Local resident makes a difference to protect wildlife

The National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization, has announced that Madeline Tara in Arlington Heights has successfully created a Certified Wildlife Habitat through its Garden for Wildlife movement.

“I love our local wildlife here in Illinois and wanted to do my part to help create a safe space for them to prosper,” Tara said. “Nothing makes me happier than wildlife-watching in my own backyard!”

“Transforming our backyard into a Certified Wildlife Habitat took several weeks of hard work, but the results were almost immediate,” Tara said. “I planted numerous native species, including bergamot, geraniums, coneflowers, and milkweed, and added a solitary bee house and butterfly shelter to provide additional nesting for our pollinators. I also created several water sources, including a large birdbath with a running sprayer and a shallow bee and insect bath filled with small rocks for insects to safely drink from during the hotter months. Multiple birdhouses of different sizes and two bird feeders are stocked daily with a variety of seeds and nuts, along with feeders offering fresh oranges, berries, suet, peanuts and hummingbird nectar. Within just hours of completing the transformation, our backyard was already attracting more than 10 species of birds, as well as butterflies, bees, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits and opossums. What was once simply a backyard has become a thriving little ecosystem, providing food, water, shelter and habitat for wildlife throughout the seasons.”

NWF celebrates this effort to create a garden that supports birds, butterflies, bees, frogs and other local wildlife. Every Certified Wildlife Habitat garden provides natural sources of food, water, cover and places to raise young and is maintained in a sustainable way that incorporates native plants, conserves water and doesn’t rely on pesticides.

Started in 1973, the Garden for Wildlife movement is the nation’s oldest and largest native plant/habitat program, recognizing over 300,000 Certified Wildlife Habitat gardens across the North America and at 39 embassies worldwide, encompassing an estimated 4 million acres that support wildlife locally. Backyards, urban gardens, school grounds, businesses, places of worship, campuses, parks, farms, zoos and community landscapes can all be recognized as wildlife habitats through the program.

“We are excited about this new Certified Wildlife Habitat, as it provides native plants and essential habitat elements. Research shows certified properties have the potential to support twice as much wildlife compared to noncertified properties,” said Mary Phillips, Head of Garden for Wildlife/Certified Wildlife Habitat.

“Anyone, anywhere can restore wildlife habitat right in their own yards and communities,” NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski said. “Whether you garden in a suburban yard, an urban area or a rural plot of land, you can make a difference for local wildlife. Creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat garden is fun, easy and makes a real difference for neighborhood wildlife. It’s the perfect grass-roots way to think globally and act locally and help birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife.”

Many of NWF’s state affiliate organizations are partners in the Garden for Wildlife movement. Habitats in partnering states have national and state certification.

Participants who have their wildlife habitat garden certified receive a personalized certificate with a unique habitat number, a one-year membership to NWF with a subscription to National Wildlife magazine, a subscription to the Garden for Wildlife e-newsletter, the exclusive right to post a Certified Wildlife Habitat yard sign and $5 off native plants at gardenforwildlife.com.

For more information on NWF’s Garden for Wildlife movement and how to qualify to have a garden space recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, visit nwf.org/garden. To jump start creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat, order native plant collections for your ZIP code designed to provide three season bloom at gardenforwildlfe.com.