Common Grounds – National Wildlife Habitat at Central Queens
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization, is pleased that our Commonpoint Garden at Central Queens (in Forest Hills) has successfully created a Certified Wildlife Habitat through its Garden for Wildlife movement.
The NWF celebrates this effort by creating a garden that supports birds, butterflies, bees, frogs and other local wildlife. Every Certified Wildlife Habitat garden provides natural sources and areas to raise young all the while being maintained in a sustainable way that conserves water, incorporates native plants, and rarely relies on pesticides.
For 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.”
“The Central Queens Garden is a labor of love and we are so proud to collaborate with the wonderful programs at Commonpoint to grow food for our pantry, provide education for our early childhood, camp and after school programs, and offer meaningful advice and resources for our community of curious gardeners,” said Commonpoint’s Gardening Specialist MarieH Zanzal. “We are so grateful for this recognition, and hope that it shows the power of urban gardening to all of our community members!”
Many of the NWF’s state affiliate organizations are partners in the Garden for Wildlife movement. Habitats in partnering states have national and state certification.
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 the 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 an exclusive right to post a Certified Wildlife Habitat yard sign.
For more information on the NWF’s Garden for Wildlife movement and how to qualify to have a garden space recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, visit www.nwf.org/garden or call 1-800-822-9919. For more information about gardening with Commonpoint please contact MarieH Zanzal at mzanzal@commonpoint.org or read our latest gardening blog by clicking here.
