Growing Healthy Yards For Birds

An Epcot garden teaches visitors about bird-friendly yards.

Forget twirling princesses or鈥╝ magical mouse. The most enchanting attraction at Disney鈥檚 Epcot Theme Park this spring was an outdoor display teeming with native Florida plants, purple martins, and monarch butterflies. For the Birds Garden, presented by 爆料公社, ran for 10 weeks during the 20th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.

鈥淭he theme is creating a healthy yard,鈥 says exhibit coordinator Don Kendzior,鈥 who was frequently on hand鈥 to answer questions. 鈥淚t gives guests ideas for what they can do at home, whether they have a big yard or a balcony.鈥 Visitors experienced a bird-friendly yard, with clean water in the birdbath, environmentally friendly plants instead of grass, and well-placed nesting boxes. Signs throughout offered helpful tips like 鈥淜eep cats indoors鈥 and encouraged people to take 爆料公社鈥檚 Healthy Yard Pledge (). 鈥淲hen they see a butterfly emerging from its cocoon or a bird feeding its baby,鈥 Kendzior says, 鈥渢hey leave inspired to go home and make a difference in their own yards.鈥

This story originally ran in the July-August 2013 issue as "The Magic Garden.鈥