Habitat Islands for Native Plant Restoration

Delaware Audubon adopted a technique developed at Longwood Garden for reintroducing native plants into natural areas. The technique, identified as ‘habitat islands’ by Longwood, uses relatively inexpensive 4’ high garden fencing to protect native plant plantings from deer, whicch are harmful because they browse smaller plants, and browse trees that are lees than 4’ in diameter.

The habitat island method is far less expensive than using 10’ high deer fencing.The technique involves running the garden fencing in parallel lines, separated by no more than 15’. and enclosing the ends. The reason this works is because deer are reluctant to jump into the 4’ high fenced-in area because the narrow spacing prevents them from easily escaping.

Habitat islands were first installed in 2 locations in Curtis Mill Park in Newark in 2019, A wide diversity of native trees and shrubs were selected for the islands, including both bare root and pottted plants. By now, the plantings in the islands have reached maturity and are thus protected from deer damage, meaning that the fencing is no longer needed there and can be relocated to start new islands.

Starting in 2024, a set of 5 habitat islands were set up at Middle Run Valley Natural Area. The one near the main parking lot at the park has one line of fencing forming an outer circle, with the other forming an inner circle, separated 15’ from the outer circle. Using this technique, the entire 1/3 acre space inside the inner circle is protected from deer.