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One of my earliest memories of wildlife was a chickadee landing on the brim of my sun bonnet, flipping upside down to stare and fuss at me for not sharing my cookie with it. I was around three years old. My Mom, Vera and her sisters Ava and Launa would take me out, bundled in blankets to fend off the morning chill and we's swing and "talk" to the birdies. As I grew, they taught me all about this wonderful place we live in and all the wildlife that shares it with us.

Unless my memory fails, I don't think I'll ever forget the first time I heard the gleeful songs of dozens of birds joining together in an aria those early spring mornings. My heart could scarcely beat fast enough to contain my joy. My family has passed away to Heaven, but I still honor their memory and contribution to my life by serving as a Habitat Steward Host with National Wildlife Federation and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. It is an honor and privilege to help others learn how to certify their property. I still have the cousins of my little chickadee friend who visit me each day, and I hope their sweet song will be with me always. -- Lisa E. Carver

I am a junior in high school, and all my life I have loved nature. I am always outside walking around, watching and seeing what I can to do help the wildlife. I am also an aspiring photographer of wildlife. God has called me to do something that involves nature and certifying my backyard is just one more step to achieving my goals. -- Caleb Parke

I began feeding birds when our kids were small as a homeschooling project and that was the beginning of our journey. As we researched and discovered more and more information, the more avid I have become about protecting as much of the local natural habitat as we reasonably can. We have had a certified backyard habitat for about 2 years now.

We are situated in a residential neighborhood that is now controlled by the city after the city and county governments merged. We now have a neighbor who dislikes our "weeds", wildflowers, and "rubbish" (woodpile, small brush) and complains to the city and we have been fined over $600 this past year because of it. -- TeriW

My daughter got our property certified as a wildlife habitat as a Christmas present! Ever since she was a young un, she has watched me stop the l;awn mower to remove a praying mantis or some other small beneficial wild creature out of harms way.

We have ten acres of land , most of which is wildlife habitat. We have added bird feeders , birdbaths, etc. We have deadfaslls, dead trees, milkweed, goldenrod, and an acre or two of unmown lawn as well as 5 acres of forested land. Everything from bear to deer, to rabbits and what have you are seen here from time to time. As we live right up against one of the peaks on the Allegheny front, we see many types of birds from the smallest to the largest. This year we witnessed a migrating group of Monarch butterflies fluttering right past our house!

We try to keep it as natural as we can , adding a thing here and there as nature might ( like columbine for hummers or butterfly bush for the myriad types of Butterflies we have seen. This year in the grape arbor, I spotted two ( I am sure there were more) pandora moth larvae. We have no more formal gardens as nature has taken over much of it. We do not spray or use insecticides as the pollinaters are too seriously affected by such. While our sanctuary is not a showplace that will get in any gardening magazine, nor will we get accolades from the gardening societies, there are so many varieties of wild life here, it is impossible to list. -- Eleanor C. Bisick

As a little girl, my sister and I would spend a lot of time in my mother's backyard watching nature around us. We rescued many baby mockingbirds and even a couple of baby hummingbirds. I remember how satisfying it was to see them come back to raise their own families, so when I bought my first home, it was natural for me to gravitate toward creating a natural habitat. I have a hummingbird corner, fish pond, and am in the process of preparing a bat house. I've seen many different types of birds from goldfinches to doves, at least four different types of hummers, and even had a couple of baby bunnies in my vegetable garden. I'm also excited to see so many bees visit the pond and flowers, since hearing about the declining population. As homes continue creeping into wildlife territory, it's nice to know we can do something small to help out. -- Margaret Lieu

The house we previously lived in was our first certified habitat. We read about the program in one of our many garden magazines, so we decided to get our yard certified as we are avid gardeners,as well as animal lovers We had several tours at our house with friends and members of our local gardening club. So when we moved to our new house... it was a no brainer. We decided to apply for certification again.While our old house was in the city ,our new one is in the country.This brings to us a larger variety of wild life and more acreage.Creating a more diverse type of habit. As vice-president of the Dickson County Gardening Partners in Dickson,TN (equivalent to Master Gardeners) I will be conducting a class on pond and water gardening and maintenace. Part of my presentation will include how our new class and club members can also get their yards certified. On a recent class tour of our new property several of the guests inquired as to how they could apply for certification as a habitat. So I will pass on this information to them and help to reach the 100,000 goal. -- Mark & Karen Van Leeuwen

I have always been a lover of Nature and Wildlife. I was very upset when our County Road Grader blocked two small creeks running across a gravel Road and thru ours and a Neighbors property. Several species of the water creatures died or were left dying. I saved as many as I could. But 2 types were lost and I haven't seen any of them again. It made me want to find a way to protect them. And since this water also feeds our water system and we are in a severe drought area I wanted to also protect the Creeks. I complained to the Man Grading and then the Local County Office. I then went on line and by accident, I found the NWF Site and saw where I could make a Habitat Area for these and other Wildlife I see here. I signed up immediately and am now working to make our area a safe place for all wildlife. I now have an endangered Red Headed Wood Pecker that feeds on a dead Tree, I am hoping it stays and breeds! My Neighbor is also talking about joining too. -- Shirley Martin

As a mother of two and recently moving to New Jersey after growing up in Brooklyn, NY. I was amazed by the wildlife around me. My sister started off by buying me a birdfeeder. I put it out on a tree in front of my house and couldn't believe how many different birds came flocking over to eat the seeds. My son and I sat by the window and watched bluebirds, cardinals, finches and we even saw a woodpecker one day. My first summer I started off by cleaning up the backyard. I got rid of some bushes and cut down two trees that were dying. I started to research garden plans online and I found the perfect garden plan for a patio garden. I chose plants that would bring butterflies and hummingbirds to my backyard. It looked amazing! I added a trellis at the entrance to my yard from my patio and planted wisteria to grow up and around the trellis. This year I planted a purple flowering plum tree in place of the two trees I got rid of. I also planted a pink flowering dogwood in one corner and a japanese maple in the other. I had an old tree stump grinded and I planted a Muskogee Crape Myrtle in place of the stump. My most prized possesion is my butterfly garden...it is approx. 25'x 5'. It is the focal point of my yard! I have seen a multitude of birds and butterflies this year and I am very proud to say that I have had 11 monarch caterpillars on one small butterfly weed (milkweed) plant and right now I have one chrysallis hanging above my patio. My son and I have been going outside everyday to check on the chrysallis in the hopes that we may see a butterfly emerge from it. I even saw three praying manthis' in my yard this year. One thing I want to try to do this fall is set up a small habitat for frogs where they can hibernate for the winter. I have many more projects in mind for my garden but I will take it one summer at a time. The most rewarding part is that I spend most of my days outside with my children, my son is 3 and my daughter is 1. We sit on the swing or on the bench and watch the wildlife around us. My daughter loves the butterflies and when I ask her where is the butterfly she waves her hands up and down and says, "Flying". My son is so amazed by the monarch caterpillars he runs outside to my butterfly weed to check on them everyday. Whenever I see an insect or a bird or any sort of wildlife I quickly show my children and they are thrilled to see the nature around them. I would like to start a nature/wildlife journal with my son. I tried to make one this summer but I couldn't take good pictures with my camera. They were coming out very blurry. I will try again next summer. I am very proud to have certified my backyard with NWF and I hope to inspire many others to do the same. -- Christina Ausiello

We have lived in Alaska since 1987. We fell madly in love with Alaska. We feel privileged to live with so much wildlife all around us. We have added trees and bushes to our yards and have kept part of our front yard wild. Since we moved here we have seen, from our home: Moose mother and twins, Bald Eagle, Willow Ptarmigan, Ravens, Stellers Jays, Robins, Chickadees, Magpies, and more. We want to continue to see wildlife, so, why not help them by providing a habitat for them. -- Donna Jamison

We are so pleased to have our yard as a Habitat for the little creatures who now visit us daily. We now have three birdbaths and several bird feeders and have seen so many species of birds: including a woodpecker who enjoys eating the insects from our lawn. The squirrels love to visit and play in our yard, they know this is safe place to come and relax, play and cool off on hot days! We have seen newborn birds and squirrels and enjoy the butterflies of all kinds. It is such a feeling of fulfillment to know you've made a difference in the process of creating a safe and healthy environment for all our new friends. It has added so much pleasure to our lives especially being disabled, it gives a person feeling of purpose and pleasure. -- Gail Patterson

Being a lover of nature, when I used a professional landscaper for the first time, I requested everything planted was to attract birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, etc. Three years later, we have the happiest yard in the neighborhood that completely sustains itself. Neighbors come over just to watch the excitement of new baby birds, tiny geico lizards, spiders with fabulous orb webs, tree frogs, hummingbirds that will eat from a feeder in your hand. It is always exciting to step into our yard and see what you might find on a daily basis. We could not be more proud to display our NWF signs and encourage others to protect wildilfe. -- Charmaine Scalise

I heard on the news about the "Red" list which includes plants and animals in excess of 41,000 entries and it inspired me to do what I can in my yard here at home. Not sure it would make much of a difference but I live in an almost pristine and beautiful community in Panama City Beach, Florida. Very little pollution, great parks, a beautiful beach and would be interested in getting the elementary schools involved if at all possible. -- Debra Abrams

My wife and I have been raising and releaseing wild orphan babies for the DNR for quite a few years and it seemed like a natural extention of our work to create a wild life habitat in our backyard. We have had a great time watching the visiters to our yard. -- Marvin Studer

I saw the story about Maria Tranberg in the online Garderner's Supply sharing her success story of how she became Certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat. I lived in my home for 4 years now and we have almost an acrea lot backed up to a creek. Up until now I haven't done much with my back yard with takes up most of my property and this may sound funny but I already have a 40 foot buffer to the creek that I cannot distrube.

We still have deer that settle their and give birth in the spring. It's a wonderful site to see even in this 80 home community. I want the animals to stay and this has given me the direction and the inspiration I needed to turn my yard back into more for the wildlife. I also have signed up to be a feeder watcher to count birds so this will just enhance what I started with attracting birds to my yard. -- Pamela Marson

My mom got me a book called "What is a Marine Mammal" and I thought it would be neat if I read it and learned about it. Since I can remember I have always wanted to be a person who saves animals lifes. I thought it would be a cool job. Thanks for reading my story and I hope you got something out of it. -- Ziby Koberst

I just finished reading the book "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli. After reading about a character in the book who wanted to create her own certified backyard wildlife habitat, I was inspired to create my own. Since the book was fiction I wasn't sure that people actually could certify their backyard habitats. I went online to search for more information and found the National Wildlife Federation website. Wow - they have all the information I need!

