How to Turn Your Yard or Garden into a Certified Wildlife Habitat

To me, gardening isn’t just about growing food. It’s about being outdoors, connecting with nature, and creating our own little ecosystem to share with pollinators and wildlife – right in our backyard! Nothing brings me more joy then tending to the garden while birds sing and butterflies flutter overhead. Or, catching elusive bobcats, adorable skunks, and rowdy raccoons on our trail cams.

If that sounds idyllic to you too, come learn how to transform your yard into a more equitable, sustainable, welcoming place for wildlife and pollinators. This guide will explain the five key components needed to qualify as a “wildlife habitat”, examples of how to incorporate them into your yard, and how to become certified if you want to make it official.

Key Elements of a Wildlife Habitat

The National Wildlife Federation (the organization that provides certifications) lists 5 key elements that are essential to a healthy wildlife habitat:

1. Food
2. Water
3. Cover
4. Places to Raise Young
5. Sustainable Practices

Before we dive in to each element, please keep in mind that size does not matter! Even a balcony garden, school yard, urban lot, or workplace can become a Certified Wildlife Habitat. 

For instance, someone could have a full acre of grass, hedges, and dahlias but still not qualify as a wildlife habitat. They may be missing an important element like a water source, or use broad-spectrum pesticides that destroy life. On the other hand, a modest 100 square foot garden might be capable of providing all the right things!

1) Food for Wildlife

One way to provide food for wildlife is to plant edible trees, shrubs, and other plants – and being willing to share a little with the fauna in your garden! However, keep in mind that “edible” can mean something very different to us than to wildlife. Many plants produce seeds that you and I may not dine on, but are a great feast for critters.

A Certified Wildlife Habitat is required to provide at least three varieties of food sources for wildlife.

• Plant flowers (or flowering plants) that provide sources of nectar and pollen for bees, bats, butterflies, moths, and certain birds. This can include annual flowers, perennials, or even large shrubs and trees that produce pollen or nectar. See my list of the Top 23 Plants for Pollinators or 15 flowers that attract hummingbirds.
  
  
• Birds enjoy eating seeds from dried flower heads, including coneflower, sunflower, daisies, zinnias, and more. Therefore, allow some of your fading flowers to stay and go to seed in the garden through fall or winter. Allow areas to go un-mowed, since native grass and “weed” provide flowers and then a lot of valuable seed thereafter.
  
  
• Leave the leaves! Try to leave natural mulch and leaf litter in place, especially over winter into spring. Decaying wood, mulch, and leaves serve as food and habitat for insects, slugs, snails, caterpillars, fungi and more – which in turn feeds larger critters and other wildlife too. For example, opossums love to dine on snails, beetles, ticks, and even rodents!
  
  
• In addition to natural food sources, you can also provide supplemental food for wildlife – especially during seasons where other food is sparse. Examples include bird seed feeders, hummingbird feeders, squirrel feeders, suet treat blocks, and more. Learn how to make homemade hummingbird food with this easy recipe, plus tips on how to clean a hummingbird feeder.

2) Sources of Water for Wildlife

As you know, all lifeforms need water to survive! Water is what makes our planet so unique and lush, and able to sustain life. Some wildlife will appreciate water in obvious ways – to drink, like you and I. Others, for bathing. Even more, certain aquatic organisms, insects, or amphibians need it to reproduce. Once I found dragonfly larvae in our patio fountain!

To qualify as a certified wildlife habitat, your space will need to incorporate at least one water feature. I have three bird baths and a fountain in my current garden.

Ways to provide water for wildlife

• Add classic bird baths. Do make sure to fill and clean them frequently. I like to add a few large stones inside to make it easy for bees to land on as well.
  
  
• Similar to hanging bird feeders, bird waterers can be hung around the yard.
  
  
• Bees and butterflies enjoy shallow puddles of water. Consider adding water and stones to a shallow bowl (or in a bird bath) or investing in a dedicated bee waterer to create a place for them to rest and safely drink. Our Western Fence Lizards love their Repti-rock waterer!
  
