NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat
To give extra support to our local wildlife, including songbirds and pollinators, we’re working to certify Chautauqua County as a Community Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).
Community certification through NWF is based on a points system, which includes the completion of various educational and outreach activities by the Conservancy as well as the certification of a certain number of individual habitats within that community. Those individual habitats can be a yard, garden, balcony container, schoolyard, work landscape, or roadside greenspace . . . just to name a few places! And certification can be done by anyone, be it a homeowner, business, school, association, church, municipality and/or library.
Creating wildlife habitat to attract and provide for birds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficial wildlife, is easy, fun, and will have a big impact in your yard, neighborhood, and community. It will also help water quality! The habitat should include sources for food, water, cover, and places to raise young (see the checklist below) and be tended to with sustainable, environmentally friendly landscaping practices.
Once your habitat has these required features, you can then certify it with the National Wildlife Federation and, if you reside in Chautauqua County, help us reach the goal of certifying the County as a NWF Community Wildlife Habitat! The certification application processing fee is just $20, and if you need help enhancing your yard or garden for certification, our conservationist, Carol Markham, can assist you with a free LakeScapes consultation.
Healthy habitats and healthy communities go hand-in hand. Help us make Chautauqua County a healthier, greener, and more wildlife-friendly place to benefit wildlife and humans alike! Get more info and certify at https://www.nwf.org/certify
