Create a Certified Wildlife Habitat (Literally) in Your Own Backyard!

How would you like to make your property a certified safe haven for local wildlife? It is very simple to do, and will reward you greatly. Think of all the adorable animals and beautiful birds you will see (and that’s just the beginning)! No matter what size your property is, be it an apartment balcony or a sprawling farm, you can help your animal companions. All you have to do to provide a habitat for them is meet a certain number of requirements that have been set by the National Wildlife Federation. Here they are.

You will need three sources of food for your animals. These can include bird feeders, a butterfly bush (or feeder), native plants which produce seeds or fruit, native trees that produce sap or nuts, squirrel feeders, or even just leafy foliage or pollen-producing flowers!

Let me elaborate on bird feeders. There are many different kinds, and they all count! There are the classic seed-holding bird feeders, but there is also suet, sap (from the trees), and even hummingbird feeders! Hummingbirds also feed on nectar from plants, such as the flowers of the beautiful Trumpet Vine.

Water is one of the most basic essentials of life. Outdoor creatures need water for drinking, bathing, and reproducing. Your animal sanctuary needs to have at least one water source. This water source can be something as small as a birdbath or butterfly puddling area. If you are lucky enough to have your own stretch of ocean or a natural spring, that counts too! In fact, almost anything you can think of counts; part of a stream or river, a pond, lake, or seasonal pool (no swimming pools!). Even rain or water gardens count as a source of water for our outdoor friends. (Note: if you have a bird bath, be sure to change the water every so often during warmer weather to prevent mosquito breeding.)

Shelter is important to all animals. Animals need shelter in order to escape humans, storms, and other animals. In order for your property to be considered a Certified Wildlife Habitat™, you will need to provide a minimum of two areas where the wildlife can get out of harm’s way. The types of shelter you can provide are greatly varied. If space is an issue, you can use something as small as a bird, butterfly, or squirrel house. If you’re looking for something not so generic, some interesting alternatives include bee, toad, or even bat houses! If space is not a big issue, then you have more options. Groves of mature trees (deciduous or evergreen), count as shelter. So do burrows, roosting (or nesting) boxes, native caterpillar host plants, bramble patches, thickets, log or brush piles, rock piles (or walls), and even dead trees. If space is not an issue at all, then you can take shelters such as ponds, meadows, wetlands, deserts, forests, prairies, swamps, and caves into consideration.

Another thing that is required for certification by the NWF is two places for the animals to raise their young. These areas are the same thing as the above mentioned shelters, only an additional two are required.

The last thing that you will need to do is make sure that your habitat is eco-friendly in at least two ways. This is good for all of the animals living on your property, and the environment as a whole. Some ideas to make your yard a little greener include doing away with chemical pesticides or fertilizers (organic ones are fine), getting rid of exotic plants (native only!), using mulch, composting, using a soaker (irrigation) hose instead of a traditional one, catching and using rain water (to water your plants), having a rain garden, or just cutting down on your lawn area (plant trees, shrubs, flowers, etc.).

Once you have completed all of these steps, you can log onto www.nwf.org and get your amazing, animal-friendly property recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat™. You will get a certificate, along with a sign to put in your yard, telling everyone that it is an area reserved for the animals. If you don’t live in the U.S., and the National Wildlife Federation doesn’t do this in your country, I still strongly encourage you to extend hospitality to local animals by following these guidelines. Whether or not you are certified, you will know in your heart that you are helping creatures who cannot help themselves, and you will be immensely proud of your work.