  
• Install a fountain. If providing power is a limitation, there are some pretty sophisticated and inexpensive solar pumps out there these days! You’ll have the added benefit of enjoying the soothing sounds of running water too. I recommend checking your local garden supply or landscape centers for fountains rather than online.
  
  
• Create a pond or stream in your garden. These don’t have to be massive, and could even be done on a patio! Aaron’s parents have a great little frog pond made from a half wine barrel. If water weren’t so scarce in California, and we lived in a location that had frogs naturally, I would create a frog pond in a heartbeat!
  
  
• Along those same lines, create a container water garden to grow beautiful aquatic plants.
  
  
• Pumped, circulating water in a small fountain should prevent mosquitoes from breeding, but this is a definite concern in stagnant water. Therefore, consider adding mosquito fish or other natural mosquito larvae predators in small ponds. Frogs and lizards will help there too!
  

3) Shelter and Cover for Wildlife

Just as we need our human homes to feel safe and secure, our little critter friends want the same! Wildlife rely on shelter to rest, hide from predators, and protect themselves during extreme weather. Various members of the wildlife community will utilize different forms of shelter and cover, so try to provide a variety of options.

To become a Certified Wildlife Habitat, your space must include at least two forms of shelter. Here are some examples:

• Trees, thickets, or a wooded area. Mature evergreen trees are especially useful, but any and all trees are welcome! If you’re in the beginning stages of transforming your space, plant trees first since they take the longest to get established. If you need some help in deciding what type of trees to plant in your garden, see “How to Choose the Best Edible or Ornamental Trees for Your Garden”. It discusses things like chill hours, cross-pollination, and edible tree options for every climate!
  
  
• Thick shrubs, vines, or brush piles. Don’t get too caught up on perfectionist pruning and maintenance. Allow some areas of your yard to grow wild and dense for our friends.
  
  
• Lawn provides very little shelter or cover for wildlife, except maybe worms and grubs. Consider removing lawn and replacing it with shrubs, annual flowers, tall native grasses, garden beds, and/or mulch ground cover. Even if you aren’t interested in removing all of your grass, create wild areas around the perimeter of the yard. Or, consider tall native no or low-mow grasses!
  
  
• Fallen logs, burrows, caves, boulders, and rock walls create excellent hiding places for a range of wildlife.
  
  
• Water gardens or ponds provide shelter for amphibious and aquatic wildlife.
  
  
  
• Bird houses or bat boxes offer shelter and double as places to raise young, discussed more below.

4) Places to Raise Young 

As we implement all of these wonderful wildlife-friendly practices in our gardens, we need to also ensure that our new inhabitants can successfully continue for future generations – by providing habitat for all stages of their life cycle!

A Certified Wildlife Habitat is expected to have at least two types of habitat for wildlife to reproduce and raise their young. This can include many of the “shelter” examples we already explored, in addition to the ideas below:

• Bird houses provide a perfect little space for them to nest, away from the majority of predators – and your trimming shears! However, many birds will not reuse nests and instead prefer a fresh space to start over, so it is best to clean out your birdhouse after each brood.
  
  
• Owl boxes provide a safe place for owls to nest and raise young. Owls also offer fantastic natural rodent control for your property! Look into what types of owls are most common in your area, since each species has slightly different preferences for the size, location and style of owl box.
  
  
• If you are interested in hanging a bat house, keep in mind that their preferred orientation is south or east, hung 12 to 20 feet high against a structure, and should receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Bats are awesome predators of mosquitoes and other pesky insects.
  
  
• Take caution and avoid heavily pruning trees, shrubs, and vines during active bird nesting season (especially March through August). You never know what magic might be happening in there!
  
  
• Provide host plants for caterpillars to reproduce and turn into butterflies! Monarch caterpillars eat milkweed, and milkweed alone. Swallowtails will munch on a wider variety of plants, including dill, parsley, carrot greens, and fennel. See a full list of butterfly host plants here.

