EVEN THOUGH many consider them to be pests, raccoons are part of the urban landscape. Small raccoons become orphaned when their mothers were live-trapped and removed withoul anyone checking to see if there were babies left behind. The Lower Mainland is home to a great number of native and migra- tory birds and mammals. Our parks and gardens are enlivened by their activities. As more and more natural habi- tat is destroyed for roads, homes and shopping malls, wildlife must adapt if it is to survive. Often this means choosing home sites close to, or in, those of humans, which can cause headaches for homeowners. Raccoons, grey squitrels and star- lings find house attics very attrac- tive nesting areas! Inevitably when there is a con- flict, animals or their young will suffer. GARDEN Don’t help wildlife find home Prevention is always the best solution. By taking a few simple steps right now to check your prop- erty for potential trouble spots, you can avoid attracting unwanted roommates and disrupting animal families. Yard J Keep garbage well contained or inside. Mask odors with bleach. 7 Trim low shrubs near the house, C Stack woodpiles off the ground. J Do not feed raccoons or squir- Tels. O Check house and shed founda- tions and under decks for access points. House © Keep roof in good repair. check for loose shingles and rotten areas. Keep gutters clean and in good condition. CG Cut back overhanging tree Red increases excitement in the body and home decor COLOR AFFECTS the way our bodies function and the way we feel and think. Scientists have measured physical reaction to strong dosvs of color: they tell us that red raiss ‘oud pres- sure and makes us feel. —_ ner; pink has a shert-term calming effect; while blue actually lowers blood pressure. Green, because the eye is most receptive to its wavelength, is restful and relaxing. We are all born with physical reactions to color. Studies show that babies cry more when they are sur- rounded by yellow. That's under- standable; would you like to spend all day in a yellow room’? But the assertiveness of yellow has its uses, for example as a safety warning on school buses and con- struction equipment. In addition to our inherited behavioral responses we have learned another set of responses, which vary from culture to culture. For us, red tneans stop. Green means go. Pink means sweet. Black means mouming. A home decorator who under- stands this silent language of color can create environments that are both more functional and more com- fortable. For example, a dining room which is used mainly in the evening should not be given a predominately blue treatment, because blue tends to lower the excitement level, and can actually be depressing under low lignt. Choose dark colors — golds, blacks and reds — and the room will become both welcoming and dramat- ic. If red predominates, energy and appetite will be stimulated. You might think that a stimulat- ing color, such as yellow, would be tight for a work area. In fact, it would become tiring over long periods and might stimu- late you to leave the office more often than you should. Better select a restful color such as green or a light blue. But will red walls revive flagging passion? It certainly increases the appetite and raises energy levels — that's been proven. Why not try it.? ‘Protect your Family from Harmful U.V. Rays’ Enjoy your outdoor living space with a Sundeck or Patio Awning from SUNWEST, no matter what the weather! ‘FREE’ INSTALLATION until July 29th SUNWEST AWNINGS 147 Welch h St D N. Van., 987-1577 branches to limit access. J Cap chimney with heavy wire mesh. Pets V Keep inside at night. J Feed them inside. Relocation is not a solution for urban wildlife. Sites are distant and usually already inhabited by other animals. A mother with young would have great difficulty surviving in a strange area. It is best if young ani- mals can be left alone until old enough to leave the nest. At that time. preventive repairs can be done. Most wildlife is protected by law; it is illegal to keep as pets or cause unnecessary suffering.We will be better neighbors to urban wildlife if we don’t encourage them to move in, only to have to evict them later. We. ‘want ‘to. be: your ‘Outdoor Store! At Great outdoors, we ‘ve: DU FIREPLACES ROOFING REPAIRS GUTTERS & SOFFIT & FASCIA SIDING PAINTING WINDOWS waa DOORS SIDEWALKS & DRIVEWAYS FENCING GARAGES We are a full service design construction company capable of taking your renovation Project f from n conception to completion. “Call today for 3 a free estimate! 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