By giving out plaques to those who earned them, a wildlife trust in England hopes to inspire 1,000 people to make their backyard gardens wildlife-friendly.

The free program offered by the Devon Wildlife Trust rewards participants for improving their home gardens so that they are more wildlife-friendly.

Anybody or any organization can enter; the only requirement is that the entry has a space they want to turn into a miniature nature reserve.

Wildlife-Friendly Home Gardens

Entrants must complete at least 10 straightforward tasks from the wildlife trust's list of wildlife-friendly activities in order to be eligible for a Wildlife Gardening Award.

These include growing flowers to attract bees and butterflies, creating a log pile to attract hedgehogs and bugs, leaving some grass uncut to attract wildflowers and insects, and staying away from peat and environmentally harmful pesticides.

The wilder communities team leader for Devon Wildlife Trust, Katie Wilkinson, stated that although they received close to 500 entries the previous year, they would dearly love to surpass 1,000 in 2023.

Wilkinson added that regardless of how big or small a resident's balcony or garden is, outdoor areas can act as crucial stepping stones for wildlife all over the landscape. She continued by saying that anyone with an outdoor space can improve it for wildlife, and the wildlife trust offers free online tools to do this, BBC News reports.

Home Gardens in England

The UK's 15 million home gardens cover an area larger than all of the National Nature Reserves combined, so what each resident does in their individual gardens matters. Every outdoor space, regardless of size, can serve as an essential space for wildlife. The outdoor area can be a piece of the network of habitats that connect the countryside and towns.

According to the Devon Wildlife Trust, wildlife requires four things in order to survive: food, water, shelter, and a den, nest, or place to breed. Home gardeners may also need to manage their gardens slightly differently. Any home garden will be given new life and attract wildlife by providing these.

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Home Gardens in the US

Smaller, non-predatory wildlife that can peacefully coexist with humans in US cities, towns, and neighborhoods will benefit from the creation of wildlife habitat gardens.

Wildlife habitat gardens are a haven for nearby birds, butterflies, and other such wildlife. Home gardens in the US can also be certified or recognized as wildlife-friendly zones. A yard or garden that serves as a habitat for wildlife will be officially recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat® as long as proper procedure and requirements have been satisfied.

When a home garden is certified, the owner can buy and display an exclusive Certified Wildlife Habitat® sign to display their achievement and dedication to assisting wildlife in their entire neighborhood.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, this is one way to assist initiatives that protect wildlife as well as its habitat.

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