Life at Lake Martin is lived outside, so it helps to be intentional about wildlife around the lake house, where deer eat the landscaping; birds really don’t need to be fed; and grandchildren love watching the rabbits, but no one wants to see a predator snatch one. Marianne Gauldin has served the lake community as Russell Lands’ naturalist since 2009, and she said spring is the perfect time to plan for attracting the wildlife you want and discouraging the species you don’t want.

“We have an incredible amount of wildlife diversity in this area. There are so many species that live here – birds, mammals, reptiles. We can make choices about what to encourage or not based on the foods we provide or discourage,” Gauldin said.