Backyard Wildlife Habitat

Though simple observation is seems that historically people think of their backyard as a place that primarily serves humans - there's grass for the kids and the dogs, a vegetable garden to feed the family, a concrete patio for entertaining, and maybe some pretty flowers. Look around your neighborhood, how many of your neighbors have a narrow border of tulips and roses with a patch or large swath of mowed lawn? There can be beauty in this and I wish more folks had access to comfortable outdoor space. Not only is it peaceful and joyful - the dogs love the grass for fetching and zoomies! Unfortunately, for wildlife, most backyards and park spaces are an ecological wasteland, limited to some birds at a bird feeder (which presents health risks for birds as well) or a raccoon trundling through on their quest for more cat food.

The concept of a backyard wildlife habitat is to find ways we can "re-wild" our backyards (to some extent) to support the local wildlife, which will in turn support the larger ecosystem. There are a few organizations that offer certifications of this status, providing guidelines for what is required to be considered a backyard wildlife habitat - it's a lot easier to start then you would think!

A backyard wildlife habitat provides:

• food

• shelter

• water

• places to raise young

These things can be manmade (bird bath, nest boxes, bird feeder) or can be more natural sources (pond, large trees, native plants that provide seeds and berries). There are levels that you can work up to. You don't need to have a National Forest in your backyard to support local wildlife! My Mostly Native Garden, has been built on the idea that you can have both a beautiful and functional outdoor space AND protect our local ecosystems.

Jess' favorite resource is the local Backyard Habitat Certification Program:

https://backyardhabitats.org/

Here's the certification criteria with the different levels. I (Jess) don't live in their current coverage area (I'm in Yamhill County) but I'm working my way towards Platinum status anyway!

Backyard Wildlife Certification (Local).pdf

Download PDF • 859KB

And here's the link for the National Wildlife Federation's Native Habitat certification:

https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Create-and-Certify

While the higher certification levels can feel daunting, starting with one thing - maybe adding a bird bath - is very achievable. See our Resources page for more info on these programs.