I was surprised to learn that I already have a good start. When we purchased our home we also bought the adjoining wooded lot behind our house. That lot and our backyard will become "Walton's Wildlife Retreat". It won't be long before it becomes certified. Thank you NWF, for all the help and great information. -- Lorra Walton

I was inspired to certify my backyard as a wildlife habitat by both Lady Bird Johnson's beautification program, and the National Wildlife Federation. I got to realizing that I could make my yard more beautiful with natural plants and flowers, plus attract wildlife and provide a home for them at the same time. With very little effort, I was able to supplement the plant growth, add water features, bird nest boxes plus a brushpile for small animal cover. Now I can enjoy the beauty of nature in my own backyard, plus provide a valuable asset for the indigenous wildife so prevalent in my area. -- Mrs. Elaine T. Oliver

Last fall we moved back to my parent's home which had always been a sanctuary for wildlife since the 1940's, although over the years the variety and number of species have changed as the amount of cover ebbed and flowed.

Over the last 13 years or so, the food prospects for animals on the property had diminished but the water and cover aspects have retained their strength. We re-established the strength of the food supply and are now pleased to report that our almost 4 acres have drawn a variety of wildlife not seen on the property in a couple of decades. -- W. David LeVasseur

Nine years ago, I reluctantly bought a "spec home" in a new subdivision. Imagine the silence of a new house with only sod rolled up to the foundation. Each year I added the good bones of native trees and flowering bushes as I could afford them. I planned for the needs of goldfinches, hummingbirds, cedar waxwings and just any song bird I could entice to visit.

I learned that ruby-throated hummers will bring their fledglings to the Rose of Sharon bushes outside my living room window. The babies are the size and color of the leaves of this bush. Momma perches them there to teach them how to drink from the nearby nectar feeders. My teenage sons were often distracted from the TV to stare out the window in quiet amazement. Mom's project had become a success!

My younger sister encouraged me to consult with NWF for Backyard Wildlife Habitat certification. It's my favorite passion with daily rewards. Each year, I learn the names of more butterflies. I've had a Painted Lady step off of a coneflower on to my finger. One day a hummer flew up to hover in front of my face. He turned his head to look me right in the eye, six inches from my nose.

I've learned to watch the winter freeze/thaw cycles to see when birds find the berries on my flowering crab apple trees and vibernum bushes to be palatable. I've positioned plantings where there is a year-round show to be had from every window.

As an NWF Leaders Club member, I can't thank you enough for your educational programs. My half-acre home site has true curb-appeal and will only get better as it continues to mature. My yard is now chemical-free and I take pride in counting nests. -- Carol Ann Wood

It was our chimney swifts that started our wildlife habitat. Every year they'd nest in our house because every other chimney in town has been capped. We felt obligated to give our swift friends the best home possible, so we started out simply eliminating harsh chemical fertilizers and insecticides and our yard. Over time, our yard has regained it's natural state - including plenty of lizards, toads, squirrels and birds who put up with our dogs chasing them.

A few years ago I installed a small pond, and this year I am expanding it and adding a 6-ft stream of running water. Not only do my dogs drink from the pond, but when they're inside the house,birds,possums,squirrels and raccoons all stop by for a drink. Dragonflies and butterflies are constantly flitting around, too. I've never seen the swifts drinking, but I know they feed on all the insects drawn to the water.

I never thought our yard could be so wildlife friendly, especially since we raise dogs. But the wild animals and the dogs find ways to coexist peacefully - for the most part. -- Karlene Schoonover

When my wife and I moved to Apple Valley, California, all we knew at first that it was the place where Roy Rogers and Dale Evans had lived for many years and loved the open spaces. Within the first year, we had taken a one acre plot and changed it into a habitat where wild animals could come and go without the worry of being shot and had a place to raise their young.

The community is changing drastically with the building of new homes flushing Desert Quail, coyote's, lizard, cottontail and Jack rabbits. We have one hummingbird nest which was built under a cabana from a local store and put some white decorator lights up under it to have light for evening outside meals. It had changed after a year for a hummingbord had built a nest around one of the small bulbs and had two babies under it. That was four years ago and since then, she has come back every year and laid two eggs in the same nest. We saw the new babies fly fron the nest about four weeks ago. Since then, one of the number of chimes we have under our patio, another hummingbird built another nest and the two babies that she had are rwelve days old today. We have seen Finches, Quail and deset lizards being born in our back yard. It only takes the love of wanting to help them and provide a place for them to live. If you should happen to see a nest, the mother will come back year after year as long as she is alive and the nest is undisturbed. -- Thomas Newsome

I created a highly successful and beautiful habitat in my urban PA. yard. As a result, 3 other neighbors "came around." The entire neighborhood was impressed and pleased, finding it beautiful and intriguing. When I sold my house I provided a detailed account, an essay of a year long monthly diary and low maintenance program. The buyers and their realtor assured me they would keep the habitat and planned to continue it. I wouldn't have sold them the house otherwise and they knew this. Within 2 weeks every tree, shrub and plant had been removed either by chain saw or poisons. Every one. Two of the trees were 70 years old. The pond was thrown out. They were able to lie and the habitat is now gone forever with a monnscape in it's place. Neighbors watched, stunned. A single day wiped out 13 years of love and effort, as well as a world of animals and life.

I would like to press the NWF to make our certified habitats legal. I have no recourse against these people. The backyard habitat certification should be as legally binding and safeguard the habitat as securely as a home on the Registry of Historic Places. It's a sad day. -- Lauren Mercadante

My backyard has a small pond with goldfish and shubunkins that attracts many diffenent types of birds and has as permanent residents over a half-dozen frogs. There are also rabbits and opossoms who come and go. This year I bought a bluebird house and within two weeks had a pair nesting. For some unknown the pair abandoned the nest with four eggs. I am assuming they are a first year pair and probably not ready for raising a fledge yet. After they were gone three weeks I removed the nest hoping they would come back to reestablish housekeeping. Sure enough they returned and built a new nest. They come to the bluebird feeder every day foir mealworms that I place inside and stare at me through the window as if thanking me.

I have other bird feeders and suet which many different birds are frequenting including chikadees; sparrows; cardinals; house finches; robins; nuthatches; chipping sparrows; cowbirds; starlings; and other less frequent visitors. There is also a squirrel that visits from time to time. I once observed a full grown opossum in the feeder!

watching the wildlife in my backyard gives me never-ending pleasure. I will never tire of it. The amazing thing is that since I installed a split rail fence surrounding my property the birds have obliged with seeds from nearby plants which they drop as they sit on the fence. Over the last few years they have 'planted' many raspberry plants which they now feed off...and even the bluebirds enjoy them! -- wilson strausser

It all started with a bird feeder, my love of ponds with running water, my love of plants and my passion for "critters'! I do alot of container gardening as well as in ground gardening. I want to be surrounded by beautiful vegetation and the beauty and sounds of wildlife. I began to supply different types of food to attract many varieties of birds. I started adding different bird houses for birds to nest in. I put out a few bird baths and put in two ponds with waterfalls. I have plants that will attract butterfles. My ponds are homes to bullfrogs and Koi. I even have a turtle that has taken up residence in the koi pond. I have a "corn wheel" for the squirrels. They are so much fun to watch them spin it!

Anyhow,I have all these things for my own selfishness and enjoyment. I never really looked at it as providing protection and nourishment for wild life until my neighbor told me about the Wildlife Habitat certification for my yard. I got to thinking about it and decided I would like to increase people's awareness of the need to protect wildlife. It can be a small area in the middle of town. It doesn't have to be a lot of acreage involved.

Our local newspaper is sending a reporter to interview me to do a feature story about what it means to have a yard certified as a habitat for wildlife, and to take some pictures. I wanted to decline because I really am shy, but I realized that this is a golden opportunity to let my neighbors and other people in my community aspire to do the same for the wildlife that surrounds them. There is so much destruction of natural habitat because of man's greed and love of money, over the need to protect nature, that it sickens me! Beautiful old hardwood forests are being wiped out for residentual lots that are not even needed.

I can't prevent the slow demise of natural habitats, but I can certainly nuture and protect God's beautiful creatures that I am blessed to have on MY property. Maybe by telling my story, other people will follow suit and certify their yards. We're all in this together! Unfortunately, it has gotten so bad, that man has got to intervene and protect what other men are destroying! I have such a small area that I can try to protect, but, I get such a large blessing in return. I have always said, that God should have created one planet for man, and one planet for animals, and I should have been placed on the one with the animals. -- Susie Mitchel

My husband and I are new members to the Asheville Moose Lodge #781 and they are doing a memorial garden. I suggested to do a wildlife habitat at the same time. We are doing it for the yellow swallow tailed butterflys and cardnials. They agreed seeing how the Moose Lodge is all about our children and they are the future. Our yard is also a wildlife habitat so we knew all that needed to be done, It is not hard and you don't need a lot of money to do this, just dedication on keeping wildlife safe and to give them a helping hand in todays declining woodlands. We live in the Beautiful Smokey Mountains and there is so much wildlife. -- Debra Goforth

It began when we put up our first bird feeder more than 7 years ago. we watched and recorded the visitors, researched their behavior and got better and better at attracting them. when there's a new visitor we'd read up on it and made provision to make the yard welcoming for the new member. 1 year there was a sudden drop of the number of visitors, then we read in the news that it's due to large-scale loss of their habitat. the next year we added 600+ square feet of flower beds around the property and have the beds professionally designed to accommodate wildlife. 1 is a butterfly/bee garden, 1 a humming bird garden, and 1 a "general purpose" garden. The beds are now 90% installed. next is a small grove with lots of service berries and viberna, to be installed later this summer. -- Aileen

Nine months ago, we moved 400 miles into a newly-constructed home. Although we have about 1/5th acre, the landscaping was a limited, standardized "builder-supplied" three young trees in back, two young trees in front, a handful of foundation junipers and broadleaf evergreen shrubs... and that's it. I'd spent 4 years turning the small yard of our previous home into a beautiful -- and wildlife-friendly -- place to spend my time. Although I'd not certified that yard, I'd seen a neighbor with a yard sign... and decided I'd work on getting my new home's yard to meet all the criteria for certification as quickly as possible... and of course, continue to improve the habitat over time. In less than 9 months (including the winter!), I was ready.

I've added a birdbath and plan to add a small pond -- for frogs, not koi! -- in the next couple of years, as well as a solar-powered small fountain I may add before the end of this summer. I have a specialty goldfinch feeder as well as a sunflower-seed feeder and mixed-seed feeder, a platform feeder, and a hummingbird feeder. This winter I'll add suet feeders as well. We live near a small wetland and its avian inhabitants make regular trips to our feeders... especially flashy, of course, are "our" redwing blackbirds and goldfinches.

