Annual Report

Backyard Habitat Program

Photo: Lilian Robinson

The Backyard Habitat Program was first launched in 1999 to provide Canadians with information on how they can create and conserve wildlife-friendly spaces. The program empowers Canadians to take an active role in conserving wildlife by offering them a space to call home. The program encourages Canadians to take action on behalf of wildlife by creating habitat, facilitates a connection with nature to engender support for wider conservation issues and provides the information and support needed for people to carry out habitat projects through the Wild About Gardening website, informational handouts and posters. In 2008/2009 alone, CWF distributed 66,000 Wild About… posters and 23,000 wildlife habitat publications.

Backyard habitat projects provide habitat for wildlife, offer connections between areas of more pristine habitat and act as corridors or resting areas for migratory wildlife. While they are not substitutes for parks or other large conservation areas, they can offer a rich variety of resources for wildlife.

Through the Backyard Habitat Certification Program, qualified properties can proudly identify their garden pesticide-free and meeting the four needs of wildlife: food, water, shelter and space. CWF-certified properties cover 7,600 acres and provide habitat for over 175 bird species, 26 amphibian and reptile species, 20 butterfly species, 44 mammal species and 368 plant species, including 114 species that have been listed by COSEWIC. In the 2008/2009 fiscal year, over 50 new gardens were certified across Canada, bringing the total number of certified gardens to 375!