5) Sustainable Practices

While this requirement is “last” on the NWF list, it’s arguably one of the most important! Because if you don’t treat your garden in a sustainable manner, the rest of this is a moot point.

The types of sustainable practices that are encouraged to become a Certified Wildlife Habitat include:

Go Organic

Discontinue use of any and all non-organic pesticides (especially broad spectrum pesticides), fertilizers, or other synthetic chemical products in your garden. This also includes poison for pests, like rat bait. Rodent poison poses a huge risk for wildlife – and pets! Furthermore, only use sprays or products that are approved for “certified organic” gardening as a last resort.

Instead, encourage beneficial insects and natural predators, use companion planting, physical pest control methods like hoops and row covers, and other mechanical means to manage pests and disease. The National Wildlife Federation promotes the use of Integrated Pest management, which is what we practice in our garden. The more healthy and balanced your natural ecosystem is, the less pest pressure you’ll have.

Finally, reduce waste, recycle your garden trimmings, and create natural organic fertilizer by actively composting at home! 

Choose Native Plants

Native plants are those species that are indigenous your area. They are most suited to your climate and will grow best naturally (e.g. without excess water or fertilizers). Furthermore, the local wildlife are likely already familiar with native plants and have a good use for them – either as food, shelter, or maybe both! As much as possible, seek out plants that are hyper-local to your region. At minimum, choose plants that are native to your state or country. 

Soil and Water Conservation

Tending to soil health and implementing water-wise practices benefit your mini-ecosystem and the planet alike. Use mulch over exposed soil areas to reduce erosion and retain moisture naturally. Choose drought-tolerant plants, and consider setting up a rainwater capture system! Rather than relying on inefficient overhead sprinklers, convert as much as you can to drip irrigation and soaker hoses.

Last but definitely not least: limit, reduce, or eliminate lawn area. That act alone can negate the need for spray irrigation or fertilizers, and drastically reduce water demand. Plus, turf lawn does not benefit wildlife! Check out this guide on how to kill, smother, or otherwise remove turf grass to replace with food, flowers and more.

And now, without further ado…

How to Get Your Yard or Garden Certified as a Wildlife Habitat

Now that you know what it takes to provide food, shelter, water, and a sustainable living environment for wildlife, do you check all the boxes?

To get certified, all you have to do is complete a self-certification checklist and register with the National Wildlife Federation. You can do so here.

There is a $20 fee associated, which goes to the non-profits efforts in wildlife conservation – something to feel good about contributing to! You’ll be mailed a paper certificate, with outdoor signs available for purchase as well.

Don’t want to spend the money? I get it! I know many friends who check all of these boxes but decide not to get certified. They simply know in their hearts that they are stewards of wildlife, and that is good enough.

Want to Learn More?

Right on! I really enjoy learning to identify the different wildlife we see in our yard, neighborhood, or during other outdoor adventures. Back in college when I was taking field biology, I was required to get a few wildlife identification field guide books – and still reference them all the time! Now I also love using the Merlin Bird ID app too.

A few excellent field guides include National Geographic’s Guide to Backyard Birds, or their Field Guide to Birds of North America. Beyond birds, the Audubon Society makes excellent field guides for all types of wildlife, from insects to fish and flowers to mammals – for every state! This is the California version we have. We also love this book about gardening for birds, butterflies, and bees.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article, because I truly loved writing it! I also hope you found some new ideas you’re excited to implement in your yard. Whether you want to get fully certified or simply make some wildlife-friendly additions, thank you in advance for your efforts.

You may also enjoy:

• Bird-Friendly Gardens: How to Attract Birds to Your Yard
• Birding Gift Guide: 20+ Best Gift Ideas for Bird Lovers
• 7 Best Easy Annual Flowers to Grow In Any Zone (With Photos)
• Garden Companion Planting Chart, Plans, and Benefits
• 10 Ways to Help Pollinators: Save Bees, Butterflies & Beyond