| Key Takeaways |
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| • Native plants are the foundation of a Certified Wildlife Habitat, so aim for mostly native species. • To qualify, your yard needs food, shelter, water, natural nurseries, and sustainable gardening practices. • The National Wildlife Federation charges a $25 application fee, and yards of any size can qualify. |
Birds, bees, butterflies, frogs, and rabbits are losing their homes to habitat loss and degradation. You can help these backyard creatures by turning your yard into a Certified Wildlife Habitat.
This guide covers what a Certified Wildlife Habitat is, why it matters, the 5 requirements every yard needs, and how to certify through programs like the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).
Building a wildlife-friendly yard means getting native plants, water, shelter, and sustainable habits to work together. If you would rather leave the heavy lifting to someone else, LawnStarter can connect you with a local landscaping professional.
What Is a Certified Wildlife Habitat?
A Certified Wildlife Habitat provides food, water, and shelter for the animals and insects that live in your area. By turning your yard into a safe haven, with food options, water, and nurseries for local wildlife, you help conservation efforts that protect creatures and the planet.
Why Have a Certified Wildlife Habitat?
Due to development, agriculture, and invasive species, America’s grasslands are vanishing. The National Wildlife Federation reports that 2 million acres of grassland and sagebrush are lost or degraded each year, an area about triple the size of Yosemite National Park. That habitat loss is one of the greatest threats to wildlife.
Your garden could help come to the rescue. “The best way to help wildlife is to restore the natural environment,” explains David Mizejewski, a naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).
Habitat certifications
To encourage gardeners to prioritize landscape features that provide wildlife a backyard habitat, nonprofits including NWF, the Audubon Society, Monarch Watch, and NABA have established certification programs (for details, see the chart “Lawn Certification Programs at a Glance“).
They offer instructions on how to garden for wildlife, including birds and pollinators like bees and butterflies. Those who encourage native species to take up residence in their green spaces can earn this certification. NWF has run its Certified Wildlife Habitat program since 1973, certifying wildlife-friendly gardens across the country.
Certification Program Requirements
Most programs have 5 specific requirements:
1. Build a Pollen, Nectar, Fruit, and Seed Buffet
Native plants, which are indigenous to a specific geographic area and have evolved to thrive in local conditions, provide the best sources of pollen, fruit, and seeds for wildlife.
The National Wildlife Federation recommends a minimum of 70% native plants when building native plant habitats. Both Monarch Watch and the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) certify gardens that provide native nectar sources and host plants.
The best plants for your garden depend on where you live:
Northwest: Serviceberry, Russian sage, and Pacific rhododendrons
Southeast: Wild columbine, coral honeysuckle, and scarlet bee balm
Northeast: New England aster and fringetree
Midwest: Goldenrod and sunflower
Providing appropriate sources of food is important. Mizejewski notes that some birds won’t eat berries from exotic plants, and butterflies and moths rely on native host plants for both food and nesting sites.
Bird feeders can be a component of a wildlife garden, but Mizejewski warns, “Bird feeders are only a supplement to habitat; you should plant the plants that wildlife need to survive.” Your garden needs three different kinds of food sources, such as seeds, berries, nectar plants, suet, or bird feeders, to qualify as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.
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2. Supply Shelter
Wildlife need safe spaces to hide from predators or seek shelter from the elements. The following are important components of a backyard wildlife habitat:
Mature trees
Shrubs
Thickets
Rock piles
Burrows
Ponds
Brush piles
Man-made birdhouses and other nesting boxes can also add to the shelter. Adding at least two sources of shelter to the garden will help you earn habitat certification. The Audubon Society asks gardeners to keep domestic cats indoors to protect birds in the garden.
“Plants will provide most of the shelter needed in your garden,” says Mizejewski. “Instead of planting one tree or bush, mimic Mother Nature and plant an entire shrub row; dense plantings provide more cover and places for wildlife to hide.”
Consider adding roosting boxes, birdhouses, butterfly boxes, beneficial bug hotels, and toad abodes, which provide shelter while adding decorative features to the garden.
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3. Offer a Drink
A clean source of drinking water is essential to support wildlife, but the water in a wildlife habitat is for more than sipping. Birds use shallow water for bathing, while butterflies absorb nutrients from the soil and water combination found in natural puddles. Don’t have a pond or wetland in the backyard? Fountains and birdbaths also qualify as acceptable water sources, notes Mizejewski.
“If you place the bowl of the birdbath on the ground instead of on a pedestal, turtles and rabbits will be able to get a drink, too,” he adds. You’ll need at least one source of water to earn certification.
