Welcome to Wild Earth Journal
Discover the wild side of your own backyard
A trusted, easy-to-understand guide to the natural world, combining fascinating animal facts with practical advice for attracting birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to American backyards.
- Free to read
- Clear & accurate
- Made for US yards
Featured article
Fall-Sown Wildflower Seed: Let Winter Do the Hard Part
Many native wildflower seeds need a cold, wet spell to sprout. Learn when and how to sow them in fall or winter, with timing…
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Find your corner of the natural world
Five friendly starting points, from surprising animal behavior to the plants that bring wildlife home.
Fresh from the journal
Latest wildlife articles
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Fall-Sown Wildflower Seed: Let Winter Do the Hard Part
Many native wildflower seeds need a cold, wet spell to sprout. Learn when and how to sow them in fall or winter,…
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New England Aster: The Tall Late Bloomer That Feeds Fall Monarchs
New England aster blooms purple when most gardens are fading, feeding bees and migrating monarchs. Here’s how to grow this tall native.
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Northern Cardinals: Why They Look Their Reddest in the Middle of Winter
Male cardinals really do get redder as winter goes on. Here’s why, plus what they eat and how to bring them to…
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Winter Birdbaths: How to Keep Water Open Without Harming Birds
How to offer birds open water in freezing weather: simple daily bowls, safe heaters, and the additives you should never put in…
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Little Bluestem: The Native Grass That Turns Copper for Winter
Little bluestem is a tough native grass with copper winter color, seeds for sparrows and juncos, and a liking for dry, sunny…
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Clearwing Moths: The Tiny Hoverers Often Mistaken for Hummingbirds
That tiny hummingbird at your flowers may be a clearwing moth. Learn how these day-flying moths hover, what they eat and how…
Amazing animal facts
Meet the neighbors you rarely see
Virginia opossum
North America’s only marsupial.
Like kangaroos, mother opossums carry their tiny newborns in a pouch. Later, the young ride along on her back as she forages at night.
Barred owl
“Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?”
That rhythmic phrase is a popular way to remember the barred owl’s hooting call, often heard in wooded neighborhoods after dark.
Eastern box turtle
A backyard neighbor that can live for decades.
Box turtles often spend their whole lives in a small home area. If you find one crossing a road, help it across in the direction it was heading.
Red fox
It can hear a mouse moving under the snow.
Red foxes listen carefully, then leap high and pounce nose-first to catch small rodents hidden beneath snow or tall grass.
Monarch butterfly
Some fly up to 3,000 miles to spend winter in Mexico.
Eastern monarchs born in late summer make the long journey south to forests in central Mexico, a trip none of them has made before.
Attract wildlife to your backyard
Four things every wildlife-friendly yard needs
Birds, butterflies, and other animals look for the same basics. Offer all four and your yard becomes a place they can live, not just pass through.
Native plants provide seeds, berries, nectar, and the insects many birds feed their young. Feeders can add to what your plants offer.
A shallow birdbath, kept clean and refilled often, gives wildlife a place to drink and bathe all year.
Layers of trees, shrubs and dense plantings give animals cover from weather and predators.
Nest boxes, host plants for caterpillars, and a few undisturbed corners help wildlife raise the next generation.
Native plants by region
Plants that belong where you live
What thrives in Vermont may struggle in Arizona. Pick your region to see a few native favorites for wildlife.
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
West
- White trilliumSpring woodland bloom for shady yards
- Wild columbineNectar for early hummingbirds
- New England asterLate-season fuel for butterflies and bees
- Coral honeysuckleA native vine hummingbirds love
- Purple passionflowerHost plant for gulf fritillary caterpillars
- American beautyberryPurple fall berries for birds
- Purple coneflowerBees in summer, goldfinches in fall
- Butterfly weedA milkweed that hosts monarch caterpillars
- Little bluestem Native grass for cover and winter interest
- Desert marigoldLong-blooming and drought tolerant
- Desert willow Trumpet flowers for hummingbirds and bees
- Parry’s penstemon Pink spring spires for pollinators
- California poppy: Sunny, low-water spring color
- Lupines: Native bees and butterfly host plants
- Ceanothus: Blue-flowered shrubs buzzing with bees
Before planting, check with your local native plant society or Cooperative Extension office to confirm a plant suits your area and isn’t toxic to pets.
About Wild Earth Journal
Nature writing you can trust and actually use
Wild Earth Journal is a free online publication for people across the United States who love the wildlife around them. We combine fascinating animal facts with practical advice for attracting birds, butterflies and other wildlife to American backyards.
Every guide aims to be accurate, easy to understand and right for your region, so you can make choices that help wildlife without the guesswork.
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Reliable sources behind every fact
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Clear explanations without jargon
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Region-aware advice for US yards
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Practical steps you can try this weekend
Free for every reader