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Backyard Wildlife Habitat home page.

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Information about Backyard Wildlife Habitats — the basics, certification, and more.

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More about creating your own Backyard Wildlife Habitat.
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Can you find the four elements of wildlife habitat in your yard?

Use this checklist to determine if your backyard could be certified as a haven for birds, butterflies and other wildlife by providing the five elements that wildlife need survive. Simply check off the elements as you see them in your yard!

1.	Food for nourishment __ Birdfeeder __ Shrubs or trees that produce fruits, acorns, seeds or berries __ Wildflowers that produce nectar __ Healthy insect populations to feed birds and other wildlife
2.	Water for drinking and bathing __ Birdbath __ Pond __ Shallow dish
3.	Cover to protect wildlife against the elements and predators __ Densely branched shrubs __ Hollow logs __ Rock piles __ Brush piles __ Stone walls __ Evergreens __ Meadow grasses __ Pond
4.	Places to Raise Young __ Mature trees or grassland areas __ Host plants for caterpillars __ Pond for amphibians __ Brush or rock pile __ Burrows or dens
In addition to the four habitat basics, it’s also important to use sustainable gardening practices.
	__ Growing native vegetation __ Minimizing chemical pesticides __ Building healthy soil __ Composting

Congratulations! If you checked boxes in each of the above categories, your yard could become a certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat site through National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat™ program. If you would like to learn more about how to get certified, please visit our website at www.nwf.org/bwh or call us at 1-800-822-9919.