A robin had made a nest in one of our small trees, but alas, a strong windstorm knocked the nest -- and its single egg -- out of the tree long before the robins could raise their family. We're planning on adding several birdhouses in the yard before winter. Instead of building a fence, I set out a 45-foot hedge of barberries... the 16 shrubs are only about a foot tall at this time, but given a few years, they'll provide a great deal of cover, as well as food for the birds and lovely flowers for us to enjoy.

I've planted countless annuals, and numerous perennials -- including salvia, coneflower, rudebeckia, and butterfly bush -- which are drawing large numbers of bumblebees and small butterflies to my yard. I've also included some small butterfly larvae host plants, and plan to get milkweed specifically for the monarchs next year. Other items I've planted include blueberries, rhododendron, hydrangea, honeysuckle, lilac, mountain laurel, and azaleas.

I'm going to use the information on your site to build a "bee house" and a "toad abode" next.

My habitat may be certified, but it will never be "finished." I promise I'll keep finding new things to do to attract more critters to my yard... and the plants already there, as they mature, will do their part, as well. -- Flavia Huber

I grew up in the wild mountains of Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park and loved nothing more than to be a part of all that was natural. Plants, birds, wildlife and the great outdoors was my life. It is a natural part of life to love gardening. I moved to my home here in Northwestern Wyoming in 1996. There was nothing here but a few dying elm trees, dirt and weeds. Our annual rainfall is between 5 and 7 inches per year. Temperatures range from 120 degrees in summer to 40 degrees below zero in the winter. I planted a small area each year with plants from neighbors, friends and trips out to the hills. I spotted some baby’s breath plants that the neighbors had thrown in the garbage, took the dried plants and broke them up where I wanted them to grow. They grew! There was no water faucet and so the first summer, ran a hose from a clothes washer valve out the door to water the plants. I walked around the lot and marked out where paths would go and dreamed of what this could all be someday. I went to war with weeds from early spring to late fall- they grow too well here.

My "Dream Garden" is now filled with trees and plants native to the area, bushes with different kinds of fruit that serve as food and protection for the birds. I brought in Sweetgrass and have made baskets from it. Brome grasses came in with the transplants and now are growing up to 5 feet tall. The grasses are intermingled with raspberries, wild currants and chokecherries. Chipmunks, rabbits, many birds, a gardner snake and a scorpion live here. Dragonflies zoom back and forth all summer long. I built a pond with rocks and two water pumps and water cascades down several levels, creating small bathing pools for the birds. The falling water sounds like there is a creek flowing in the garden. My goal was to create a sanctuary that looks like it is natural habitat from our area. With the plus of having flowers blooming all spring, summer and fall. Hummingbirds flit through the garden, feeding on a large, orange honeysuckle bush and other delights. I built a campfire pit with a surround of a broken down castle wall, with a gothic window. Many of the materials I have used in my garden are recycled, such as fencing with old wooden guardrail posts, sections of pallet wood and bricks from old junk piles. I don't have much money to work with and being a seasoned scavenger pays off!

I brought in a cottonwood tree from a local discount store- it was July, not the best time to transplant here. Apparently, no one wanted the cottonwood with its broken branch and scarred bark. I bought it because I wanted to give it a good home. The cottonwood is now the king of the Dream Garden, standing proudly at 30 feet tall, spreading its lush branches and being home to the birds. I have a wicker chair swing (from a dumpster!) hanging from a branch, from which I can sit and watch birds drink from the pond fountain and enjoy the beautiful sanctuary. I have seen Rocky Mountain blue birds, robbins, finches of different kinds, sparrows, Lazuli Buntings, hummingbirds, Bullocks Orioles, Kingbirds, Bohemian Wax Wings, Hairy Woodpecker (brought in a dead tree for them), Flickers, Mourning Doves and a Kestrel Hawk feeds on the sparrows in the winter. -- Berta Newton

I love the wild animals. I get to see squirrels,and racoons and oppossum. I hear frogs in my back yard. 4 years ago I put in a cemented pond just for the animals-its different sizes for different animals. I don't mow my yard - I cut the back yard grass with scissors. We don't have much grass. I have three huge pinetrees in my back yard and I love when the wind blows. The squirrels throw the pine cones. I'm growing fruit trees for us and the animals. I also get to see the humming birds and hear other birds chirp and sing all day long. I have wildflowers in my front yard seeds from the birds and lord I love the smell of them - they only open at night time. -- Debbie

I was inspired to create a Backyard Wildlife Habitat when the community I lived in decided to pursue certification. After listening to a few lectures on the subject and hearing the words "less to mow," I was insprired. Plus, I've always loved nature and was fascinated by it. Soon, I turned the majority of my townhouse yard into a Backyard Wildlife Habitat and received certification. After we moved to a single family house, with a larger yard, I pursued creation of a backyard wildlife habitat again. I have enjoyed many hours of watching birds staking out their nesting territory, bathing in the birdbaths, feeding at the feeders, raising their young, watching the antics of the squirrels, watching bees gather nectar, praying mantis raising their young and the list goes on. Further, it's turned out to be a great place to relax at the end of a long workday. -- Allen Pearson

In 1989 we bought a capecod house at the end of the street in Woodbury, NJ. The back yard was a sandy waste land that backed up to the woods, then the creek. The back yard was surrounded by huge oak trees. The previous owners had obviously attempted to grow grass and, naturally, failed. The yard is shaded and gets very little rain. We immediately let mother nature take over. The trees, sweet gums, oaks. others I cant identify, have proliferated up to the house. Honeysuckle grows wild along the fence. The yard is small but at this time we have seen chickadees, robins, and house wrens raise familys. A pair of cardinals have just started a nest in the wild vines growing up the front of the house. And we have just discovered wild honey bees have nested in an old wooden shed in the back yard!

As the rest of the neighborhood continues to poison, mutilate, and chop down large trees, we seem to have this oasis of safety for all of Mother's guests. When the rest of the neighberhood is 100 degrees, our house is about 80 and we dont even have air conditioning. That's what happens when you don't kill your trees. We have never used poison or fertalizers. We just let Mother do her thing and what a fantastic show its been. It sickens me to see how arrogant and shallow many people are. The toxins they dump on their precious lawns to impress the neighbors. My fantasy is outlaw "weapons of destruction". Ie lawnmowers, edgers, poison spreaders. Just let it go. LEAVE IT ALONE! I know it will never happen. I am thankful I have my gift of Mother right out my back door. Thanks for a space to air my story. -- Sharon Cunniff

In 1998 we certified our place: "Shepherd Too" as NWH 21526 and our bluebird NWBH habitat in Amishland was featured in two local Lancaster newspapers and then a one hour program featuring us and our habitat was then shown on BLUE RIDGE cable network. This spring, and as a follow-up story and to help NW Federation reach their 100000 NWBH Goal, Lancaster Magazine will publish our story with current photos of the habitat with 2007 pictures in their Spring 2008 issue. Our story: "Lancaster County Still a Promise Land" will be featured and the article emhasis will be placed on reaching the NWBH goal of 100,000 habitats. -- Ray Smecker

My backyard is Certified and I keep improving my yard. I feed black oil sunflower seeds, suet and whole corn and have bird baths. I also have a dust bath, hummingbird feeders and buterfly feeder and watering place and puddling place. Bird boxes, squirrel and bat houses. Many trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses that provide food and shelter. There are 33 different birds that come or nest in my yard. Over 25 different kinds of insects/spiders and garter snakes and toads. There are around 14 different kinds of mammals in and round my yard. It is so much fun to watch them all and to tend to my gardens. -- Carol Thompson

I have two beautiful daughters that remind me daily that life is too short to take it, life, for granted. Life to me is what this world provides in subtal yet obvious ways if we choose to listen. My inspirations are the geese that swim by me parenting their children up the river, the newborn lonely snapping turtle seeking the warming scent of fresh water, yearling deer jumping around because it is just fun. All too often we forget, we forget the beautiful presence of life before us, just out our glossy window. We get too caught up in the daily life we agressively defend while defining a lost sense of appreciation. Taking all that has been set before us, for granted. My recent adventures around my new yard brought me joy watching those same two beautiful girls take the initiative and commit to preserve what so few take notice in. Let's make every attempt to appreciate what we miss daily. Thanks NWF!! -- Jeremy Hanson

My husband and I have been enjoying our water garden since our youngest son, Jason was 12 years old. He's now 28 years old. The project started after an old shed was removed, and the blank space gave our son the reason to ask if he could dig a pond, and place his garden train around it. Over the years, I have planted many shrubs and perrenials, mostly of miniature variaties, to be in scale of the garden train. Over time, we stored the train, for Jason's future home site. Spring 2007, proved to be a necessary draining of the pond, and place a new rubber liner. We saved all the plantings and wildlife from the water, and transplanted them after completion! Our new future daughter-in-law, Jason's fiance, now enjoys the garden, and is a avid wildlife photographer. -- kathy medovich

I was inspired by a teacher at my daughter's school, Manor Elementary in Fairfax, California. Ms. Honda is our dedicated environmental leader and when I bought native plants this year at her annual sale to raise funds for a local habitat, she gave me the certification materials.

