Garden Habitats

Nature Play Coming to Every Community

Every parent who has ever watched a child play in nature has cause to rejoice. NWF’s guide Nature Play & Learning Places: Creating and Managing Places Where Children Engage with … Read more

Why Leaves Fall from Trees in Autumn

French author Albert Camus tells us, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” And what opulent bouquets the leaves of autumn do create—whole mountainsides of dazzling … Read more

Welcoming Fall to Your Schoolyard Habitat

Fall is a great time to welcome students back to school, get them outside and exploring their Schoolyard Habitats. Fall is also a great time to make sure that your … Read more

Surprising Similarities: What’s Going on in YOUR Backyard?

By Kim Kurki, author of World of Birds: A Beginner’s Guide Did you ever think of hummingbirds and woodpeckers as similar? Until recently, I didn’t. Where I live in Eastern … Read more

Monarch Butterfly by Bernadette Banville

Get Ready For Monarch Migration

If you spot monarch butterflies in your yard this month, there’s a good chance the eggs these insects are laying now will develop into the generation of adults that have … Read more

8 Tips to Protect Baby Turtles in Your Yard

Last June, Ellen Lambeth and Greg Hudson, fellow staffers here at National Wildlife Federation who work on Ranger Rick magazine, had a pretty awesome wildlife sighting. While Ellen was heading to the … Read more

Virginia opossum, gardening, NWF, National Wildlife Federation

Opossums and Gardening: A Few Things to Know

The opossum is one of the most frequently encountered U.S. wildlife species, showing up in woods and swamps, plains and marshes, cities and suburbs—and in backyard gardens, where it may … Read more

Snake slithers in Maryland by Hannah Grove.

Eliminating Snakes in Your Yard

As National Wildlife Federation Naturalist, I frequently get questions from folks about “getting rid of” wildlife in their yard. Especially snakes. Unfortunately, most of the advice you can find online on … Read more

Threatened Gopher Tortoises Benefit from Florida Community Wildlife Habitat

Our amazing Garden for Wildlife volunteers in Oakland Park, FL are making a difference for the threatened gopher tortoise. The city, which is located in Broward County and is smack dab … Read more

The Beauty in Your Backyard

Even nature’s tiniest details are beautiful – see if you can capture them! Submit to the National Wildlife Photo Contest today! Read more