National Wildlife Federation Certifies New Wildlife Habitat Garden in Bonner Springs

Bonner Springs, KS, June 08, 2020 --(PR.com)-- NWF celebrates this effort to create a garden that supports birds, butterflies, bees, frogs and other local wildlife. Every Certified Wildlife Habitat garden provides natural sources of food, water, cover and places to raise young and is maintained in a sustainable way that incorporates native plants, conserves water and doesn’t rely on pesticides.

Celebrating over 45 years, the Garden for Wildlife movement has recognized over 227,000 Certified Wildlife Habitat gardens across the United States to date, encompassing more than 2.5 million acres that support wildlife locally. Backyards, urban gardens, school grounds, businesses, places of worship, campuses, parks, farms, zoos and community landscapes can all be recognized as wildlife habitats through the program.

“Anyone, anywhere can restore wildlife habitat right in their own yards and communities,” said NWF naturalist David Mizejewski. “Whether you garden in a suburban yard, an urban area or a rural plot of land, you can make a difference for local wildlife. Creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat garden is fun, easy and makes a real difference for neighborhood wildlife. It’s the perfect grassroots way to think globally and act locally and help birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife,” he added.

“It all started with our bird feeding area about seven years ago,” said David Little, owner of Kaw Valley Window & Lawn Care. "We witnessed that quality food and water was essential to our local bird population, and we greatly increased their numbers on our property. We then worked on removing all pesticides and herbicides from regular use, first going organic in our vegetable garden and then our lawn care."

Providing more details about his garden and wildlife area, Little said, "My first-year garden was a disaster. I planted a variety of vegetables in four existing plots and watched the plants struggle to grow even with adequate water. After getting the soil tested in the plots and lawn, I realized that the depletion of nitrogen, minerals and organic matter was the result of heavy reliance on chemicals by the previous property owner. For all practical purposes, the garden soil was dead. I could dig down 8 inches and not find one night crawler. It took me several years of composting and adding essential soil botanicals to bring the garden to a flourishing state. We then applied organic principles to lawn care with great success. With a backdrop of deciduous trees, native plants, and a creek, wildlife flourishes now on our property. We've incorporate this experience into our business by offering organic lawn care and landscape maintenance to help people, pets, and wildlife to get the most benefit from natural landscapes."

Many of NWF’s state affiliate organizations are partners in the Certified Wildlife Habitat program. Habitats in partnering states have national and state certification, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.

Every Certified Wildlife Habitat garden is now also part of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, a national effort to create a million gardens that provide habitat for declining pollinator insects such butterflies and bees.

Participants who have their wildlife habitat garden certified receive a personalized certificate with a unique habitat number, a one-year membership to NWF with a subscription to National Wildlife magazine, a subscription to the Garden for Wildlife e-newsletter, a 10 percent discount to National Wildlife catalog, and the exclusive right to post a Certified Wildlife Habitat yard sign.

For more information on NWF’s Garden for Wildlife movement and how to qualify to have a garden space recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, visit https://www.nwf.org/garden or call 1-800-822-9919.

About National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization, uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.