It is important to provide places where wildlife can find cover from predators and cold winter weather, especially in new suburban developments where the land has been cleared of vegetation. Planting native evergreens, such as cedar, fir, spruce, and hemlock, can provide this valuable cover for numerous songbirds and small mammals. If they pose no hazard, dead trees can be left standing to provide safe cavities for many species of wildlife, including flying squirrels, porcupines, and raccoons. You can also install winter roosting boxes. Plans for roosting boxes are available from many books and can be purchased from your local bird shop.
Winter is a also great time to create a brush pile.
By collecting yard debris like branches, twigs, and fallen leaves, you can create cover for birds and small mammals, like rabbits, and at the same time offer a hibernation place for eastern box turtles, salamanders, and insects. The mourning cloak butterfly, for example, overwinters as an adult in woody debris and may use your brush pile. Many butterfly species and other insects will lay their eggs or overwinter as pupae in brush piles. Fallen leaves can also be used as mulch to protect plant roots from freezing temperatures, or composted and used as organic fertilizer next summer. Water can be scarce for wildlife in winter when natural sources are frozen.