Did you know that you can certify your backyard, garden, or pond as a wildlife habitat?! This spring we are asking all members to examine their home’s outdoor space and see if it qualifies as a wildlife habitat. A wildlife habitat helps provides food, water, shelter and gives wildlife a safe place to raise their young. In order to certify your backyard, it should be a haven for local birds, butterflies or other types of wildlife, such as frogs and squirrels.
Wildlife Habitats Require:
Food: Native plants provide food eaten by a variety of wildlife. Feeders can supplement natural food sources.
Hang a bird feeder with seeds or suet.
Plant edible greenery and berries to share with local wildlife at the farthest edges of your yard.
Water: All animals need water to survive, and some need it for bathing or breeding as well.
Add a bird bath to your garden.
Create a bee or pollinator watering station using glass marbles and water in an urn.
Cover: Wildlife need places to take shelter from bad weather and places to hide from predators or hunt for prey.
Plant bushes or trees.
Places to Raise Young: Wildlife need resources to reproduce, and to protect and nourish their young. Here are a few ways you can provide wildlife with a place to raise their young:
Create a backyard pond and provide frogs and other amphibians a place to lay their eggs and for tadpoles to grow into adults.
Birds use mature trees as well as dead trees and snags to build nests and lay eggs.
Use native plants in your garden. Butterflies and moths need native plants such as milkweed, passionflower, willow and elm for their caterpillars to grow.
Provide a brush pile as shelter for rabbits, foxes, lizards, and a variety of other wildlife to nest and raise their young.
Sustainable Practices: Maintain your yard or garden in natural ways to ensure soil, air, and water stay healthy and clean.
Avoid using pesticides.
To officially certify your garden or backyard as a Wildlife Habitat, you can apply through the National Wildlife Federation here: Certify Your Wildlife Habitat
Also, for each person that certifies, the National Wildlife Federation will donate a tree to a community or school! In addition, you will support their program to save wildlife, receive a Personalized Certified Wildlife Habitat certificate, One year membership to NWF, One year subscription to National Wildlife magazine, Monthly Garden for Wildlife e-newsletter and 10% off the NWF catalog!
