Project “CHIRP!” — Gardening for Songbird Conservation
By Christina Sharma and Sarah Coulber

We all do things to try to make the world a better place. Sometimes it’s as simple as smiling at a stranger; other times it might be as ambitious as organizing a fundraiser for a charity. In Christina Sharma’s case, she has turned her passion for songbirds into a new conservation initiative called Project CHIRP! (for “Creating Habitat in Residential Areas and Parkland), an initiative that she hopes will inspire homeowners to incorporate native flora into their gardens to support songbird populations.

Christina firmly believes that we can have cities that thrive both economically and ecologically. It will take time and require change, but Project CHIRP! is a good example of how we can reach that goal.

Christina was inspired to start Project CHIRP! while she was watching the beautiful songbirds that frequent her Etobicoke, Ont., garden. A lush woodland garden with a downspout pond, her property is the perfect spot for birds to feed, drink, nest and shelter. It is especially popular with migratory songbirds in the spring and fall.

In the fall of 2006, Christina met Richard Joos at a bird banding station in Toronto. Richard is an avian ecologist with the Toronto Bird Observatory’s migrating/breeding bird monitoring station, as well as the “Birds in the City” education program. Richard visited Christina’s backyard songbird habitat and saw how well it attracted a variety of local and migratory songbirds seldom seen in the city. He knew the value of teaming up with Christina and sharing her success story in the hope of inspiring others to plant for songbird conservation.

Now, as part of Project CHIRP!, during migratory seasons you can watch songbirds up close at the Toronto Bird Observatory bird banding station.

Christina now offers talks and workshops about the evolution of her songbird habitat, and gives guided tours of her backyard. And she is available for home site consultations to help you assess your property so you can create your own successful habitat. Christina also provides visitors with CWF with resource material such as Creating Habitat for Wildlife, a native plant encyclopedia, the “how to’s” of creating wildlife-friendly ponds and colourful species identification posters (all available at www.wildaboutgardening.org). Richard is a licensed landscape architect, and he can create attractive designs that are practical, aesthetically pleasing and address the survival needs of songbirds.

When homeowners create green corridors with natural fence lines, such as cedar hedges, they enable wildlife migration and provide critical, year-round shelter for songbirds. Another benefit of having songbird habitats is that native pest controllers move in. Christina was thrilled when in 2001, three frogs showed up at her pond within a few months of its creation! This spring, she is being treated nightly to the “trilling” call of two toads sharing residence between her property and that of her neighbours.

Christina’s garden was the first to be certified by CWF’s Backyard Habitat Certification Program, and she encourages homeowners to certify their properties as songbird habitats. She maps CWF-certified properties, and corresponds with homeowners on songbird activity and species to help gauge the long-term success of their habitats in supporting songbird conservation.

Christina and Richard travel throughout the greater Toronto area teaching others how to create songbird habitats, and expounding on the incredible personal rewards of doing so. Christina also enjoys learning from Richard. “Richard’s extensive work in the field with songbirds adds a very special element to our talks. After hearing him speak, I continue to be left in awe of the strength, intelligence, beauty and complexity of our feathered friends. You will likely never look at a songbird the same way again!”

Project CHIRP! is a Toronto-based initiative that focuses on naturalizing green space that stretches from the Toronto Lakeshore to the Oak Ridges Moraine. Urban sprawl and development has encroached on or destroyed most areas of habitat, but, as Christina notes, “Eighty percent of the land is in private ownership. We still have our backyards, be they postage-stamp-size or one hundred acres. There exists the potential, whether your property is large or small, to incorporate native species and water sources for songbird habitat. It is the collective that will make the real difference over the long run. My property is not large, yet it is successful in helping a variety of songbirds. From the birds’ viewpoint, it is a much-needed, reliable sanctuary that they have no problem finding year after year. Indeed, it never ceases to amaze me how certain species show up just as their favourite berries become ripe — then they are gone again until the same time the next year!”

There was a time when a bird feeder was enough to help support songbirds, as enough natural areas existed to meet their entire habitat needs of food, water, shelter and space. But now, with urbanization, they need our help to survive. To help restore lost habitats, Project CHIRP! concentrates on planting native vegetation to create natural sources of year-round food and shelter. The native species planted, and the way they are arranged, will determine a property’s success in attracting songbirds.

Comments from project participants demonstrate just how helpful Project CHIRP! is to the community. Kelly Armstrong of the Toronto Zoo noted that “when Christina and Richard came to speak at our monthly volunteer meeting, we were truly inspired. The information they provided was practical and timely, and was presented in a fun, informal style. They really helped us see how easy and rewarding bird conservation can be. Volunteers raved about the presentation all month long. We are so thankful to have had the Backyard Bird team of Christina and Richard speak to us.”

And Colleen Cirillo of Toronto and Region Conservation enthusiastically stated, “In her ordinary neighbourhood in central Etobicoke, Christina Sharma has created an extraordinary garden. To tour this garden and listen to Christina speak is to be reminded of the power of one, and the beauty and necessity of nature. It is also a reminder of the relationship between personal lifestyle choices and environmental health.”

In fact, Christina’s garden has been featured twice in the Home section of the Toronto Star. Christina received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for her commitment to educating the public on how to preserve wildlife and biodiversity through the creation of home habitats.

Christina encourages residents to book a visit to the Toronto Bird Observatory bird banding station. “It really is an incredible experience and all ages are welcome. Seeing these tiny yet powerful, colourful migrants up close is an experience you will not soon forget. You will be able to stand alongside avian researcher Richard Joos as he measures, weighs, assesses, bands and releases the songbirds. There also exists the opportunity to assist him at the station during spring and fall migration!” says Christina.

Project CHIRP! is available to anyone in the Toronto region. Christina and Richard have made presentations to gardening clubs, conservation societies, naturalist groups, businesses, children’s clubs, church groups and the Toronto Zoo, among others. As Christina notes, “On behalf of Richard Joos and myself, I hope we may have the opportunity to speak to your group. In return, you will receive a colourful talk that will leave you not only with the tools you need to create an attractive habitat for songbirds (and you!), but also feeling empowered and inspired to become an active participant in songbird conservation.”

Some pointers from Christina:

• When you create a garden that meets the natural food, water, shelter and space needs of songbirds, you may also provide habitat for amphibians (useful predators of mosquitoes and other insects), dragonflies, butterflies, small mammals and other wildlife, thereby restoring some of the biodiversity that has been seriously depleted through urbanization.
  
  
• By using native plant species, you are helping to re-establish populations of flora and fauna species indigenous to this region and restore the local ecology. Native plant species evolved with native wildlife and directly meet their food and shelter needs. They are acclimatized to local climate and soils and therefore do not require inputs of pesticides, fertilizers and, once established, water.
  
  
• Starting small is best. The native trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses and sedges you plant do require follow-up care initially until established — for some, the first two to three years. Thereafter, they tend to be drought-tolerant but may still require care during periods of prolonged drought.

Richard adds, “Birds are one of the best indicators of healthy environments. If native bird species live and successfully breed in a given place, you know that that place, regardless of its size, has something about it that is ecologically sound. We call this good habitat. Because habitat loss has been identified as the principal cause of songbird population decline, we have an enormous opportunity to contribute to bird population recovery and biodiversity maintenance through habitat creation and restoration.”

Christina and Richard offer a “site consult” service to address site-specific concerns and assist with the creation of a basic site map, noting such things as garden dimensions, permanent structures, beneficial vantage points, sun exposure, microclimates and soil type. The fee for this service is about $50.

Photographs: Margaret Hesliln
www.flickr.comphotosmakeupanid
Photograph (Last Image): Rohit Sharma

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