Ms. Honda encouraged me as she encourages all of the children at Manor School. I went home that day and started taking out weeds, planting natives and I put up my daughter's bird feeder that had been sitting around for a few years. I bought bird seed, put out mulch all over our property and each day I encourage the girls to go out and look for strawberries or water the plants. I also look outside each day for signs of new growth and the garden now brings a sense of peace to me. I can make the Earth a better place by taking care of our own backyard habitat. -- Teri Meadows

I just always felt a connection with animals and that we need to look out for them. If you look around you can see what is happening to the places where they lived. Man was given the gift of higher intelligence and guidance but yet he continues to be in considerate and dominate all the land. I am grateful to the people who do care and I was happy to see this on the special features from the movie Hoot. Just the other day my dog and I were visiting a friend's land and we came upon a mountain lion. When my dog encountered the lion there was no sound and they backed away from each other. I think they may have suprised each other, but they did not become aggresive. There was a deer carcus near by, too. thank you, for being there. I would like to certify my backyard as a wildlife habitate. I pull lots of weeds and refuse to use any kind of killer on them for the sake of the animals who live in my backyard. -- Pammy Smith

I have a Wildlife Habitat certification and sign. I volunteer 4 hours a week at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, which is a hospital for wildlife, a santuary for orphaned wild animals, and an educational facility for the public. I have suggested to the organization leaders that they become Backyard certified and then make information and applications for Backyard Habit certification available to the hundreds of people who interact with the center and its programs. -- Johanna Woodchild

I watch your show on the animal plant channel. I have always loved the outdoors and gardening. Wildlife was a natural part of that so it only seemed to be a perfect fit to estabilsh my back yard habitat. My back yard habitat has now grown to be close to 5 acres. In 2007 and 2008 I am planning to share my fun and experinces with others by joining the ambassador program. This way I can get my freinds involved. -- Darrell Mitchell

My now 6 year old son Mason inspired us to make a backyard habitat. He has been watching your show since he was 41/2 years old! He loves it. He really wanted a personal visit from the hosts of the show but since we couldn't do that we decided to help him build a backyard habitat for his 7th birthday. We are making it for birds, frogs, squirrels, butterflies, and hopefully for the deer that wander through as well. Mason's desire to have his own backyard habitat has encouraged this family to think a little more when we are landscaping our yard to try to encourage the little critters around us to visit our yard. -- Becki Stark

We live in an old Chicago suburb, a typical bungalow with a tiny garden near a busy street where people dump trash from their cars non stop, year round. We still get wildlife because the river is about 5 blocks away. Our yard was originally just a lawn. We started by digging a pond, then planted things around until most grass was gone and now we are removing lawn from the frontyard. We have not used any pesticides for 7 years now, after we learned about IPM. We compost so we do not use commercial fertilizers either. This may sound like a lot, but as the garden grows, it needs less and less work. Last year we installed a rain barrel, and we used the hose just twice during the whole summer. It is certainly nice to have a reason to go outside, other than picking up trash, and it is nice to see birds feasting on the seeds from last year beds, or using dry twigs to build up their nests (although they also use trash every now and then). -- julieta

At first I thought wildlife was boring and scary. But, thanks to you, Ranger rick, I explored my backyard and discovered you were right! Wildlife is one of the best gifts our world has to give. Thanks to your magazine, I was inspired to discover nature. Now I'm more of an outdoor person. Thank you to all of the things you've taught us kids. More power to all of you and to ranger rick! -- Catherine

My sister who is an avid gardener turned her smaller city plot of land into a habitat, which is loaded with native plants, a pond, etc. It has been in a few garden tours now and is a very nice refuge in a busy area. This inspired my wife and I to certify our property (16 acres) into a habitat, which we were sort of already doing without guidance. It is nice to be part of a larger movement and share our story, and try to break the habit of many people in the country from mowing their large plots of land "corner to corner".

We progressively mow only small portions of the property once a year when birds are not nesting, and we let other parts go "native". We only regularly mow around the immediate house (3/4 acre) so we can keep the view. So far this has worked very well for attracting plenty of song birds such as a variety of native sparrows, Towhees, finches, warblers, indigo buntings, and more.

Last year we had several nesting pairs of indigo buntings along the driveway (it is a long driveway). I couldn't see the nests, I left enough alone, but they kept popping out of the brush when we walked by. We have spotted several ground-nesting sparrows and towhees, and we are almost driven nuts by the constant singing of "Drink Your Tea" by the towhees. I am not British already!

I have turned a few people on to my property methods and certification, and most have agreed it is beautiful. Not sure if they will get certified or not, but at least one friend has stopped mowing fields during nesting times, and gone to just very early spring and late autumn. Too many birds are ground nesting in our area in WNY to ignore in the sake of a green lawn. -- Mark Wyman

I have owned some acreage in Fellsmere, Florida for some time. My wife and I decided a few years ago to build our new home there ... and to accomplish that I did many things to ensure we would have lots of wildlife present ... flying, terrestrial, and aquatic. I got in touch with a Marine Biologist from the State for some advice a few years ago and he provided me with a wealth of information that enabled me to create a unique focal point for our property ... and after a while the project started taking on a life of its own. I kept in touch with Mr. Cimbaro who creates the State publication "The City Fisher" and sent him photo updates of what I was doing/having done to our property. Not too long ago he asked me for permission to publish an article about what was done. You may enjoy this, and you have my permission to reproduce it. Our property was certified by the NWF because of all we have done to bring wildlife here, and to provide living creatures with a "safe haven" ... but the "pond" is the centerpiece of our property. -- John Myers

Our Outdoor Classroom is one of the major components of our charter goals. We are creating "time-line" gardens that depict major events in our land history as well as Georgia and American history. The centerpiece of our Outdoor Classroom is a replica of the well that was once on the school property. This well provided the Native Americans, Civil War soldiers and families through the years with fresh water. The well is named after Mr.Obediah Copeland whose family owned the land. Surrounding the well is a "time-line" garden with planting areas shaped to represent historical events that are aligned to the Georgia curriculum standards. Examples are: A "Victory Garden" which is triangular shaped and aligned with 5th grade's study of WWII which represents the 1940's. The "Moon Garden" shaped like a full moon with a cresent design in the middle creating a "venn-diagram" the students planted native plants on one side by the signs of the moon and another time on the other. They may observe the growing progress of each side to see if planting by the signs really makes a difference. This is aligned with the unit on space which represents the 1950's.

Recently a PTA parent wrote a grant that was funded by Lowes and we will add an arbor dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. that will represent the 1960's. We are going to also have a "Forget-Me-Not" garden to honor heroes throughout time and an Hispanic themed garden to represent the 1990's when our community became more diverse. Other garden's are planned to complete the time-line and will be implemented as funds become available. To encourage teachers to use the Outdoor Classroom we purchased tools and equipment for class use and Curriculum Aligned Backpacks which hold activities and books to be used with various subjects such as Trees, Animals, Rocks and Minerals, Birds, and Plants. The DSCS Outdoor Classroom sits in the heart of our school complex and gives students, many of whom live in apartments and do not have ready access to nature, a positive sense of place and an opportunity to use their intelligences in a very special way. -- Dunwoody Springs Charter Elementary School

My story is not what inspired me but rather how I inspired others in a round about way. My husband and I love the backyard critters, find almost all insects intriguing and delight in Mother Nature's ability to have her "way" in our garden. It was incidental that we were qualified as a backyard habitat as our philosophy was perfectly aligned with the concept. We followed the certification process through and posted a sign at the enrty to our front garden path just a few feet from the curb. At first I thought it was a bit bold but plants and flowers grew in and around it giving it a softer look.

The next summer we were invited to be a featured home on a garden tour. I had forgotten about the sign and went about primping and preening the rest of the yard. We have several gardens throughout our front and backyard which feature over 250 different perennials, lots of shrubs, herbs, vegetables, and tons of annuals including a water garden. Of course, we are completely organic with many landscape features that conserve and distribute water.

Much to our surprise, the biggest topic of conversation was the backyard habitat certification sign and what was necessary to qualify. Many parents of young children were interested in having a chemical-free play area while older guests liked the idea of less watering and more birds to watch. People couldn't believe that we had a virtually weed-free lawn, prolific flowers everywhere and didn't use chemicals. They were sure that our water bill was outrageous. Most showed interest as we explained our system of swales, water collection drums, soaker hoses, mulching and native plantings that didn't need to be watered thus spending less on water than most of them.

It seemed as if the flowers were "dancing" one woman remarked, as she referred to hundreds of colorful butterflies flitting from one bloom to the next, as if they were animated flowers. Our several features that were designed to attract animals didn't go unnoticed but the one that stumped everyone was the birdbath with sand in it...where birds took a dry bath to clean themselves. Though it was nice to share our garden with others, the whole experience became much more satisfying as we know that lots of people went away with new ideas of conservation and a fresh way of thinking about environmental responsiblity. -- Lanie Dolliff

Collin was so truly inspired by the show "Backyard Habitat" that he started asking questions that a six year old normally wouldn't ask, but it was wonderful to have him actually caring about the environment. He used his chore money to buy a blackberry and a rasberry bush in hopes of attracting turtles to our yard. He took it upon himself to break some of my terracotta pots for toad homes, but how could I be upset at that? We purchased a birdbath last year as well upon the request of Collin and also made a hummingbird feeder. He helped me to erect three new flower beds in hopes of drawing in different wildlife. Your show was such an inspiration to my son and I am sure that so many other families feel the same. Thank you!

P.S. He also did all the work to have our two acres certified by you. He has high hopes of having the show come to our home to erect a new habitat so you are more than welcome to come. It truly is beautiful here in the summertime as we are neighbors with the Amish and their fields and gardens are just lovely. -- Collin Romanowski

In 2003 we built a home on an acre-and-a-half lot within a neighborhood that at one time had been a private wildlife sanctuary. While the house was being built, my wife noticed quite a few wildflowers growing in the periphery around the construction area and suggested that we try to protect them. At our request, the builder left much of the land undisturbed, and we decided to maintain the native prairie and woodland. So I really didn't have to work very hard at attracting wildlife. It's sometimes frustrating when deer eat your evergreens, but then we have to admit that they were here first.

We planted flowerbeds and grass around the house, although each year I've dug out more of the grass in favor of native plantings and "cottage gardens". Over the past couple of years I've conducted an inventory of the plants and trees growing on the property, identifying and photographing as many as possible. Our daughter and her family live across the road and our grandchildren come over regularly to enjoy the natural areas with the butterflies and other critters. I think they eat more of the wild berries than do the animals and birds! When I read about the habitat certification program, I filled out the questionnaire on a whim. Having done that, I decided it would be a wasted effort not to at least submit the application. So now we have a certified natural habitat, and this year I was asked by the local agricultural extension service to host a tour of our habitat. This will be only our fourth season here, so we still have a long way to go. -- Jack Kramer

I made up my mind when I moved to the NY Catskills I would "go native" -- I would not mow the field, and I would remove the invasive plants. A pitched battle to get out the knotgrass, garlic mustard and knapweed followed! But I persevered and replaced them with native plants. A local plant nursery down the road was a great resource, and blue-eyed grass, pearly everlasting, and 15 varieties of gorgeous goldenrod began to take over, as well as flowering trees -- redbud and dogwood and winterberry and also pine trees. The next-door-neighbor's children became interested and we went on nature walks, identifying birds, trees, snakes, butterflies, spiders and moths. Then these children decided to dig a pond where the ground was boggy. They made it a project, and it's now 4' deep and 20' across. Newts and frogs and salamanders moved in. Following NWF's suggestions, I accumulated brush piles, and birds and squirrels and other “critters” shelter there all winter.

