Have you ever looked at your backyard as a nature preserve? Or, have you ever kept track of all the different kinds of wildlife your backyard supports? I did, and I am amazed by the diversity of flora and fauna outside my back door.

I have seen myriads of birds, red and fox squirrels, raccoons, opossums. I know we have had moles and voles because our dog Shasta dug a 100-foot trench, only to present us with the dead mole at the end of her toils. Each first frost, a city mouse seems to slip into our basement. That is why our house has always had a working cat!

In the late evenings, I have heard owls hooting and seen periodic bats zooming to catch insects at dusk. Although deer are common in several neighborhoods bordering Broad Ripple, a doe or fawn in our yard is a most unusual visitor. Critters including snakes, fox, coyotes, and toads have been reported within a mile radius of my backyard.

I never cease to be amazed by the life moving around outside. Yards are a most conducive habitat, providing shelter, water, food, and a place to reproduce. Often times without my efforts, birds and animals find all their needs met in the landscape that my yard sustains.

Then there are all the butterflies, ants, spiders, and other insects, trees, shrubs, and flowers that constitute my cherished acre. What a diverse ecosystem my backyard is! You, too, might be surprised by taking note of the wildlife in your backyard. You just may be living in a nature preserve as well.