Desert Rivers Audubon Society presents its Garden Tour de Bird on November 9. The tour is a self-guided excursion to five Tempe residences and a Chandler park that are appealing to people as well as birds.

The theme this year is “Inviting the Natives to Your Yard.”

The yards will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 plus fees on Eventbrite.  Addresses will be provided with your ticket. Purchase tickets on the day of the event for $30, available at the Adams residence, 4007 South Heather Drive, Tempe.

Treeland Nursery, 2900 S Country Club Dr, Mesa, will be offering a selection of natives and low water plants at a 10% discount on all plants except annuals, vegetables and items in the shop through November 16.

November is prime planting season in Phoenix. Don’t miss this opportunity to start transforming your yard!

Why garden with natives?

Landscaping your yard with native plants will conserve precious water and save you money in addition to helping our beautiful Sonoran Desert birds survive. Non-native tropical plants can be beautiful, but they are of limited value to Arizona’s wildlife, which evolved alongside desert plants that provide the right seeds and insects.

Unfortunately, most of us have non-natives such as Bermuda and rye grass, oleanders, lantana and date palms in our back yards – plants that do not provide the food and cover our desert birds need.

Transitioning to a yard that looks like home to Anna’s Hummingbirds and other Sonoran wildlife may appear daunting, but help is available!

Homeowners whose yards are on the Garden Tour de Bird have successfully made the change. These homes show off the beauty of native and low water gardens, and you will learn how the homeowners created them.

Also, at each home representatives of other conservation groups will be on hand to answer your questions about gardening, pollinators and bird-friendly improvements.

When you have made the rounds, plan to visit Treeland to pick out a few natives for your yard.

Your yard can become essential habitat

Bird populations have dropped precipitously in the last 50 years, in large part due to development. Conservation groups like Audubon work hard to preserve land that is critical to bird survival, but birds need more.

Your yard can be an oasis in our urban landscape, beautiful and healthy for birds and humans.

Photo by Keith Stepp