Want a specific goal in attracting wildlife?

Certify your small outdoor space - porch, patio, deck, balcony, or backyard - as a wildlife habitat.

Even small outdoor spaces can be great wildlife habitats, and a habitat program can get you started.

Why Certify Your Habitat?

As the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) says on its website, it's fun! It also adds curb appeal, brings wildlife home, is eco-friendly, and promotes community. It gives you a specific overall goal, and it also helps some great wildlife organizations.

Who or What Certifies?

Various wildlife organizations provide programs to certify backyard habitats. The programs will certify patios, balconies, and decks in addition to backyards.

The leader by far in backyard - or small outdoor space - habitat certification here in the United States is the National Wildlife Federation. Its Certified Wildlife Habitat program provides quite a few tips to get you started.

Also nationwide is the less-publicized Urban Wildlife Sanctuary Program, courtesy of the Humane Society of the United States.

Other Certification Programs

Some state governments (including Texas, Florida, Kansas, and Washington) promote wildlife certification, as do national wildlife organizations in other countries like Canada and Australia.

What Do You Need to Do?

Most certification programs will walk you through what you need to do. The NWF even provides detail on what native plants to offer depending on what state you live in.

In brief, however, the programs require you provide the basics - at least a simple form of food (in plant form or via feeders), at least one source of water, and some kind of cover or nesting place (a plant, pond, roost box, or birdhouse). In addition, certification sometimes requires you use some sort of sustainable gardening method.

For More Information

• An earlier post with related links: 4 Links to Articles on Balconies and Wildlife
• A book on habitats: Welcoming Wildlife to the Garden: Creating Backyard and Balcony Habitats for Wildlife