Stepping into Paul McLellan's house on a hot, muggy day is like diving into cool water. The amazing difference in air temperature is the result, not of expensive air-conditioning, but of having transformed a barren farmstead into a wildlife sanctuary.

When McLellan bought the 12-hectare lot 20 years ago, it had been cleared for crops, the remaining two-hectare tract of trees mostly grazed by cows. Finding farming unprofitable and concerned about the environment, McLellan set out to transform his property into a sanctuary for wildlife.

"When I first tried to attract birds to feeding stations, only sparrows and starlings would come,"
he says. "Overall, the setting was hostile for wildlife and for people."

McLellan's first steps involved planting a five-hectare area with quick-growing trees and shrubs.
He installed nesting boxes and started a bird-feeding program. He planted leafy, deciduous trees, such as maple, birch, and oak, on the south side of his house to provide shade in summer without diminishing sun in winter. To the north and west, he planted spruce and cedar trees as protection from prevailing winds and snows.

Hundreds of berry-producing shrubs have since been added to the property to provide birds with natural sources of food. Perennial beds with bee-balm, evening primrose, goldenrod, and

many other butterfly flowers have been planted along trails and in open areas.

"Our home is much more pleasant to live in now," says McLellan as he lounges on his porch and watches an oriole bathing in a recirculating stream. "It's warmer in winter, cooler in summer.
With the flowers, shrubs, and trees, we have a far better view than before. And you can see an amazing variety of wildlife all year-round."

"Our home is much more pleasant to live in now," says McLellan