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We are based in Washington, but our education programs extend throughout our region to Hawaii, Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Our education work revolves around bringing people closer to nature by getting them outside! Whether in the classroom, at workshops, or volunteering at events, our team is excited to bring the outdoors to you.
Garden for Wildlife
Our Certified Wildlife Habitat® program engages people to make it a priority to provide habitat for wildlife by providing the basic elements that all wildlife need. If you love gardening and connecting with people in your community, the National Wildlife Federation can help you certify your community as a certified Community Wildlife Habitat™ through our Garden for Wildlife™ movement. A Community Wildlife Habitat™ is a community that provides habitat for wildlife throughout the community—in backyards, on school grounds, and in public areas such as parks, places of worship and businesses.
The Northwest boasts over 12,500 Certified Wildlife Habitats®, over 250 Certified Schoolyard Habitats, and the most certified Community Wildlife Habitat Teams in the nation. Washington State has over 40 actively engaged communities from Bellingham to Olympia. Creating a wildlife habitat is a great project for families to do at home or for their apartment complex. It's also a great project for troop or volunteer groups, local businesses, or schools. Every native plant makes a difference to wildlife.
Find more information on the Garden for Wildlife website.
Washington Habitat Stewards Training
Are you interested in creating habitat for wildlife? Do you want to do your part to keep your community wild? Now is your chance to become a Habitat Steward™! In Washington state we offer a specialized, multi-week virtual training to teach you how to create and restore wildlife habitat in backyards, schoolyards, and other places in your community. The training include four evening virtual class sessions and also in-person field experience opportunities, and are held every few months. Benefits include: a comprehensive, digital training manual with local resources, instruction from local professionals, engaging field opportunities, certification as a habitat steward, and continued support from NWF staff. A variety of topics will be presented on habitat restoration, PNW ecology, natural yard care, invasive plants, native plants, & much more! For more information: WAEducation@nwf.org or (206) 577-7816.
Connecting Families with Nature
Kids today spend twice as much time indoors as their parents did, missing out on the simple pleasures and lasting mental and physical health benefits of daily outdoor time. Spending time outdoors can improve a child’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. The benefits of outdoor play are real: healthier kids with a life-long appreciation for wildlife and the natural world. We have a variety of programs and tools to engage your family with nature. From finding local parks with Nature Find to activities to play outside, and our annual events like National Wildlife Week and Great American Campout!
For more information, visit Connecting Kids and Nature.
Green Your School with Eco-Schools USA
The Eco-Schools USA program provides a framework to green your school with amazing resources and curriculum. The Eco-Schools USA program is designed in a way that:
- Improves academic performance, especially in science and math
- Leads to financial savings for schools
- Decreases the school’s carbon footprint through practical solutions that reduce energy and water consumption
- Reduces school waste and conserves natural resources
- Encourages student environmental awareness and stewardship and increases parental involvement
- Helps students and teachers develop stronger relationships with their communities
Learn more about Eco-Schools USA here.
Meet Our Washington AmeriCorps member!
Introducing our Washington Americorps Member!
My name is Guinevere Unterbrink and I will be serving as the Habitat Stewards Program Coordinator until August 2024. I look forward to meeting you all!! A little bit about me: I am a recent graduate and transplant from Virginia Tech where I studied Wildlife Conservation and Forestry. I moved here in July of this year! I'm super interested in botanically accurate art, assisted migration, and squirrels, among other things. I also work part time at a plant store so feel free to reach out to me with any plant related questions.
For more information about the National Wildlife Federation's Washington and Regional Education Programs, please contact Courtney Sullivan at sullivanc@nwf.org.
