Bird-Friendly Habitat Certification Program Toolkit
In 2015 we created our bird friendly yard certification program. It has grown into a successful program which other Audubon chapters wanted to emulate. We mentored two other Audubon chapters in the creation of their own habitat programs: Cape Fear Audubon’s Nature at Home and Forsyth Audubon’s Bird Friendly Habitat.
Still, it’s time-consuming and expensive for nonprofits to develop a microhabitat program from scratch which is why through the generous support of Village and Wilderness we have created this toolkit. Village and Wilderness is a gathering place and central resource for established and emerging microhabitat programs to share ideas, lessons and expertise.
Why create a bird friendly habitat certification program?
- Creating habitat for birds and other wildlife at any scale – patio, yard, neighborhood
- Empowering members to take action in their homes and communities
- Engaging new members who care about birds, pollinators and wildlife
- Building a network of informed local stewards
What is the purpose of this Toolkit?
- Provides a ready-to-use framework for any group to build upon complete with revisable forms, brochures, and other information
- Saves resources that could be applied to other projects
Organizations may modify this program to your needs and do not have to start from scratch which is an improvement over the current status quo. Volunteer and employee time could be used more effectively.
New Hope Bird Alliance would like to help more organizations implement the certification program. Please get in touch if your group would like to champion this program in your area!
Illustration of different types of bird-friendly habitats: urban residential (left), rural residential (middle), and container (right).