I recently met a woman who had her garden certified through the National Wildlife Federation. Hmmm… It got me thinking. I’m a proponent of habitat gardens and using sustainable, organic practices, beneficial insects and all that. So the thinking turned into applying for certification for my own garden, located not in San Francisco, but Lake County, California. The idea behind the habitat garden is to:
Create a garden that attracts beautiful wildlife and helps restore habitat in commercial and residential areas
About Wildlife Habitat Certification
The online process and certification was quick (15 minutes). Cost for certification, and I chose the classic sign -$50.00. My garden did meet the criteria of:
- Providing Food
- Supplying Water
- Providing Cover
- Giving wildlife a place to raise their young
For example, “the criteria” for providing Food for wildlife includes having at least (3) of the following:
–Seeds from a plant
–Berries
–Nectar
–Foliage/Twigs
–Nuts
–Fruits
–Sap
–Pollen
–Suet
–Bird Feeder
–Squirrel Feeder
–Hummingbird Feeder
–Butterfly Feeder
So in this example, I met “the criteria” as my garden has berries, foliage/twigs, fruits, pollen and seeds from a plant.
The final one, seeds from a plant, is a good one to note, because it’s a reminder (like the photo of yarrow flowers gone to seed, to the right) to think before automatically deadheading, and leave some seeds for animals. Plus, it leaves some interest in the garden!
Anyway, it feels good to have the certification. And, I know that having it, will motivate me further to make the right decisions on behalf of wildlife – as well as continuing to improve the habitat and the garden.
If you want to learn more about Wildlife Habitat Garden Certification take a look here. You may also want to see if there’s a program that’s local to your area. For example, Audubon Society of Portland has their own Backyard Habitat Certification Program.
Happy Gardening!
Want to learn more about Habitat Gardening
