hand, is much simpler yet serves an equally important purpose. Native plants provide a year round oasis of essential habitat for resident wildlife as well as important stopover sites for thousands of migratory birds passing through our region every year. Choosing the right native plants for your garden conditions could easily result in a veritable paradise for wildlife. The addition of a water source, ground materials for shelter and one or two strategically placed "abodes" will further enhance your yard, making it attractive to local species of reptiles, amphibians and small mammals.

Even if your gardening objective isn't to create a wildlife sanctuary, natives make beautiful, environmentally friendly additions to any garden. They come in a wide array of vibrant colors and textures and require much less work than non-natives thanks to thousands of years spent adapting to local soil and climate conditions; and because they are in their own niche, native plants are able to flourish with less water and less fertilizer and are more resilient in the face of extreme weather conditions such as drought or unseasonably heavy rainfalls. Best of all, gardening with a wide variety of native plants will encourage a balanced population of beneficial insects that will help keep the harmful ones in check, eliminating the need for pesticides and keeping ground water free from chemical runoff.

Whenever possible, gardening with native species is the best choice for the environment, but organic gardening techniques such as reducing pesticide use, collecting stormwater, composting and minimizing lawn size are all valuable contributors to healthy ecosystems and can be applied to both local and exotic plants.

This summer, native plants, backyard habitats and local wildlife are featured at Zoozapalooza, the Philadelphia Zoo's seasonal experience. When you visit, be sure to stop by our newly created backyard habitat filled with spectacular native plants.

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