I've lived on this small three acre property for twenty years and have observed a lot of changes. It's distressing when new people move to the area and clear cut trees in order to plant grass for lawns. By doing so, they force away the wildlife. Fortunately many of the critters have found my space to be a sanctuary, and they give me so much joy. Last night I sat on the patio with a cold beer and witnessed a real-life nature show. Two foxes came by to visit, a painted bunting showed up, bluebirds were bathing in the birdbath, and the mama deer was suckling her newborn fawn. Meanwhile the bird feeders were busy with cardinals, titmice, and black-capped chickadees while butterflies and bees were gathering nectar and pollen from the wildflowers. For me, this is heaven on earth. Yes, I have the signs to verify my goal - but they're really unnecessary. All it takes is a commitment to not be the "invasive species".