See Related: 20 Water Feature Ideas to Add to Your Yard
4. Provide Natural Nurseries
If you want to help boost the wildlife population, you need to provide a place for creatures to raise their young.
Birds nest in trees
Snakes create burrows under rock piles
Frogs lay eggs on plants near water sources
Giving wildlife at least two places to raise their young counts toward certification.
If dead trees don’t pose a hazard, Mizejewski suggests leaving them in the landscape, explaining, “Woodpeckers will excavate cavities that provide shelter for insects, and 96 percent of backyard birds feed insects to their young.”
5. Practice Sustainable Gardening
“None of these efforts will matter if you’re dousing the yard with chemicals,” Mizejewski says.
To keep the landscape healthy for wildlife, you must use at least two sustainable practices to earn NWF certification, including:
Eliminating chemical pesticides and fertilizers that could harm or kill vulnerable creatures
Removing non-native plants and animals
Installing a rain garden or using drip hoses or soaker irrigation to reduce water use
See Related: Organic Lawn Care and The Hidden Costs of Lawn Chemicals
Certification Costs and Processes
The cost and process for certification vary between organizations. NWF charges a $25 application fee, and the North American Butterfly Association charges $15 for individual gardens. Monarch Watch and each Audubon Society chapter set their own fees, and all of these programs charge extra for yard signs. Most certifications are awarded on the honor system.
In addition to providing wildlife a place to call home, pursuing certification has broader benefits. “The program helps wildlife, but it also helps connect people to nature,” explains Mizejewski. “Hanging a sign in their garden helps promote the message and build awareness about the importance of wildlife habitat.”
Lawn Certification Programs at a Glance
| Organization and Program | National Wildlife Federation, Certified Wildlife Habitat |
| Requirements | Food, water, cover, places to raise young, sustainable gardening practices |
| Application Process | Online application, honor system |
| Cost | $25 application fee (includes a one-year NWF membership); garden signs cost extra |
| Organization and Program | Audubon Society, Wildlife Sanctuary Program |
| Requirements | Food, water, shelter. No national program; some local chapters run their own programs with unique requirements, which can include minimum square footage, removal of invasive plants, and keeping domestic cats indoors. |
| Application Process | Varies by local chapter; some have an online application and schedule a site visit with a volunteer certifier. |
| Cost | Must be a current Audubon Society member plus pay a fee that varies depending on property size. Local chapters set their own rates. |
| Organization and Program | Monarch Watch, Monarch Waystation Program |
| Requirements | No minimum size (about 100 square feet works best), in a sunny location; shelter, nectar plants, milkweed, and regular maintenance, including eliminating insecticides and removing invasive species. |
| Application Process | Online application fee, honor system |
| Cost | Application fee set by Monarch Watch, plus an added cost for an optional weatherproof sign |
| Organization and Program | North American Butterfly Association, Certified Butterfly Garden |
| Requirements | Native caterpillar food plants, native nectar sources, and minimal pesticide use. |
| Application Process | Online application, honor system |
| Cost | $15 application fee, $25 for a garden sign |
FAQs
To attract birds to your yard and garden, offer reliable food, water, and shelter, and let native plants do most of the work.
A few additions birds love:
• Bird feeders and birdbaths
• Trees and shrubs for nesting
• Seed- and berry-producing native plants
Birds also reward you with free pest control, eating mosquitoes, beetles, and other pests.
Frogs, toads, and salamanders add biodiversity and act as natural pest control, eating insects that bother your yard and garden. They also become a food source for larger wildlife. Shallow water, damp shelter, and pesticide-free spaces help amphibians thrive and signal a healthy, balanced habitat.
No. Size does not matter for certification. Balconies, patios, container gardens, schoolyards, and small urban lots can all qualify, because programs focus on whether you provide the core habitat elements rather than how much land you have. Even a modest space can support pollinators and birds.
No. National Wildlife Federation certifications stay tied to the specific property and the person who certified it. If you sell your home, the new owner needs to complete the certification process again, and you would re-certify your next property.
Get Professional Help
Building a Certified Wildlife Habitat is no small feat. Don’t wait until you feel overwhelmed to call for help. Contact one of LawnStarter’s local landscaping professionals to get an extra set of eyes and hands on your wildlife-friendly backyard habitat.
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Main Image: A Certified Wildlife Habitat sign marks a yard that provides food, water, cover, and space for wildlife. Photo Credit: dankeck / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0
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