CHNA
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association
News
Neighborhood News
- Kirkland Community Wildlife Habitat Certification
Kirkland was certified as a Community Wildlife
Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation in October, 2009 – the
34th community in the Nation since 1973, and the First in
the State east of Seattle!
A Community Wildlife Habitat is a community that provides habitat
for wildlife throughout the community--in individual backyards, on
school grounds and in public areas such as parks, community gardens,
places of worship and businesses. It is a place where the residents
make it a priority to provide habitat for wildlife by providing the
four basic elements that all wildlife need: food, water, cover and
places to raise young. The community also educates its residents
about sustainable gardening practices such as reducing or
eliminating chemical fertilizers and pesticides, conserving water,
planting native plants, removing invasive plants and composting. It
hosts workshops about gardening for wildlife, and holds community
events such as stream or trail cleanups to make the community
healthier for wildlife and people alike. A Community Wildlife
Habitat project creates a place where people, flora and fauna can
all flourish.
To maintain Kirkland's certification, the Kirkland Wildlife Habitat
Team is required to participate in community projects and
educational events, and to get additional homes, schools, churches,
businesses, and parks certified.
For most residences with a reasonable amount and variety
of vegetation other than lawn, certification is not difficult and can
involve little or no cost, other than a small certification fee that
provides you with a certificate and a year’s membership in the
National Wildlife Federation, including a subscription to “National
Wildlife” magazine.
Please review the Backyard Habitat Certification
information, and note the
simple requirements for Food, Water, Cover and Places to Raise Young. If you
want to see the detailed requirements before signing
in on the third web page, click "Habitat Elements"
before clicking "Ready? Certify Now".
The “water” requirement can be met with an inexpensive or home-made birdbath.
The above online link allows you to certify
with just the National Wildlife Federation. To certify jointly with
the NWF and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, please
call John or Beth at (425) 889-9507 and request a special form.
This option has additional "sustainable gardening" requirements, but
it also provides you with a weatherproof certification plaque that
you can display in your yard.
To learn
about habitat attributes and how to create them, read the
Attracting
Wildlife Flyer. To view a list of native plants for this area,
together with their growing conditions and the wildlife they
attract, read the
Native Plant List
Flyer.
If you successfully certify your yard, please notify out
Project Team at kirklandhabitat@yahoo.com.