The entire 2.5 acre area is now a little paradise of diversity -- from proliferating native plants that supply food for insects and birds, through visiting turtles, raccoons, opossums and even foxes. I have cardinals and hummingbirds and bluebirds that nest in the summer. Doing this has really added to my peace of mind and joy of living. A local newspaper covered the event of the property being certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the NWF. -- Judith Karpova

Nature is such a wonder I love being a part of it. Every home I have had (2) have received certification. I strive hard to make the yards wildlife friendly and that also makes them relaxing and pleasant to the eye. I no longer have a home but a home on wheels and my owned RV lot will be the next for me to certify. It is in south Texas in the Rio Grande Valley and so have been researching and planting the native plants on the small area I own. Have encouraged many others in this area to look at native plants which therefore need less water in this south hot humid area. It is a joy to see different birds and butterflies flock to flowers and fruit I put out for them. -- Lauren Heiy

We have 17 acres and we have started turning it into a wildlife area. We started in the spring piling up fallen trees and plant cuttings in area for the animals. Planting native plants to Georgia along creek bank. Wet lands adding more marsh grass. We have bird houses. Kids in area are helping and love to help. It will take a long time but it is worth it. -- Ellen Voakes

I was certified a couple of years ago and use my sign to explain to neighbors why I have so much "overgrowth" in my front yard! I see birds high up in the now extremely high bushes and take wild-eyed delight. My yard was written up in the neighborhood home of the month newsletter as a way to make neighbors aware of the certification program, which is good for wildlife the learning of children and adults, as well! I love having the possums and racoons running all around at night through the low brush. Thanks for having this program! -- Terry Kauffman

Our family lives in the most populated city in New Hampshire (Manchester). We moved here almost six years ago to a house that needed renovation and a yard that had not been cared for in years. Other than a lovely crimson maple, there was not a bit of landscaping. My husband and I discovered that we had a real love of working together outside in our own yard, small as it may be. (1/10 of an acre!) Each year we did more and more work, adding trees, shrubs, perennials, many native plants, a pond, fencing, an arbor, etc. Now, after only 5 years, our yard is a thing of beauty. We have made use of every square inch. We currently have almost 60 different varieties of trees/shrubs, over 130 varieties of perennials, as well as between 20 to 30 different annuals each year, bulbs, plus even a small vegetable garden.

Last year, we certified our yard as a BackYard Wildlife Habitat. We cannot believe how the wild creatures have noticed and appreciate what we have done for them. We have observed over 30 species of birds, many different butterflies,as well as frogs that appeared in our pond, squirrels, chipmunks, even opossums and the occasional skunk! It just proves to us that "if you build it, they will come!!" We want to thank the National Wildlife Federation for recognizing the efforts of people like us. If everyone spreads the word about this wonderful program, and believe me, we have, then we can all make a difference and help support wildlife whereever we may live. -- Crystal Berube

I have always been fascinated by wildlife and just nature in general. When I discovered your website I was really inspired to make sure that my yard had as much as possible to offer wildlife. I especially wanted to make sure that I did all I could to help all wildlife since everywhere I looked in my town and the surrounding towns, was being cleared to either build homes or shopping centers. It always made me feel really sad for all the creatures that had to give up their homes so that we humans could "progress" and pave and build.

I feel so special to be in the presence of so many little creatures. I have so many screech owls, woodpeckers,toads,deer and all types of small and large birds. It is the coolest thing to be outside early and see the heron fly over as his makes his usual morning trip to the lake nearby. Oh, and the dragonflies on my pond are like little jewels. It really makes your day to get to veiw all of the creatures that make their visits to bird feeders or ponds. There is nothing that can compare to it! Thanks for being an inspiration to everyone NWF! -- Karen Fields

Growing up in NW Pennsylvania we had the biggest yard on the block. Behind our regular back yard, was an orchard and beyond that was a big field. My Dad always kept suet feeders filled in the orchard, but I don't remember having bird feeders. That aside my Father loved nature and together we spent a lot of time in the woods. The big field out back would grow tall every summer and often we would find rabbit families among the tall grass. Come fall after all the rabbits left for other areas Dad would have the fire department come and burn the tall grass down which was a big hit with all of the kids in the neighborhood.

My love of the outdoors waned a little as I was getting my life in gear, but now my husband and I live in the country and we make it a point to keep fresh water, bird seed and raw peanuts, a pile of wood, lots of trees and bushy areas inviting to wildlife. I read about the National Wildllife federation in Birds and Blooms and went to the NWF site. I was so happy when I realized I provided the habitat described in their qualifications. I joined right away and so happy I did. From our porch each morning we feel like we are watching a movie with all of the activity before us. Always a perfect start to the day! -- Susan Mitchell

The NWF is doing a great job. Keep up the good work! I explained to them how easy it was to meet the four requirements. I compiled a board about nature and INVASIVES and I displayed it at a city event. I always speak about INVASIVES (which I wish NWF would address with more vigour) as they destroy native plant habitat. -- Stuart H. Krantz

My habitat is about one year old now though it started out as one. When we built our home we decided to leave as many trees as possible so we would be more natural. Now, we are in the process of taking out all the non-natives and invasives. We are currently engaged in battle with golden bamboo, not sure if we are winning yet. To date we have seen 33 species of birds, and many mammals from skunks, deer, opossums and the normal denizens one expects to see in a 200 home subdivision. During the Great backyard Bird Count I noticed as i got farther away from my property, the sounds of nature got less and less. This proved to me that truly only 3/4 of an acre properly managed can make a big difference to the local wildlife.

Steve Irwin was my inspiration before he passed and now even more so. I have just added a bat roost to the front yard thus supporting Bat Conservation International in their efforts. I and my family have truly become wildlife warriors. We love it. Backyard Habitat on TV has also helped us to realize that habitats dont have to be huge to be productive to wildlife. My hat is off to all the folks at NWF. -- Christopher Sanders

We certified our 5 acre backyard some years ago. We mow about half of it, and have a half acre pond as well. This morning I spotted a male ring necked duck with 2 females, diving for breakfast. On the branch of a pine was a great blue heron. A red shouldered hawk flew past. This is why, 30 min. from Washington, D.C., I wake up with a smile on my face! We have made a huge brush pile along the back, which our neighbors contribute to as well. There are two wild persimmon trees that attract everything in the fall. We also have several white mulberries, which attract everything in the spring. Foxes, skunks, raccoons and countless species of birds live there or just appreciate it's cover. We also left intact many wild rose thickets. The mockingbirds and woodchucks claim them as their own. I could go on and on. The pond is the place to be in the spring. Because we have left it to it's own devices, we now have huge bullfrogs staking out territory, bats, dragonflies, damselflies, countless insects and migratory waterfowl. The noise is awesome on a spring night!

We do very little to our property, just let nature go a little crazy at the edges, put up bluebird boxes, and watch the show. Last spring I had to move my car away from the bluebird box (about 25 ft.away) because the male kept attacking his reflection in my side mirror. I was afraid he'd injure himself, and I wasn't crazy about what he did to the side of my car. My only complaint is the deer, which chase our black lab and eat everything but the butterfly bushes I planted near the pond-and what a spectacular show that is in August, when these bushes, nearly 8 feet tall, erupt in clouds of butterflies as I pass by! Right now my feeders are full of cardinals, wrens, finches, phoebes, and I look for the redbreasted grosbeaks, rufus sided towhee and indigo bunting that tell me it truly is spring. -- Jill

We saw a Bluebird out here one day...so the next day my husband set out some Bluebird house he had built...and the same day, they started moving in.

Christmas Trees. Ready to be chipped up. I thought, but these would give neighborhood rabbits, snakes, cardinals, and road runners all the food they want and little nests etc. So we took three semi loads. On our 6 acre spread next door to the Sugaro National Forest we became a habitat some time ago. A neighbor that raises goats for nature hikes asked... "why the dead christmas trees" and "can we have some leaves to feed our goats". When she saw our sign she wanted to certify SO BAD! Now she has and soon ALL our neighbors (though we ARE spread out across the foothills since the forest got us zoned to 3 acres or more in perpetuity YAH) will be habitats! -- Lennox Morey

I started converting my yard to natives in 1997. Ten years later I have prairie and woodland habitat as well as a small pond. I'm amazed at the wildlife I see now. Everything from toads and frogs to blue herons and green herons to butterflies and bees. -- Jeff Hansen

I am originally from Ohio, and raised in the country of Sandusky county. My parents were advid wildlife watchers, and inspired me to be the same. We put in a pond, and gardens and flowers and had all sorts of "pets" - we were always raised to love and respect all God's creatures. We often found and brought home injured animals for mom and dad to "fix-up" and then we would release them to live in our yard. We always had ducks and deer, birds and fish, squirrels and chipmunks - all species of wildlife, even some wild boars would wonder in. We even had pet skunks and raccoons, horses and sheep, pigs and cows! Growing up and moving away from Fremont, only made me love wildlife more.

Every home I ever lived in, always had bird feeders, watering holes and whatever I could place to bring in wildlife - even if it was an apartment. Then as I had my children - I always had gardens, pools, birdfeeders and plants for the wildlife. Whether we lived in Ohio, Maryland, DC or now in Florida - we have co-existed with the animals. I never heard of the "backyard habitat" until recently when I lost my job and had time to really work in my yard and do some online research to help Florida's wildlife and find what is beneficial to them in my yard, that is when I stepped upon this site. I was delighted to see I already offered what qualified as a backyard habitat! And actually always have, but never knew it was something to be recognized! Now we truly have a little "piece of heaven on earth" to co-exist with our animal friends. Our space is much smaller than the old farm I was raised on, but our home is nice and our little suburban property still gives and nurtures to the wildlife. Each year we get new wildlife families and my daughters get such joy from seeing the new babies come into the world, and bring us even more beauty to our lives. -- LouAnn Brockett

Years ago we built a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat for the blue birds and then NWF officially registered us as:"Shepherd Too" this all happened: In a week two newspaper reporters called and showed up for pictures and interviews. Our bluebird story was posted in two local Lancaster newspapers and many people called us to say they too were putting up blue birdhouses. And then a local TV anchor from BLUE RIDGE cable network came out and shot a special video program at Shepherd Too on our blue bird Habitat and it was broadcast over their cable network, and suddenly-----blue birds were getting help from every where? I had kept a 40-year-old childhood promise to St. Francis to help the blue birds ...Thanks NWF for your help and your wonderful program. -- Ray Smecker

