The cynical bit of me acknowledges that our little bit of paradise would be just as relevant to the animals without the paper. I believe in what the NWF is doing, however, and our participation in their program works toward goals which are important to me. Plus, the yard sign may encourage someone to stop and ask what this wildlife habitat stuff is all about. Education. That's the key.
It was only four years ago that I was on the chemical bandwagon. I didn't like pesticides when we bought this house, but I thought that these means were the only way to keep our yard and garden healthy and attractive. I grew up that way, seeing my family farm and garden. It was what I knew. But here's the realization: all the WILD goodies I enjoyed growing up didn't have commercial fertilizer, and survived the bugs through other means than lethal sprays.
I made the step away from the "given" on gardening. It was intimidating, I confess, and every trip past the garden section of Home Depot gave me major queasies ... "Am I neglecting my plants? They NEED Bloom Boostimus Maximus, don't they?" But after a year or so, I got over the queasies. How does my yard look? My family likes it. The creatures like it. And the community standards police haven't knocked on my door yet. So we must be doing okay.
I wish everyone could understand how EASY it is to garden without pesticides and high-intensity fertilizers. We're taught to do it with chemicals and so we think that is how gardening must be done. I have lots of reference books that deal with garden problems: the quick fix for just about anything is some brand name or other. Water, corn meal and cow poop are pretty inexpensive. Probably a much smaller profit margin. They don't have lobbyists, I guess, and don't put out big money to fund home improvement shows. That's a shame. Corn meal and compost are giving me beautiful herbs and roses this year. Water and the ladybugs took care of most of the aphids in the vegetable garden.