It all starts with you. Get your own home certified as a “Backyard Wildlife Habitat.” Creating a backyard habitat is easy. Assess your yard, garden space or balcony and identify the habitat elements that already exist. Then add the missing elements.

Four basic elements are included in a backyard habitat:

• Food—shrubs and trees with fruit and seeds, flowers for nectar, supplemental feeders.

• Water—a birdbath, small shallow water dish, ponds and water features.

• Cover—evergreen trees and shrubs, deciduous shrubs for summer nesting and protection, rock, log and brush piles.

• Places to raise young—evergreens, deciduous trees and shrubs, nest boxes, ponds.

When you are ready to be certified, be sure to contact AWHP so we can take a picture for our community scrapbook.