When I moved to North Carolina from suburban Maryland, I moved also from a condo to a home with three acres, partially wooded with old-growth pines, locust, and a LOT of poison ivy. At first, here in NC, I could only think about taking down trees, clearing out brush and poison ivy, to plant some flower beds and such. I spent the first summer clearing out the berry beds, and didn't have time to address any other clean-up. I began to appreciate the small "woods" we have. I love to walk in them, watch the squirrels and birds,and I realized that by clearing it, I would be depriving the critters of homes and food. I found your website while trying to identify some of the birds. Your site really helped me understand what wildlife I had here, and how they live. I have a much different plan for my yard now. While I may still take out some of the trees, it is with a much gentler hand. I leave the tree stumps and fallen logs, the brush, leaves and yes, the poison ivy. I have planted some wild fern, hosta, and other plants on the perimeter of the woods, and I love the look. I have bird feeders, suet, crushed, dried eggshell, and water. I so enjoy now my birds that come to eat and bathe. Thank you for educating me. -- Ellen

I have always loved wildlife. As a kid I learned not to be afraid of any creature but learn about them and respect their place in the enviroment and our lives. I read about the program in the local paper and knew I had to turn my little garden into a haven for wildlife. When we moved to a home on conservation land I designed a backyard 80 percent for wildlife and 20 percent for viewing wildlife. I teach our friends and their children to respect each creature and plant in hopes that they will do the same. My habitat is certified and I know the critters that use my garden on a daily basis appreciate the refuge as their homes continue to be destroyed by development in the area. Everytime they clear more land I see the increase in snakes, raccoons, oppossums and squirrels and the decrease in birds, frogs and wood skinks. My husband and I have received much joy in building, maintaining and sharing the habitat with friends and wildlife. Thanks for the inspiration. -- Doreen Damn

A science teacher at my school told me about habitat certification. Perfect - now I knew that the habitat I had was a wonderful place for certain wildlife species, so I sent in the application. Not knowing the outcome was excruciating - but successful. Living in the manicured city of Boca Raton, South Florida, just one mile from the beach, most properties are designed for visual appeal, not wildlife appeal. However, our bird and butterfly backyard (with oppossums, raccoons and even the odd fox, too) augmented by the adjacent nature preserve, have provided a habitat for certain wildlife species. We (my husband and I) feel committed to keeping the area safe (neighborhood cats!). -- Lynne Wolf

For 20+ years I lived near a large forest preserve area and enjoyed watching the wildlife thrive in their natural habitat throughout the year. In 2005 we moved to a new housing development that was built on former farm land. When the developers started building houses here, they destroyed all native vegetation, leaving nothing but flat lots with nothing growing on them. With the exception of a few recently planted small decorative trees, there is very little vegetation in our area. We have a large man-made pond at the edge of our property and it has already attracted geese and ducks and other birds, muskrats, and all sorts of other wildlife. I felt that these creatures needed adequate vegetation to provide them with food and shelter, so I decided to plant our large yard with native plants to help these critters to survive in this housing deveopment wasteland.

I registered our property as a NWF Backyard Wildlife Habitat and proceeded to improve upon the gardens I had already started by planting native vegetation to support the local wildlife. We have already had a mother duck build a nest and lay eggs on our property, and our habitat has been a host to thousands of dragonflies and hundreds of butterflies, lightning bugs, geese, ducks, frogs, and several other critters. It makes me very happy to see these critters visiting our backyard wildlife habitat and enjoying the environment we are creating. I'm very proud to have begun a project to help these creatures to survive and to have provided them with a place to live where they can find food and shelter year-round. Our habitat is a work in progress. I am disabled, so it is difficult for me to plant all the vegetation that I want to add to our habitat. Last summer I was only able to plant about half of what I had expected to, but at least I made some progress and I can already see the benefits of my work. I hope that in the spring and summer of 2007 I can possibly get some assistance from within the community to help me to plant more vegetation.

My goal is to buy the plants and see if I can get people interested in helping. If one person can dig one hole I can plant one shrub or flower. If I can get a dozen people to each dig one hole, that's another dozen shrubs, flowers and trees to help the environment. It will take a long time to have our habitat finished, but the critters appreciate our efforts and they seem patient. As long as they keep returning to our habitat, we'll keep planting for them. I hope to continue to provide a suitably hospitable habitat for all the visiting critters for many years to come. -- Lance

After struggling for a couple of years, lots of chemicals and several mechanical filters, we were introduced to the theory of "Bog Garden Filtration". We built our first Bog garden in 2000 during the weekend of the South Texas Flood. "Oh, what fun we had." We were hooked immediately. We loved the freedom of crystal clear water and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of actually seeing our fish and plants thrive. The five Bog gardens contain over 50 different varieties of water plants including huge elephant ears, banana trees, Mexican Petunia, grasses, cat-tails, herbs, Cannas, and several others (some of which we cannot identify). The banana trees produced very tasty bananas last year.

Bog Gardening produces crystal clear water year around with very low maintenance and without the hassle of constantly cleaning filters and other pond maintenance. With the Bog Filtration system, chemical usage and water changes are eliminated. Fish and plants thrive stress free. Bog filtration allows you to overstock and overfeed your fish without any harm. (In fact, the more you feed the fish, the more your plants will prosper.) -- W. E. Whitaker

I just love watching the birds, squirrels and other wildlife enjoying my birdbath and looking for sources of food! The antics of the squirrels are always fun and they really bring life to the yard. Especially in the wintertime, it's important to put out suet feeders and extra food for the birds, which seem to really appreciate it. I love having a certified wildlife habitat in my own space and encourage others to do the same, it's well worth the effort! -- Sandra Magers

We've been living in a forested area near a forest reserve in Western Oregon for 15 years. I love gardening and I love the forest so I took a Master Gardener course from Oregon State University Extension Division to better learn how to take care of our beautiful home. I actually thought I was in charge for a while, but the squirrels dug up my bulbs as soon as I planted them, the racoons ate all my cherries in one day and the deer ate everything else all the time. All I could grow and enjoy were rhododendrons and a clematis that grew on a very tall trellis. My son gave me a book about growing native plants one Christmas and in the back was a form for becoming certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat. There was my answer! If I couldn't lick them, I'd join them! I already had plenty of food, shelter and breeding areas for several species and as soon as my pond is finished this year, I can stop carrying buckets of water to the deer I used to shoo away. Thanks for a whole new outlook. -- Sallie Brown

I have always enjoyed watching backyard habitat. My school has a adopt a spot program. I ask my Mom if she would let me adopt a spot. She signed me up along with the 4-H Club I belong to. We picked the bog at our school. I look forword to working with my school my family and my club to make the bog a special place for frogs and salamanders to live. -- Jacob Yohn

After Hurricane Fran passed through the Raleigh-Garner, NC area in September of 1996, nearly all of our birds were gone. Bird feeders were abandoned in my neighborhood, left empty, and forgotten. By 2000, a few pair of Mockingbirds had arrived and were nesting in the neighborhood and were the only birds seen or heard for quite some time. From 2000 until late summer of 2003, several surgeries left me unable to care for feeders and birdbaths but in August of '03, my family and I decided to get serious about attracting some of the growing bird population that I could hear in the woods behind my house. My niece, her husband and two of their sons who live in nearby Raleigh, NC came one Saturday morning to build a bird garden. In the middle of the west yard that stretches an hundred feet from the street out front to the edge of the woods behind my house, they laid newspaper over the grass in a large irregular circular shape about ten feet in diameter and pegged weed block cloth over it. This was edged and filled with mini pine bark. They installed a gazebo type pole feeder and a birdbath and planted a Crape Myrtle. The yard is bordered by the woods, shrubs, and bushes including both deciduous and evergreen varieties, providing cover and nesting sites for many kinds of birds that I hoped would appear.

Within three weeks, eight species of colorful sonbirds were daily visitors and that has grown to about ten species that come daily and up to 16 species when migrating birds stop over for a rest and a snack. I have currently identified 45 species of birds at my feeders. That one pole feeder has grown to include five feeders with the addition of two finch feeders, a ground feeder, and a small hanging feeder right outside my kitchen window. Finding all the elements of good habitat outside my door decided me to apply for certification with the NWF. This summer, my little five year old neighbor boy became very interested in the birds, the 18 squirrels that also eat out at the edge of the woods,and he has been eager and faithful to help with the feeding and cleaning and refilling the birdbath. This fall, we put up a feeder at his house, with his parents' permission and he is learning to identify and enjoy the birds that visit both our feeding stations. In time, I hope we will have his backyard certified, too. Thanks to my family, many birds have found a hospitable habitat in my yard and my recuperation has been enhanced by the pleasure of watching and caring for my feathered friends dining, drinking, and bathing right outside my windows. -- Bette Eggers

I grew up gardening and watching wildlife with my mother and grandmother in the south suburbs of Chicago. When I bought my first house in the near west burbs, I wanted to attract wildlife, so I went online to learn about what plants to grow. I found NWF.org and read about native plants and started planting. After creating a wildlife habitat at my first house, I quadrupled the number of birds and butterflies in my yard, which I then certified. I also became a Habitat Host and trained others to create wildlife habitat here in Illinois.

A couple years later I knew I had to have more land, so I moved to an unincorporated area where I own a half acre abutting a natural area in Wheaton, IL. It's almost all native plants - prairie, woodland and savannah, with a pond and a small creek out back. I regularly have hawks, great horned owls and sometimes foxes in my yard. I know they come here because of my native plants and great habitat! Now I speak to groups about wildlife habitat, have my own Web site www.pleasantprairienaturenews.20m.com, and teach my neighbors about wildlife habitat. -- Leslie Cummings

I have always wanted to do this - the internet helped me sooo much! I enlisted my 6 year old grandaughter and we did it together - she was awesome!!!! ("Get a picture of this, Granny! They will love it! That thicket is an apartment house for birds!")...and it is! Then we took the whole thing to her school - the certificate, the questionnaire, the sign - the whole thing. Cutest thing...she stood up in front of the whole class (16, or so) and said "Granny and I won First Prize!" I did not contradict her. In her mind, and mine, we did win first prize and all those other kids learned about organic and wildlife gardens. Thank you so much. Our garden was featured in "Garden Design" magazine last summer. I consider it the best garden design magazine published in the United States - and they talked about this. -- Penelope Bianchi

We created our backyard garden when we moved into a new home. Our old home had been certified in 2002. Our new home had been a pasture with few scrub trees. After some heated discussions with the builder we convinced him that the "traditional" plants they put into yards were not the ones we wanted. He agreed to put in a couple of native trees and the rest we did over a few months. Since this was a "virgin" area, it was not difficult to return it to native plants. The hardest part was digging up the rocks in the areas we wanted to plant in. This summer we had monarch butterflys, hummingbirds, various other butterflys and birds. Hopefully we will inspire others who move into new housing areas to do this as well. We have also been certified by Texas Parks and Wildlife as a backyard wildlife area. Also, a very nice article appeared in the local newspaper. -- Carole and David Waugh

We became backyard habitat certified in 2004. We went on and our family built a pond in our backyard that same summer and autumn. It became a beautiful water garden and Koi pond in just one year. That inspired me to write a picture book, "Our New Water Garden and Koi Pond" and I now have my book published. -- Lorraine Deneen

I love my (second edition) "Gardening with Wildlife" from NWF! After years of fun with it I have volunteered to teach a free "Our Back Yard" class at the local community schools project. It will start in January. I expect 12 to 15 participants. I have been through the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Naturescape classes years ago and have their book. -- Jo Yeager

My son and I started by putting in a decorative fountain, which just didn't look right to me. I decided a natural pond would be much better. I repaired a waterfall given by a friend, and with that flowing at one end and a small gurgling fountain at the other, we were on our way. We lined the pond with Tennessee river rocks and surrounded it with various plants and groundcovers, adding a water hibiscus and water iris. Our habitat adventure began when in the first spring, we discovered toad eggs, and later had a pair of toads mating and spawned even more eggs. This led to much research about amphibians and we have become rather obsessed.

