Backyard Habitat - TV-G

A better place for animals -- for all ages.

TV Rating: TV-G Network: Animal Planet Cast: David Mizejewski, Molly Pesce Genre: Educational
Available on: DVD

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this show transforms backyard settings across the country into safe habitats for local flora and fauna. It's an excellent program for junior nature-buffs or budding landscape contractors, and the producers do a fair job of covering a varied range of backyard settings. Both language and content are appropriate for all ages, though there's some discussion of creating safe places in the backyard for animals to mate that might prompt questions.

Families who watch this show can learn more about the specific animals studied, where they live, what they eat, and other facts. Parents can talk about how the animals' habitats are threatened and what can be done to help them. For older kids interested in becoming naturalists, parents can talk about careers that involve working with animals.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Pam Gelman

Most home improvement shows have little appeal for young kids. But BACKYARD HABITAT, which focuses on improving a specific type of home -- habitats for local animals and other creatures in your own backyard -- has "kid" written all over it.

Hosted by Molly Pesce and naturalist David Mizejewski and presented in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, Backyard Habitat teaches kids things like how to create a water oasis for birds in Los Angeles that doesn't require constant irrigation, build a flowering brush pile in Tennessee to lure rodent-controlling corn snakes onto the property, and construct a house for wrens and chipmunks in a Washington, D.C., backyard.

As in home-improvement program for adults, the hosts talk to the owners about what needs to be done and then work together to make the changes. Mizejewski also talks about the animals in question and explains why a particular setting would attract them. The show aims to cover a range of backyard types, but more episodes are focused on nice-sized suburban yards than those found in urban settings. But the show has done a few episodes on creating city-friendly habitats, and hopefully more are in the works.

Parents have no reason to be wary of this program, which is fine for preschoolers and up. Younger kids may get a bit fidgety when the hosts and the owner discuss their ideas, but soon after, landscape construction starts and fascination kicks in. The end of each episode features a few minutes without audio as the owners sit in their yard and wait to see if they have, in fact, attracted any animals to the new habitats -- a very sweet way to end the show.

For similar shows, check out Corwin's Quest, Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls, and Kidspace -- or visit the show's Web site for more information on animals.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Mention of creating spaces in which animals can mate.
Violence
Language
Message
	Social Behavior Help the world's animals starting in your own backyard.
	Commercialism Many mentions of partner organization National Wildlife Federation.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco