How to Make Your Yard A Certified Wildlife Habitat

If your a gardener and love wildlife as well, it's a natural step to consider making your yard a certified wildlife habitat. The benefits you will gain by giving the wildlife in your community a safe place to eat, drink and nest are great. And, this is a chance to raise your children to learn to treasure all of Gods creatures. Here's how to get certified.....

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden
• Food and Water Source
• Cover
• A desire to help wildlife

1. 
    

   There are 5 steps to provide wildlife all that they need to survive in your yard or garden. The first is to recognize why it is important to garden for wildlife. In today's world with open spaces disappearing and natural food and water sources being paved over, it is of the utmost importance to provide wildlife with a area such as a organically grown garden where safe food and water can be obtained.

2. 
    

   I believe everyone recognizes that wildlife need water, and that is easy to provide. A pond is ideal for all forms of wildlife, but you could just as easily use a combination of a birdbath, a bug bath for insects and butterfly's or a small tub of water that can be changed on a daily basis. Food is the other important factor, and this can be found in nectar from flowers, nuts and berries from your tree's and shrubs as well as seed from native plants. During the winter months you can set out seed and pellets when food is sparse.

3. 
    

   To become certified you must also provide cover and places for the wildlife to raise their young. For cover you could use bird houses, rock piles for snakes, thickets for ground birds and rabbits as well as dead tree trunks that make a cozy home for many birds and small animals. To provide places for young to be raised you will need dense shrubs, nesting boxes, an area of tall grasses, and a pond is a perfect place for frogs, dragonfly's and fish.

4. 
    

   To be certified you will also need to practice sustainable gardening, that is to use things such as mulch, compost and most importantly, no chemicals in your yard or garden. Every year millions of birds are killed by the use of chemicals that are sprayed on lawns and brush. By being an organic gardener you can help the environment, wildlife and the health of yourself and your family.

5. 
    

   Once you have all these elements in your yard and garden, you need to fill out a application to the National Wildlife Federation and pay $15.00 to become certified. You can also purchase from them the sign that states you are providing a habitat for all wildlife. A membership with the N.W.F. also gives you free newsletters, and all kinds of information on gardening, attracting wildlife and your name is added to the national registry of certified habitats.

Tips & Warnings

• Even if your not interested in joining the National Wildlife Habitat program, you could still provide for all the wildlife in your community by helping to feed and shelter them. And, this is a wonderful opportunity to teach your children the wonders of wildlife. People that are kind to all of this Earth's creatures are surely held in God's hand.

Resources

• National Wildlife Federation
• Help Keep The Honeybees From Extinction
• Become An Organic Gardener
• Help Wildlife Thru The Winter
• Fight Bugs and Mosquitoes Naturally
• Make Your Own Organic Insect Killer

[sonni57]

on 3/18/2009 Nicely done article on how to have wildlife coming to us.

[veryirie]

on 3/18/2009 This is a great service to wildlife and in turn for mankind. Reliable info on how to have your yard certified as a wildlife habitat. Bravo for you!! :)

[slphilbrick]

on 3/18/2009 What a wonderful article idea ! I notice that I "provide" most of this, but never realized you could become certified. Great info.!