We've since added a second larger pond and a third smaller pond. Lots of plants, rocks, and dead branches provide cover and a place we call "Amphibitopia". The ponds, plus our fruit trees, berry bushes, grape vines and flowers brings us many birds and other guests. My search for a garden club or water garden society led me to the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, where I read about the backyard certification. There was no doubt our little yard was quite the wildlife habitat. We are very excited and look forward to receiving our sign! -- Danielle

My backyard was certified as number 77 or 78 under my former married name: Mrs. Jacob F. Burbach. After it was certified, I added a small pond with a circulating pump. The frogs and toads loved it and I planted the surround with native plants and flowers. The birds came in great numbers and I was able to observe their behaviors almost every day. It was a wonderful time. I now live in an apartment in Madison, WI and no longer am able to garden or even go birding. I am 77 now and have been ill for 15 years. Alas, I do miss that beautiful yard and am so thankful that I was able to snap many, many photos of the yard, the garden and the birds and squirrels who so much enjoyed it all, as did I. -- Jeannine Denning

I wrote an article for "Garden News Network" in Louisiana, explaining it all to them, and how I, personally, have grown our habitat. I was asked to write this article, and now many others, besides me, will know of the backyard certification process. -- Cathy Arnett

My Grandson Taft and I have spent hours and hours watching birds in my back yard. He and I love observing them and looking in our bird books to identify them. This summer we watched a Wren build a nest, lay eggs and hatch four babies. Both bird parents fed the babies and then we saw them fly off. It was wonderful! We have watched rabbits in our yard and sometimes raccoons and Possums. We have taken lots of pictures and we also made our own bird book listing some of our favorite birds. People have been amazed by how many birds he can identify. I let him help me with the application to certify our Habitat. He was so excited! I wanted him to think about how we can provide safe places for wildlife. I know that he will grow up to be concerned about wildlife as I am. -- Melodie Penton

I grew up with nature- and once I moved into a suburban area I had to do what I could to keep in touch with my wild side! My husband and I bought a small cottage sytle house that is perect for us, on a half acre lot that left a lot to be desired. Our first year we had starlings, but not much else. With in five years we've drawn over thirty three species of birds, including twelve that stay to nest. Tree frogs, toads and even a snake have called us home! Thanks for your help, having you 'get the word out' has helped a great deal. I post your signs with pride! -- J. Burke

This past Spring, I was enjoying a cup of tea and looking thru the morning paper. I came across an article about the National Wildlife Federation and their backyard certification program. My husband and I have been gardening on our two acres for over thirty years, but there was just something missing. We decided to take the plunge and have our backyard certified and we've been so happy with the results. We have enjoyed the birds, butterflies and animals that have found a home here in our backyard. We are so glad that we took this step and had our backyard certified.We were so proud to hang our National Wildlife Certification sign by our back gate. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful program. -- Gary and Deb Brackbill - Certified Wildlife Habitat No. 63266

I have always liked birds. But the birds would never stay in place for long. I also heard about a area where 2 acres of woods would get chopped down. After a year that happened I wanted to help. So I put out some feeders. Then I watched the Backyard show. So I wanted to certify my yard. And I did. Now the bird hang out here. -- Jeb Horton

On behalf of Joy Collura's Skull Creek Garden's Certified Habitat area & with her 2 floods in 1 week aftermath; we thank all who participated in the love, work and dedication that goes into all actions for the betterment of wildlife and for helping this dedicated nature lady out during a time she was in need of such. -- Joy Collura

We moved onto 6.5 acres in the rapidly deminishing Rural Teir in Prince George's County, MD. We bought because we could see the diamond-like stars in the black velvet sky. No orange crime lights interfering. Our land is zoned Open Space, but the county and city of Bowie are doing their best to help developers encroach. We, and many of or neighbors, are afraid and hope we'll be an oasis. Little did we know when we moved in that we'd start counting the animals. Barn owls, a giant white owl, bats, blue birds (!), woodpeckers of all kinds, rabbits, turtles, and a herd of deer (16 this year) living in the back field. I began to garden to clean up 30 years of neglect, embodied by tree-like poison ivy and brambles. We have kept 3.5 acres as field/pasture, woodland and a secluded creek to encourage all the life around. We use no chemicals, don't water the lawns, and have recently added 32 solar panels and a solar hot water system to our home. We will be exploring rainwater recapture as well as gray water to take care of our gardens. The gardens themselves wiggle with life, even on the driest of days.

Drought-tolerant plants also seem to attract butteflies and bees! Butterflies of all kinds, including an occasional monarch, hummingbirds, rabbits, snakes, toads and turtles, and even an occasional neighbor's chicken live in our plants. We are doing away with as much lawn as we can, through creating gardens and naturalization. We encourage butterflies through bronze fennel, parsley, Joe Pye Weed, Butterfly weed, and other plants favorable to reproduction. Our back field is seeded with clover and in the fall, winter rye. The deer love it and the winterberries and choke cherry trees. When we must mow, we mow at 6'', mulching the clippings back in. I don't know if this is inspiring, but coming home, leaving the pressure of Rte 50 and 495 becomes balm for the soul. We sit out in the back field, listen to things rustle, watch the stars fly (and the aircraft from AFB), and breathe deeply. We'll encourage everything that needs a home as development destroys more and more natural habitat. We welcome visitors who need to feel their shoulders relax. :) Let's see what the next years bring! -- Richard & Christine Muehling

In August 2004 hurricane Charlie blew through Central Florida. The morning after, with winds still gusting to 60 mph, my daughters Katie, Hannah and I walked our yard surveying the minor damage to our oaks and pines. Our home is situated in what used to be a large turpentine forest. As we walked the yard I noticed a small soft black eye looking back at me from between a cluster of shredded oak leaves. Bending down and gently brushing away the wet leaves we found not one, but two, baby Southern Gray squirrels. Both very wet and cold but very much alive. Unfortunately, their nest was strewn about the spot where they landed in their 20 foot fall. We brought them inside to show my wife Nancy and watched her face light up. She had a mission! She got a box and a towel to wrap the little brothers in with a heating pad underneath to bring up their body temperature. Within a few hours they seemed to be coming around and moving around the 'nest'. By now word had spread that we had two orphaned baby squirrels and a neighbor brought us another little male she had found in her yard. This one was a 'pinkie' which was no more than a week old. All pink, no fur, and eyes un-opened.

Nancy hit the internet for information to get us started with our first, of soon to be many, rescues. She also called a local vet and animal rescue shelter for tips and advice to properly raise our new family members. Nancy cared for Charlie, Roy and Ubie for over two months carrying them around in her bathrobe (as she was wearing it!) and feeding them per the the shelters advice. She later built a nest on our screened patio by bringing in large tree branches for them to learn to climb and play. They quickly grew into normal (crazy) Southern Gray squirrels. At 12 weeks we started leaving the screen door open and they soon started to come and go as they pleased, playing outside with the other squirrels during the day and returning later for a nap then again at night to sleep in the safety of the screened porch. Eventually they stopped coming home and became part of their group of friends in the trees. After their release we found the winds from Charlie had decimated the once plentiful acorns. We began buying roasted unsalted peanuts to supplement acorns we gathered from the ground and newly fallen trees in our neighborhood.

Soon our three squirrels became five, then ten until at present we have thirty+ visitors from around the neighborhood. With squirrels came the birds. Seeing how easy it was to attract birds I added platform feeders, then tube feeders which brought more birds. Then came the stone birdbath. I realized I needed a few plant for protection at the birdbath. Then came butterfly plants. Hummingbird plants and more feeders. Each week new plants or a feeder. Charlie and three orphaned squirrels has introduced me to the NWF and a vast amount of information on backyard habitats and wildlife. Attracting wildlife to their new habitat has become a hobby, or obsession, and gives us a place to relax with the sounds and sights of nature as a canvas. -- Chris Snider

Houses are going up all around us. We have 2 acres of land and have designated and certified 1 acre specifically for protection of our wildlife friends. My fiance's father was a lover of nature and also a hunter and he passed away several years ago. we are setting up our backyard habitat in his memory, using his feeders, bird houses and have even taken his old cowboy boots and turned them into planters that will be placed right below our certification sign. My 16 mo. old granddaughter is also involved and i take her outdoors as often as possible. we garden, pick up bugs, toads, dirt everything that will help her learn about nature. We are going to have a big ceremony and family cookout once our sign comes in. We will be planting bulbs, and trees for our habitat on that day to celebrate life in memory of my fiance's dad, Ted Brooker. I have told many people about the Backyard Habitat program and many will be joining soon. We can't wait to do more next spring to bring even more birds and animals to our property so they will have a safe haven within all this construction going on. Good luck to all those who choose to do this wonderful project!!!! Gardening and working with wildlife has been a very spiritual experience for me after coming back from a serious car accident. I was a nurse and now i am a full time nana and lover of wildlife. It's easy and the rewards are ten fold. -- Desiree (Kaczor) Derosier

We never mow, we never water. We are completely native xeriscaped here in semi-arid Montana. We have worked hard for four years to restore our Ponderosa pine/grassland to its native glory; the satisfaction is immeasurable! Our biggest challenge is a county-wide exotic, invasive weed problem which we address annually with an integrated management plan. Deer routinely visit for a snack (tasty native plants) and a drink; elk appear in the winter. Birds, burrowing rodents, pollinators, we welcome them all. A small snake left his skin (as a thank you?) outside our kitchen door. We are so very fortunate to share the land with its native inhabitants. -- Kathleen

