Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program

Florida: #1 in the Nation for Certified Backyard Habitats!

Welcome

Article Link: Climate Change and Gardening

Click the image above to visit our habitat photo page.

The Florida Wildlife Federation, in concert with National Wildlife Federation, is offering all Florida residents an opportunity to take part in the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program. The goal is to promote and expand gardening for wildlife in Florida.

Created in 1973, the nationwide program has certified the gardening efforts of people at over 76,000 sites nationwide, including more than 2,600 schools, and hundreds of businesses and communities. Florida just passed the 6,000 mark, making it first in the nation for number of Certified Backyard Habitats.

The program has been updated and renewed. Fresh information and publications are now available to help Floridians of all ages and backgrounds to discover the wonders of nature right in their own backyards.

Florida is one of the fastest-growing states in America and our wildlife habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate. Each time a developer replaces undeveloped land with lots for dwellings or commercial activities, creatures that once lived on that land must find other space that will support their needs. In urban areas especially, pockets of terrain suitable for sustaining animal life will help to ameliorate this displacement.

Wildlife needs four basic elements: food, water, cover, and a place to raise their young. These things can be accomplished on a piece of ground as small as three by eight feet. The methods for planning for and providing these basic elements can be simple and inexpensive, or as elaborate as the property owner chooses.

A side benefit to gardening with native plants is they need less water, fertilizer and insecticide than exotic plants, and so are kind to the environment and require less care to thrive. Trading time-consuming lawn care for hours spent watching birds, butterflies and bunnies can' t be bad!

The FWF Tallahassee Office is prepared and eager to help with a wealth of printed information.

If you have habitat questions, or would like to request our Florida-specific habitat kit, please contact Pat Pearson at patricia@fwfonline.org. We request $4.00 to cover the cost of materials and postage, an invoice will be included in your habitat kit.

If you have photos of wildlife in your habitat you would like to share with us and our website visitors, please contact Pat at the above email address.

Click on the image at left to be directed to NWF's Online Certification Page. Using this link ensures that FWF receives a portion of NWF's certification fee to be used specifically for Florida causes and issues.