" An easy-to-use guide to transforming your yard into an oasis for urban wildlife. Which birdseed attracts the most species of birds? What type of feeder is best to use? How do you deter squirrels? Barnes answers all these questions and more. He includes a plant encyclopedia of trees and shrubs native to the Upper South that attract a variety of birds, butterflies, and mammals. Barnes's plans and plant lists can also be used to create a woodland, a prairie, or a water garden. Also included are tips for birdwatchers of all levels and suggestions for deterring common garden pests.

This research guide was first conceived to fulfill multiple needs of the research team of the Documentary Relations of the Southwest (DRSW) project at the Arizona State Museum. In performing research tasks, it became evident that reference material was scattered throughout scores of books and monographs. A single complete source book was simply not available. Hence, the editors of the DRSW project compiled this guide. The territory under study comprises all of northern Mexico in colonial times.