I live on 20 acres of the greatest area for wildlife. Because so many homes are being built, the animals have taken refuge on my land. I have been here 18 years and I have seen animals and insects alike that are beyond description. My daughter April showed me your site and I fell in love with it. My husband and I have always loved it here but now we do alot of watching. I even have baby turtles that were born recently. What a life! -- Becky McCurley

My family was inspired to certify our yard with the personality, commitment, and passion of Steve Irwin. Though we live far from a rain forest and have never been to most of the places that he has, we thought that we should prepare a kinder, gentler place for the plants and animals that we depend on right here in our own backyard of NE PA. His legacy will live on every time we add on to our habitat. The zest for living on the simpler 'food' of life is sometimes the most nourishing. -- Nikki Seigfried

I have always been an ardent backyard bird watcher. But, about four years ago, a friend gave me a gift of a butterfly bush. She planted it near my patio. It attracts all types of butterflies. I especially like watching them and taking photos of them with a digital camera with a very good Zoom lens on it. It is amazing at how close some of the delicate winged creatures will let me come to take their photos. -- Evelyn Heinz

I bought a beautiful 2-story home 2 years ago. The lawn was luscious and green and boring! The first weekend after we moved in, I went shopping and bought several mums and marigolds. Every weekend I would go shopping with my mother (who is an avid gardener) and we would pick out more plants to brighten my yard. I became obsessed with attracting birds, butterflies and hummingbirds. I read every book I could find and created garden plots for each area of my yard. I have now created a butterfly garden, hummingbird garden and most recently, a bird garden. Next year I plan to add a water pond and fountain for the bird garden. This year I removed several old, diseased trees and replaced them with dogwoods, royal paulonia trees, wisteria, smoke trees, redbud trees and a variety of bushes. When I think I'm "just about done" I see another idea in the Birds and Blooms magazine and I'm off once again dreaming and trying to fit in just one (or two) more plants for my fine feathered friends. Every evening when I sit out in my bird garden in my garden swing, I listen to their songs and envision a haven with many species of birds building nests/making homes for their little ones each Spring. -- CarrieLee Farris

I have always loved nature probably due to my grandfather's influence. He was a nature lover and wonderful gardener. When my husband and I heard about the habitat program we jumped on board. My saying is "Nature,the Greatest Show On Earth" and that is how I start the workshops I present. I presented a workshop to my community sponsored by our local conservation commission call "Attracting Wildlife to Your Backyard". 2 people call to tell me they had their backyard certified. The talk was so successful I have been asked to give another so I will present part 2 of my talk this November. I have created 2 power point programs on this subject and also present them to garden clubs and other organization through the local Moore County Extension Master Gardeners Program of which I'm a member. Our yard is habitat #954 and my husband and I are always trying to spread the word. -- Dolores Muller

My husband and I renovated a beautiful home in Kildeer, IL. Our favorite project was installing a pond and 1/3 of an acre of native plants and grasses, and a butterfly garden- creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat. I gave my husband a gift of certification which besides his beloved inhabitants (frogs, birds, turtles, butterflies)is his pride and joy. -- Carol LaJeunesse

I saw the movie HOOT and it inspired me. To me animals were just something that creeps and crawls. Now I know that they're just cute little animals and we've taken their homes and built houses on them. Now I just want to see if I can maybe put some of their homes back. -- Samantha Dolinich

My 8 year old daughter is a born naturalist. The moment she saw your program advertising your camp, she has had her heart set on being a camper. I have done some searching online and have only found information on the TV series and no information about the camp itself.

If you could please email me the link so that I can gain more information to decide if this camp is going to be something that she will be able to look forward to! Thank you for providing a wonderful television series. We need more of this type of quality programming! -- Elizabeth

My friend, Rachel, introduced me to the Backyard Habitat program because it was her personal goal to certify her backyard and she was doing so in grand style. She and her husband put in a beautiful pond in their backyard to do this. After telling me about the program, I went to the site and realized I already had all of the components necessary to certify my own yard. It was simple and gives me a sense of pride. -- Amber

Both of my grandfathers were backyard birders. They took the time to explain the reasons for attracting wildlife and creating habitats. Seeing the results of their work through the variety of birds and wildlife was very rewarding. I learned that wildlife has no voice or vote in our society. They can only react to what we do. It is up to us to be stewards of this earth to restore, protect, and educate the values of wildlife and wildplaces.

I still have the birdfeeder my grandfather made for me back in the '70s and today, my backyard is certified by The National Wildlife Federation. I have passed the values and respect for nature to my children. Many children today spend too much time behind the TV, computer and video game players and are growing up with little or no exposure to nature. We need to change this. Get the children in your life involved with help from this website. -- Ernest McLaney

Several years ago as a retired Occupational Therapist and gardener, I began volunteering at a local assisted-living facility. With 4 friends and the Activities Director we began creating a garden in the large back of the facility. When we began gardening there the residents seldom came outside. Within a year of starting the garden they not only came outside, but began to participate in the garden and put out food for the wildlife. They now grow food, have several raised beds that are accessible to all, feed and water many local animals, and have a weekly garden club.

Before I left there to began another garden at a local hospice home, I had the garden certified as we had all the elements required. Although the residents have changed over the last 4 years, they continue to be proud of their work and the recognition they received. My next project was at a local hospice home. I am beginning my third year there and the sequence of the development of the garden was very similar to the assisted living center. When we first started we never saw anyone in the garden, because all there was was a rose garden. There were no bird feeders or baths, other plants to draw pollinators, and we had a large visiting crew of deer who fed on the roses.

After adding many plants, bird feeders and baths, we were amazed at the number of animals we saw. Just to name a few, wanted and unwanted; a large variety of birds (ravens, robins, nut hatches, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, flickers, junckos, finches, robins, Stellar's bluejay), butterflies (Tiger Swallowtail, Painted Lady, Mourning Cloak, Weidemeyer's Admiral, Buckeye,). interesting bugs, squirrels (Abert squirrels, chipmunks, golden manteled ground squirrels, rock squirrels), voles, fox, white-tailed deer, and neighborhood cats. Needless to say this bring out residents and their families who love the plants, but take special joy in watching the animals.

It brings welcome change/relief to lives that are focused on very serious issues. We had one resident animal lover who came out in her cart every day, no matter the weather, to feed the squirrels peanuts. As soon as they saw her coming they came out of hiding. She also enjoyed watching and interacting with all the gardeners. She had never been a gardener so this was all new to her and she had many questions. What was the black plant? Why did the butterflies love the purple coneflowers? Some we could answer and some not, but she challenged us to find out more. We lost her before the tomatoes she planted were harvested, but she lives on in many plants/animals in the garden.

I recently had this garden certified and we should have a sign up this spring. One of these days I will get around to certifying my own garden, but the pleasure of help others do it has become a great retirement activity. This summer I will teach a class on "Gardening for Seniors" at our local community college. I will definitely be encouraging them to apply for Wildlife Habitat Certification. Besides bringing more wildlife into your yard to enjoy, it encourages good sustainable gardening practices and living. Thank you for starting this program. -- Loni Shapiro

I have always enjoyed the out-of-doors. I used to camp every summer with my parents and helped them in the vegetable and flowers gardens. When I got married and had a home of my own I put up a bird feeder to attract some of the American Gold finches I saw in the area. As time went on the Sparrows and House Finches started showing up for dinner.

When I retired I started building a flower garden in the back yard.It now takes up my entire back yard and some along the sides and the front of the house. I put in all the native plants that I could which attracted even more birds and critters like chipmunks, red squirrels, flying squirrels and a raccoon once in a while. While I was watching Animal Planet one day, I watched Backyard habitat. I loved the show!! As soon as it was over, I went right to my computer and looked up all the information to become certified and took inventory of what I had to offer the wildlife here.

I have added a few more feeders with a wide range of seeds and now attract three different species of woodpecker, blue jays, cardinals, Kesrels, dark-eyed juncos, mourning doves, humming birds, sharp-shinned hawks, red tail hawks, owls and several others that I haven't identified yet. I also attract butterflies and dragonflies and many types of bees. I love my backyard habitat and the care of it goes on all year. My young neighbors can stand on their deck and take in all the nature that my yard offers. Thank you for letting me tell my story. -- Linda Skeie

Along with native plantings for the wildlife and certified for national and Connecticut habitat, I also have a spiral garden that tells the story of the Universe. When people walk the spiral the story tells our interconnectedness to everything and everyone comes alive. The damage we do to the planet and how to live in relationship, sustainable landscaping for quality water and how to eliminate lawns. -- Eleanore Milardo

One of our community's goals for achieving NWF COMMUNITY WILDLIFE HABITAT certification for Callawassie Island included getting more backyards certified as Backyard Wildlife Habitats than was required. In order to make this happen, we launched a community Backyard Wildlife Habitat campaign called FRIENDLY PERSUASION. This campaign targeted folks who had ALREADY achieved BWH certification. It went like this, "Because YOU believe in the NWF Backyard Wildlife Habitat program, there are now 54 certified Callawassie Island Backyard Wildlife Habitats! And, with a little FRIENDLY PERSUASION, you can help DOUBLE that amount! Tell your neighbors why YOU have become certified and want to promote Callawassie as a wildlife habitat friendly community. And be sure to tell them why you think this program will make a difference in the future of our wildlife.

If each of you will encourage just ONE friend or neighbor to achieve BWH certification, 54 certified Backyards could easily become 108! FRIENDLY PERSUASION will benefit our wildlife by providing them with an environment that supports their needs ... and you will have helped to bring Callawassie Island one step closer to reaching its goal of becoming a certified NWF Community Wildlife Habitat.

Can we count on you for some neighborly Friendly Persuasion?" Today, our tiny island has more than 75 certified backyards and the number keeps growing! We are also very proud to announce that Callawassie Island has JUST achieved NWF COMMUNITY WILDLIFE HABITAT certification! This effort, led by the Ecology Committee, involved volunteers from the entire community of Callawassie Island SC. It has been an incredible "journey" and the best part is that this is only the beginning! -- Dorothy Mosior, Chairman, CWH Project Team

For holidays 2005, I will be giving the gift of backyard certification to my mother-in-law, my sister and a friend. All three of these folks have wonderful yards. In the case of my mother-in-law and my sister, the only element they were missing was water, so their gift includes a bird bath.

The way I did it was that I printed out the backyard application and filled it out for them to the best of my ability. I didn't know what plants they have but I knew their addresses and some other details. Then I wrote a check for $15 and attached it to the application. Then I addressed an envelope, added a stamp, and voila! The process is very simple for them. -- Carla Brown