Its glistening dark eyes stared back at resident Robert Eckenrode as he took a photo of his backyard guest. A barred owl — named “Hootie” or “Daniel,” depending on who in the family is talking — that he first noticed in mid-June sat with its wings at rest, perched on a porch rail.

“Everybody’s backyard contains a story like Hootie,” he said. “I hear it hooting to owls across the way. I think it’s wonderful to share, and I am sure others have found the same simple joys in their backyard.”

From one neighborhood, town, county, or state to the next, “individual backyards and naturally wild places are all important. Individually and collectively we are a patchwork of wild places. What we do with them now and in the future is even more important,” he added.

With that in mind, Mr Eckenrode, who is presidents of Newtown Forest Association (NFA), announced an upcoming opportunity for private landowners to “share your own stories of land ownership and your wild places,” as stated in a recent flyer. The NFA, Bethel Land Trust, and Brookfield Open Space Legacy are sponsoring the event on Sunday, July 26, from 1 to 3 pm, at the Holcombe Hill Preserve, 65 Great Hill Road. The program that is meant for sharing stories, and also learning how best to care for the natural habitat.

Light refreshments will be available. A guest forester, native plant specialist, and an organic lawn care professional will be available to answer any questions.

Reservations are requested, by July 25 if possible, by calling 203-834-0128 or e-mailing merrill@optonline.net.

“As large private landowners ourselves, we hope to share this opportunity to come together and talk simple techniques and good science to make a backyard a healthy wilder place,” Mr Eckenrode said.

These wild places offer a wide variety of native plants, animals, and the habitat, he said.

“We all value having clean water for recreation, drinking water, and the habitat it provides.”

Regional planners, land trusts, state and town open space supporters, and homeowners “can each do their part,” he said. “We find it is important to share with you what we ourselves have learned and talk about the importance of sharing these same values on a local neighbor-to-neighbor level.

“Everybody with a wild spot in their backyard is a part of this,” Mr Eckenrode said. With Hootie as his example, Mr Eckenrode said, “I am still fascinated and impressed with knowing more about the simple wild things happening in my own backyard.”

Wild Spaces

Being a responsible landowner can be as simple as allowing a little more wildness into your own backyard, a recent NFA flyer states. Greener lawn care, using native plants, protecting wildlife habitat, and preserving water quality are just some of good things people can easily do just by learning how, it states.

The NFA’s overall effort from neighbor to neighbor contact up to a multi-town partnership is meant to “enlarge the footprint” in a beneficial, “like-minded community of conservationists.”

Mr Eckenrode offered his thoughts on how each land owner can improve their piece of that footprint. In a recent e-mail, he wrote, “Simply plant and maintain native trees, plants and shrubs that all provide some food and shelter source in wilder part of your own yard. This is all that’s really needed,” he said, to attract birds, bees and other pollinating insects for fruits and flowers. “It’s as simple as that.”

Plant natives species and weed out the invasives, he said. Consider organic lawncare, he advised, and also asked property owners to think about reducing their lawns.

“Less lawn plus less lawncare equals more wildlife,” said Mr Eckenrode, who also pointed out that, along with large state-to-state efforts, and working county to county, “We have already become a success on the town-to-town level.”

NFA members are also doing local projects in conjunction with neighboring Bethel, Brookfield, and Redding.

“We are able to lead by example in this work,” he wrote, with the expertise of The Highstead Arboretum in Redding, under the direction of Bill Labich and Donna Merrill, and the support of regional partners.

He believes in “reaching out to individual land owners and sharing the tips and techniques in owning or abutting a property with a simple minimal maintenance of this natural space.”

Hootie, or Daniel

Mr Eckenrode recently wrote down his account of meeting Hootie.

“Hootie had landed on his perch unnoticed while I was sitting at my computer only a few feet away. Glancing out the window, there he was. I was impressed and wanted to simply observe him. I knew basically he needed wild wide open spaces to live, feed, breed and survive and he has them here in Newtown on the Bethel border.”

He had been aware, said Mr Eckenrode, of local neighborhood owls making “muted, insistant whistling sounds in the trees.” He had thought for years that he was hearing raccoons.

After contacting Eyes On Owls professionals, Mr Eckenrode learned that barred owls have a “varied vocal repertoire, so interpreting their sounds is imprecise. However, young barred owls have a raspy ‘wheep’ call that they use for food begging, so perhaps I was hearing that.”

According to AllAboutBirds.org, hosted by The Cornell Lab of Obarred owls are large, stocky owls with rounded heads, no ear tufts, and medium length, rounded tails.”

Barred owls are mottled brown and white overall, with dark brown, almost black, eyes. They roost quietly in forest trees during the day, though they can occasionally be heard calling in daylight hours. At night they hunt small animals, especially rodents, and give an instantly recognizable “Who cooks for you?” call.

Barred owls live in large, mature forests made up of both deciduous trees and evergreens, often near water. They nest in tree cavities. In the Northwest, barred owls have moved into old-growth coniferous forest, where they compete with the threatened spotted owl.