Certify

Certify Your Habitat

Anyone can create a welcoming haven for local wildlife. Turning your yard, balcony container garden, schoolyard, work landscape, or roadside greenspace into a Certified Wildlife Habitat® is fun, easy, and can make a lasting difference for wildlife.

Businesses/corporations with more than 20 employees or multiple sites, please contact us at corporatehabitats@nwf.org for certification opportunities.

How You're Helping Wildlife

Rapid and large-scale changes to our lands and waters mean wildlife are losing the habitats they once knew. Every habitat garden is a step toward replenishing resources for wildlife such as bees, butterflies, birds, and amphibians—both locally and along migratory corridors.

When you certify, your $20 application fee supports the National Wildlife Federation's programs to inspire others to make a difference and address the issues leading to declining habitat for wildlife nationwide. A portion of your fee also supports work for local wildlife in select affiliate partner states.

Design Your Habitat with Tilly

Need help creating your Wildlife Habitat? Check out Tilly, the national online landscape design company we trust to design your yard to meet our certification standards.

Certification Requirements

Certified Wildlife Habitat® applicants are asked to confirm they’ve provided the required number of elements for each of the following:

• Food

• Water

• Cover

• Places to Raise Young

• Sustainable Practices

A balanced Certified Wildlife Habitat supports the above elements with goal of  50-70% Native Plants that provide multi season bloom and are free of neonicotinoids.  

Before applying, download the checklist to ensure you have met all the requirements for your wildlife garden.

Not ready to certify? We can help!

Garden for Wildlife native plant collections provide key habitat for hummingbirds and other critical butterfly, moth, and bee species. Available in 38 states. Once you plant, just add water and you are ready to be recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

When you certify you will become a member of the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife™ community and receive the following benefits:

• Personalized certificate
• A one-year membership in the National Wildlife Federation and subscription to National Wildlife® magazine
• 10% off the National Wildlife Federation catalog merchandise, including nesting boxes, feeders, birdbaths, and other items to enhance your wildlife garden
• Subscription to monthly Garden for Wildlife 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

Get our NEW Certified Wildlife Habitat® sign!

Our redesigned Certified Wildlife Habitat® sign incorporates the National Wildlife Federation's new logo, featuring our ambassador Ranger Rick. Only those who have created a wildlife habitat garden and earned Certified Wildlife Habitat® status can post the sign.

There are two ways to receive your sign:

• Certify now and you'll have the option to purchase a sign.
• Already certified? Log in to purchase a sign.