Earning Points Toward Certification

Once your Community Wildlife Habitat project is registered, you can start earning the points you'll need to become officially certified. Your team can do this by getting out into your community, educating your neighbors, certifying habitats and organizing community projects. Some projects or habitat certification points earned before registration may also be counted. Please check with your NWF contact.

How many points do you need to certify?

The number of points you'll need depends on how big your community is.

Community's Population	Total Points Needed to Certify
1,000 or less	190
1,000 - 5,000	250
5,000 - 10,000	325
10,000 - 15,000	350
15,000 - 20,000	375
20,000 - 25,000	400
25,000 - 50,000	450
50,000 - 100,000	500
100,000 - 300,000	625
300,000 - 500,000	750
500,000 - 1,000,000	1,000
1,000,000 or more	1,250

How do you earn points?

When you submitted the registration form, you earned at least 40 points for your community. The remainder of the points must be earned in the following four areas:

I. Habitat Certification Goals

There is a sliding scale for habitat certification points, based on population size.

• One point for each home, townhome, or apartment certified as a Certified Wildlife Habitat site.
• Three points for every public site, workplace, park, community garden, farm, place of worship, or other common area certified as a Certified Wildlife Habitat site.
• Five points for every Schoolyard Habitats site certified.
• Three, five or ten bonus points if each member of the Habitat Team certifies their yard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat site, depending on the population of the community.

  Points Needed	Sliding Scale Based on Population Size	Minimum in each section
  		Home	Common Area	School
  40	1,000 or less	20	2	1
  100	1,000-5,000	50	2	1
  150	5,001-10,000	75	3	2
  175	10,001-15,000	100	3	2
  200	15,001-20,000	100	4	3
  225	20,001-25,000	150	4	4
  250	25,001-50,000	150	5	5
  300	50,000-100,000	200	6	5
  400	100,001-300,000	300	7	5
  500	300,001-500,000	400	10	5
  750	500,001-1,000,000	600	10	6
  1,000	1,000,001 or more	800	10	6

   

  II. Education Goals

  Points	Activity
  10	Establish an information kiosk, resource library or bibliography (may be online) where community members can get information about your project
  5	Create a CWH project brochure specific to your community
  10	Create a website where community members can learn about your project
  10	Write a regular column in your community paper to educate community members about your project (may be an online newsletter or blog)
  10	Secure a feature article in the local media about your project
  10	Secure a radio or TV interview or PSA on your project
  10	Hold a series of at least 3 workshops to educate community members about wildlife gardening
  10	Each member of Habitat Team completes Creating Places for Wildlife (available from NWF on CD)
  5	Create and distribute a native plant list for your community
  10	Hold a garden tour that features certified habitats
  10	Create a demonstration garden at a public site, with educational signs
  TBD	Other Education Project (please discuss with NWF staff)
  	Minimum required is 40 points

   

  III. Community Projects Goals

  Points	Activity
  10	Examine your community's weed ordinances, or other public policies, and work to make them native plant and habitat friendly
  10	Work with local park agencies to convert parkland to wildlife friendly landscapes.
  5	Create an information booth at one or more community events (up to three)
  5	Coordinate a stream or trail clean-up
  5	Plan a native plant rescue (at a site to be developed or demolished)
  10	Organize a native plant sale
  5	Organize an invasive plant removal at a public site
  10	Do a large-scale plant restoration project in your community
  10	Work with local nurseries to label and/or provide native plants
  10	Partner with your NWF state affiliate or NWF field office
  5	Organize a family-oriented nature activity for your community such as a nature hike or nature scavenger hunt
  10	Arrange a community-wide campout to support the Great American Backyard Campout
  5	Each Habitat Team member that serves on community board or council related to environmental issues (up to 3)
  5	Each presentation to organization not yet associated with CWH project (up to 5)
  TBD	Other Community Project (please discuss with NWF staff)
  	Minimum required is 50 points

   

  IV. Administrative Goals

  Points	Activity
  Required	Maintain a project notebook (may be an electronic folder)
  Required	Identify the individuals that will make up the post-certification Habitat Team
  3	Per new volunteer registered with volunteer team (up to 20)
  10	Per partner organization affiliated with your project (up to 5)
  10	Each grant application submitted (up to 3)
  5	Participate in a quarterly Community Wildlife Habitat conference call (up to 4)
  	Minimum required is 20 points

  Questions?  Email community@nwf.org . 

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