Nature Shop Front Yard--Summer Wildlife

Kendall Kroesen, Urban Program Manager

Sara Pike watches hundreds of "tiny"
native bees on graythorn flowers

Come visit Tucson Audubon's nature-friendly front yard at the Audubon Nature Shop at 300 E. University Blvd. Over the years we have gradually developed the yard into a place that harvests rainwater and grows diverse native plants. Now, in mid-summer, after the initial summer rains, it is at its best! Below are a few recent photos from the front yards. Read more about the Nature Shop front yard.

A big thank you to Lynn Hassler, bird and native plant expert, for taking on the weekly maintenance and improvement of the yard. Read more about Lynn on page 11 of the July-September 2014 issue of the Vermilion Flycatcher. Lynn is also a presenter at the Tucson Bird and Wildlife Festival, taking place August 13-17.

The Nature Shop front yard is a demonstration site for bird-friendly and sustainable landscapes and gardens in our region. Learn more about this at Tucson Audubon's Urban Program page.

Native bees on graythorn flowers (Ziziphus obtusifolia)

Queen butterfly on a blue mist flower (Ageratum corymbosum)--these
flowers are targeted by male milkweed butterflies, such as queens and
monarchs, because they contain an alkaloid that the butterflies ingest
which is later released as an aphrodisiac for attracting females.

Mourning Dove at the fountain

Wild petunia flower (Ruellia nudiflora) with a spider

Native bee on a little-leaf cordia flower (Cordia parvifolia)

The front yard contains diverse, dense native plantings