SPECIAL PLACE: When Don Watts joined The Era staff as new
circulation manager, we learned his background included some
interesting information about his backyard in Cuba, N.Y. It had
been certified by the National Wildlife Federation as wildlife
habitat.

Don, who came to us from the Olean (N.Y.) Times Herald after the
retirement of long-time circulation manager Rick Kautz, had been
the subject of stories in the Times Herald and the Cuba Patriot and
Free Press at the time he received this certification.

Many of our readers share an interest in such stories so we
thought we’d pass along some of the details about this backyard
wildlife program.

Both articles from 1998 mentioned how Don’s backyard had been
barren — and one picture proves the point, showing it looking more
like a parking lot in the “before” angle. Trucks and industrial
looking buildings are the only real embellishments to the
acreage.

When Don started out — and that was 12 years before the articles
even appeared — he didn’t even know how to plant a tree. His only
goal was to gain a little privacy. He started by planting shrubs
and trees around the perimeter, and then ordered a package of
wildlife trees from the Department of Environmental Conservation
and grew an area that eventually became a bird sanctuary.

After his improvements, he applied to the National Wildlife
Federation to have it certified as a backyard wildlife habitat. In
fact, he applied two years before but his initial request was
rejected because it failed to meet certain criteria.

“But with the addition of bird nesting houses, bird feeders and
a bird basin, I got awarded the certification,” he said in ’98.

The National Wildlife Federation has four main requirements:
food, water, cover and a place for the animals to raise their
young.

The year after the certification, he added wild cherry and apple
trees to provide more food for the animals and birds that live in
his backyard. At that time, he planned to plant more trees to turn
his habitat area into a full circle for wildlife.

He has spotted many different birds and rabbits, chipmunks,
squirrels, and woodchucks in his garden.

Don’s hobby came naturally, we’d guess. He had spent 24 years in
the Air Force as an environmental protection agent.