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Community Wildlife Habitat - Missoula
It seems only appropriate that the Garden City has become the Garden for Wildlife City!
On March 9th, 2015, former Missoula Mayor John Engen announced a partnership with the National Wildlife Federation to recognize Missoula as a certified Community Wildlife Habitat, a program of Garden for Wildlife™. Finally, on July 19th, 2018, Missoula crossed the finish line and became the first certified Community Wildlife Habitat in Montana! This is quite an achievement, as it took years of hard work and dedication from the National Wildlife Federation staff, community partners, volunteers, and, most importantly, the City of Missoula.
To become a certified community, a city much reach a certain number of homes, schools, and common spaces considered Certified Wildlife Habitats. Any space that provides food, water, cover, and places to raise young, while using sustainable gardening practices, qualifies as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. For the City of Missoula, we reached our goal after certifying 135 homes, 12 schools, and 30 common areas. Despite this achievement, Missoula’s gardens continue to grow.
Providing those 5 elements of habitat, food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable gardening practices, is made easier when using plants native to the Missoula Valley. The species of birds, butterflies, pollinators, and even deer we see enjoying our garden spaces have evolved to look for these native plants when searching for food, when seeking cover, and when raising young. Native plants are typically more drought-resistant, which makes caring for them in a sustainable way that much easier by reducing water use. Creating powerful and resilient habitat spaces like these in Missoula is even more important when we thing about the habitat space already occupied by homes, roads and businesses.
Above are Certified Wildlife Habitats™ in the Missoula area. Create and certify your wildlife garden, whether it’s a balcony, suburban yard, schoolyard, or business.