Supporting Healthy, Sustainable, Wildlife-Friendly Communities
The National Wildlife Federation's Community Wildlife Habitat™ program partners with cities, towns, counties, neighborhoods, and communities of all kinds to become healthier, sustainable, and more wildlife-friendly. Community Wildlife Habitats garden and landscape with wildlife in mind, promote the use of native trees and plants, work to reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides and chemicals, and integrate wildlife-friendly practices into sustainability plans and park master plans. Through this program your communities can enhance and restore islands and corridors of wildlife habitat in urban and suburban areas nationwide, while at the same time connecting to existing work around climate resiliency, community resiliency, urban forestry, water conservation, beautification, and more.
Communities earn community-wide certification by certifying individual properties (homes, parks, schools, businesses, and others) in their community as Certified Wildlife Habitats and by doing education and outreach in their community. Education and outreach points are earned by engaging community members in habitat restoration projects, providing resources like native plant lists, and communicating through websites and social media. Download the Community Wildlife Habitat program certification requirements and learn more about the program on our About page.
From major cities like Charlotte, North Carolina, and Houston, Texas, to smaller communities like Alpine, California, and everything in between, the National Wildlife Federation currently partners with 200 municipalities and communities through the Community Wildlife Habitat program. “Registered Communities” are those that have joined our program and are working toward certification with support from the National Wildlife Federation. “Certified Communities” have achieved their certification as a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat and are partnering with the National Wildlife Federation to maintain their certification over time. Click here to view communities by state.
