A rehabilitated Red Tail Hawk is released. Photo by Will Stuart.

Fun and educational activities at the celebration included a tree walk, a bird walk, fishing in the lake, crafts, and the exciting release of a rehabilitated red tail hawk.

Mayor Jim Taylor and team leader Jill Palmer proudly display the certificate. Photo by Will Stuart.

Debbie Foster, one of the team leaders, said she was recently at a Matthews Women’s Club meeting. She told me about meeting:

“When I spoke about Matthews Naturally, the whole room burst into spontaneous applause. It was as if each person in the room really GOT what it is we do and why we do it.  They appreciated it and they recognized the value of it. We all benefit from projects that protect our air, soil and water quality. We all benefit from protecting living creatures and providing and enhancing habitat for them. We all inhabit the same planet. The Community Wildlife Habitat project and certification contributes to those benefits by education and implementation of common goals. We are looking to the future!”

Congratulations, Matthews!

Learn more about NWF’s Community Wildlife Habitat program >>

Kris Eggle Visitor Center at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Ajo is located in the heart of the Sonoran desert in southwestern Arizona and is the gateway community to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. As part of their outreach, the Community Wildlife Habitat team helped create a Certified Wildlife Habitat® garden at the monument’s Kris Eggle Visitor Center. They also worked to create habitat gardens at Ajo Elementary School and Triangle Park, as well as the Curley School artisan center.

This was truly a community-wide effort. All over town, one can find the NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat signs displayed by proud homeowners on their front fences.

Pima County Commissioner Sharon Bronson, team leader Vivian Sartori and Roxanne Paul; Jewel Clearwater photo, International Sonorand Desert Alliance

Congratulations to Ajo and the Community Wildlife Habitat team!

Haycock Township celebrates their certification

A concerned group of citizens decided to form a Community Wildlife Habitat team and fulfill the requirements for the township’s certification.  They gave presentations to organizations, set up tables at the Fire House’s Sunday breakfasts and created a blog where residents could get more information.  In all, 64 homes, 2 schools, the historical society building, a park and 10 farms became NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat sites.

On a lovely day in October, the community came together to celebrate the certification at the Township Building.  I was privileged to represent NWF and present the certificate to three of the township supervisors.  I also recognized Dr. Julie Fagan and her team of volunteers.

Congratulations, Haycock Township!  You are a great example of a rural community coming together to protect wildlife.

To learn more about Community Wildlife Habitats or to certify your own yard as a wildlife habitat, visit our Gardening for Wildlife page.

Team leader and teacher Martha Christine stands near Calypso Elementary’s Certified Schoolyard Habitat

As NWF’s Senior Coordinator for Community and Volunteer Outreach, I have traveled to many certified communities, but when I spoke at Bethlehem’s certification celebration, I commented  that like many certified communities, Bethlehem has become “green” in many different ways.  They are creating a Greenway through the city and have a robust recycling program.  Mayor John Callahan remarked, after accepting NWF’s Certificate of Exceptional Merit, that Bethlehem has also achieved the Arbor Day Foundations Tree City USA Growth Award.

Way to go, Bethlehem!  Keep up the good work for our wildlife and our planet!

Fayetteville has made it a priority to provide habitat for wildlife across the city—in backyards, parks, schoolyards, businesses, the city’s wastewater treatment plants and even a local cemetery.  Nearly 250 different locations across the city became NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat sites by providing food, water, cover and places to raise young for wildlife.

Volunteer team leader Terri Lane, a member of Fayetteville’s Environmental Action Committee, said the certification was very much a cooperative project between the volunteers, the city and the project’s many partners. The city gave their support from the very beginning and arranged the certification of 26 city parks. Mayor Lioneld Jordan has attended the dedication ceremony of every Schoolyard Habitat garden in Fayetteville and spoke to the children about the importance of helping local wildlife.

Project partners included the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, Fayetteville in Bloom, Fayetteville Public Schools, Apple Seeds, Inc., and the CH2 MHill Engineering Firm.

Fayetteville residents have a lot to be proud of.  By using native plants and sustainable gardening practices, they have made their community healthier for people and wildlife alike.

Want to register a project for your community?  Go to www.nwf.org/community .

Johns Creek residents have made it a priority to provide food, water, cover and places to raise young in backyards, school grounds and in community spaces throughout the city.  Amazingly, the Community Wildlife Habitat team of volunteers was led by high school student Malcolm Barnard.

Malcolm with city proclamation. Photos by Brian Lucy, NWF.

Schoolyard Habitats representatives accept signs on behalf of their schools

Roxanne Paul, Na'Taki Osbourne Jelks, Malcolm & Mayor Bodker

Monte Sano Civic Assoc, Pres. Marylynn Perry, Roxanne Paul & Team Leader Susan "Soos" Weber proudly display certificate. Photo by Jerry Green.

