Garden for wildlife
Certified Wildlife Habitats
Photo Credit: GFW, Trisha Singh
everyone can make a real impact for wildlife.
Wildlife is experiencing a crisis like none before in our lifetimes.
Luckily, you have the power to help wildlife by supporting them where you live! You can support wildlife in your own yard, neighborhood, and state by using sustainable gardening practices or by totally transforming your lawn into a natural landscape.
The National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat® program recognizes your wildlife work and supports the mission of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation*.
2,600+
3.5 million
Acres Certified Habitats across the United States
350,000+
Build a Wildlife Habitat
| Food |
| Water |
| Cover |
| Place for their young |
| Sustainable Practices |
| Food | | Water | | Cover | | Place for their young | | Sustainable Practices |
Native plants are the foundation of a wildlife habitat garden. They provide ample sources of food, cover and places to raise young. The National Wildlife Federation recommends a habitat garden space strive for 70% native plants. You can find native plant lists for your zip code through the Native Plant Finder or look through keystone plant lists for your ecoregion!
Since 1973, Garden for Wildlife® by the National Wildlife Federation has been educating and empowering people to make a difference by turning their own small pieces of Earth into thriving habitat wildlife. Native plants, which are critical in providing wildlife with food, cover and places to raise their young, have disappeared rapidly due to development, pollution and climate change.
With Garden for Wildlife’s native plants*, you’ll know you’re supporting the highest numbers of birds, bees, and butterflies. Grown without harmful chemicals by growers around the country and shipped directly to you, Garden for Wildlife makes it easy to make a difference beyond your own yard.
Ready to build a habitat?
Photo Credit: NWF, Tess Renusch
By creating a habitat in your outdoor space that provides the habitat essentials of food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices, you can even get recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat®! By certifying*, your wildlife habitat will be recognized by both the National Wildlife Federation and the New Mexico Wildlife Federation.
Getting your space recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat helps you to advance the mission of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation. Plus, it comes with tons of benefits!
Certify Your Wildlife Habitat
Once you are certified, help neighbors (and wildlife!) easily recognize your yard as wildlife-friendly with this stylish sign. This sign is available for purchase when you certify.
Benefits of your $25 certification include:
A personalized certificate.
A one-year National Wildlife Federation membership and subscription to National Wildlife® magazine.
Subscription to monthly Garden for Wildlife® Habitats e-newsletter with gardening tips, wildlife stories, and other resources.
Exclusive option to purchase attractive garden signs designating your garden as a Certified Wildlife Habitat® with the National Wildlife Federation and the New Mexico Wildlife Federation.
*The New Mexico Wildlife Federation is an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat program and of Garden for Wildlife. Purchases made through the links on this page will directly support NMWF’s work and mission. We thank you for your support of these programs for native wildlife habitats and NMWF.