The “mountaineers,” as they are often called, decided to make it a priority in their community to provide wildlife habitat in home gardens and community sites. A team of volunteers led by Susan “Soos” Weber gave workshops on how to garden for wildlife by supplying food, water, cover and places to raise young for wildlife in over 100 sites around the community. At a time when towns and cities across the country are losing green spaces and wildlife habitat to development, Monte Sano stands out as an example of reversing the trend. In all, 84 homes, the elementary school, the fire station, a museum, two churches, a community garden, the local TV station and the community center became NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat® sites.

The Community Wildlife Habitat team also offered numerous nature hikes and programs for adults and children. Again, they were reversing the trend of an “indoor childhood” that is so common for the younger wired-in generation.

The celebration was held at the recently renovated CCC-built Gatehouse to Monte Sano State Park. The Gatehouse had been closed since the 1950s, but volunteers applied for and received a grant for nearly $10,000 to renovate and restore the stone and wood structure. It will now serve as a nature center, full of interpretive exhibits on the local natural history.

Clearly, the residents of Monte Sano steer their own course, and it is not the usual one that we see across the country. As a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat, Monte Sano is a healthier and more pleasant place to live for humans and wildlife alike.

Want to participate in Garden for Wildlife Month? You can get started today and soon enough your garden could be a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

Mayors John Woods of Davidson and Jeff Tarte of Cornelius accept the Community Wildlife Habitat certificates with Roxanne Paul (left). [Ron J. Deschaies/Treasured Events of Charlotte

The Lake Norman project was called “Wild over LKN” and was unique in its organization and breadth.  The Lake Norman team of volunteers worked with all eight towns surrounding the lake (Davidson, Sherrills Ford, Cornelius, Denver, Huntersville, Troutman, Terrell and Mooresville) to create habitat gardens in homes, schools and community sites. It was the first time that a large body of water and its surrounding towns became a certified Community Wildlife Habitat.

In addition, the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists created osprey platforms and turtle basking platforms around the lake and worked with Duke Energy to better protect the many islands on the lake.

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The Lake Norman Community Wildlife Habitat team is recognized for their efforts. [Ron J. Deschaies/Treasured Events of Charlotte

Mayor John Woods of Davidson and Mayor Jeff Tarte of Cornelius were on hand to receive the Certificates of Exceptional Merit for Lake Norman’s achievement. Project leader Don West and his team of dedicated volunteers accepted small gifts from the National Wildlife Federation and the applause of all the guests for their remarkable efforts on behalf of Lake Norman’s abundant wildlife.

Here’s a video from a local North Carolina news station about another certification process in the area:

Presentation of Takoma Park's Community Wildlife Habitat certificate.

On May 22, 2011, I had the pleasure of attending Takoma Park, Maryland’s celebration of their certification as Maryland’s first Certified Community Wildlife Habitat™.

The celebration took place at Spring Park, a lovely park that has been restored with native plantings by the Friends of Sligo Creek, the non-profit organization that spearheaded Takoma Park’s project.

Denis Malloy brought the crowd together with his selection of music on the baritone saxophone.  Bruce Sidwell, the Community Wildlife Habitat team leader, gave opening remarks of how the Wild, Wild Takoma project began back in 2006.

Takoma Park’s official Poet Laureate, Anne Becker, recited excerpts from one of her original poems about reflections on the natural world.  The crowd showed its appreciation with long-lasting applause.

The saxophonist and poet laureate were hard acts to follow, but I told the crowd a bit about the history of the National Wildlife Federation and spoke about the many accomplishments of Takoma Park.  I had a small gift from NWF for each of the team members and presented Bruce with an NWF Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America. I presented the Community Wildlife Habitat certificate to Mayor Bruce Williams, who accepted it gratefully on behalf of the city.

Perhaps the highlight of the afternoon was the singing of “O’Takoma” by the crowd.  The words were written by town resident Anne Suplee and the song is sung to the Rodgers and Hammerstein song “Oklahoma!”  Here is an excerpt:

Residents of Takoma Park, MD sing "O'Takoma" at the Community Wildlife Habitat Ceremony

O, Takoma, home of houses fully warmed by corn,
And of tofu treats that can pass as meats,
And organic farmers Sunday morn.

O’Takoma, where our coffee always is fair-trade,
And we don’t need gas to cut our grass,
And mowers march in our parade.

Our love for the planet runs deep
So our compost gets tossed in a heap.
And when we say, Yeeow! Ayipeioeeay!
We’re only sayin’, You’re doing fine, O, Takoma, O, Takom, T.P.!

It was so much fun to attend Takoma Park’s ceremony!  To get to meet volunteers like Bruce Sidwell and his team members was truly inspiring.

Find out how your community can become a Community Wildlife Habitat >>