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<DIV>Happy New Year! Here is up-to-date information on National Wildlife Federation's "gardening for wildlife" and "conservation landscaping" education programming efforts. </DIV>
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<DIV><U>Backyard Wildlife Habitat(TM) Program</U></DIV>
<DIV>This successful program started back in 1973 as way to educate homeowners and other gardeners how to minimize the impact of development on wildlife by restoring elements of habitat in their yards and gardens. The goal is not only to help local and migratory wildlife find habitat in the form of food, water, cover and places to raise young, but also to provide a means for people to have direct, personal experiences with nature/wildlife literally right in their own backyards. It is this type of personal experience that forms values and results in behavior change. Participants assess their yards or gardens for wildlife value, add any additional features to meet the basic habitat requirements, and then submit an application for certification to NWF. To date, NWF has recognizes over 50,000 wildlife gardening efforts. Website: <A href="http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat">www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat</A> </DIV>
<DIV><BR><U>Schoolyard Habitats(R) Program</U></DIV>
<DIV>This program grew out of NWF's Backyard Wildlife Habitat program and is based on the same principles but is instead is targeted towards learning communities. Any conservation landscape that is used directly for educational purposes can certify as a Schoolyard Habitats site. In addition to information on the conservation landscaping techniques targeted at schools, NWF offers award-winning curriculum, small grants, and teacher training workshops to foster learning. Website: <A href="http://www.nwf.org/schoolyardhabitats">www.nwf.org/schoolyardhabitats</A></DIV>
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<DIV><U>Community Wildlife Habitat(TM) Program</U></DIV>
<DIV>The Community Wildlife Habitat program takes the concept of NWF's backyard habitat program and applies them to multiple sites throughout the community. The goal is to foster a critical mass of people creating conservation landscapes in a given geographic area, and also to move "beyond their backyard" and come together as a community to make improvements to the greater landscape and watershed. Website: <A href="http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/certifyyourcommunity.cfm">http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/certifyyourcommunity.cfm</A></DIV>
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<DIV><U>Habitat Training/Volunteer Opportunities</U></DIV>
<DIV>NWF offers several training and volunteer opportunities that allow individuals to get involved helping and mentoring others in the creation of wildlife habitat.</DIV>
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<DIV>Habitat Host - Participates in correspondence course with NWF and then coordinates a Habitat Stewards training in his or her community.</DIV>
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<DIV>Habitat Steward - Participates in 24 hours of training coordinated by a local Host, then serves 50 hours of community service helping others to create conservation landscapes in the first year after training, followed by 30 hours in subsequent years.</DIV>
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<DIV>Habitat Ambassador - Participates in 6 hour distance learning training and then commits to several hours of community service staffing information booths and performing outreach to spread the word about NWF's conservation landscaping programs.</DIV>
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<DIV>Website: <A href="http://www.nwf.org/volunteer">www.nwf.org/volunteer</A> </DIV>
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<DIV><U>NWF Conservation Landscaping Education Resources</U></DIV>
<DIV>These are just a few of NWF's resources:</DIV>
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<DIV>Books</DIV>
<DIV>NWF's <EM>Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife </EM>is written by Backyard Wildlife Habitat program manager David Mizejewski and is published by Creative Homeowner. This 128 page how-to book with over 200 color photos and illustrations and 17 step-by-step projects is a resource for people new to the ideas of gardening for wildlife as well as those who have been practicing conservation landscaping for years. To order: <A href="http://www.nwf.org/habitatshop">www.nwf.org/habitatshop</A> and go to "gardening for wildlife" section. Also available at book retailers such as Barnes and Noble, Borders, Amazon.com, Lowes and others.</DIV>
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<DIV>Distance Learning</DIV>
<DIV>NWF's <EM>Creating Places for Wildlife</EM> course series is part of its award-winning Wildlife University and includes seven courses on gardening for wildlife. Each course includes an interactive presentation, study guides, and optional take-home activities. Course include: Habitat Basics, Providing Food for Wildlife, Providing Water for Wildlife, Providing Cover for Wildlife, Providing Places to Raise Young for Wildlife, Sustainable Gardening Practices, and Backyard and Schoolyard Habitats Certification. Access the course at <A href="http://www.nwf.org/wildlifeuniversity">www.nwf.org/wildlifeuniversity</A>. </DIV>
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<DIV>Native Plant and Invasive Garden Plant Field Guide</DIV>
<DIV>NWF has created an online field guide, complete with color photos and full description, of commonly available native and invasive garden plants. The field guide is searchable by state and allow users to get a list of native plants that in cultivation and likely to be found in their local garden center, as well as which invasive exotic plants to avoid. Access the guide at <A href="http://www.enature.com/native_invasive/natives.asp">http://www.enature.com/native_invasive/natives.asp</A>.</DIV>
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<DIV>Starter Kits<A href="http://www.nwf.org/"></A></DIV>
<DIV>NWF has partnered with National Gardening Association to offer kits complete with all the information and products needed to start a wildlife garden, including feeders, nesting boxes, water features, seed packets, tip sheets, books and more. There are four kits: 1) Backyard Bird Gardens, 2) Backyard Butterfly Gardens, 3) Outdoor Classroom Bird Gardens, and 4) Outdoor Classroom Butterfly Gardens. Kits are available at <A href="http://www.nwf.org/habitatshop">www.nwf.org/habitatshop</A> in the "gardening for wildlife" section.</DIV>
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<DIV>Newsletters</DIV>
<DIV>NWF publishes the quarterly newsletter entitled <EM>Habitats</EM>, which provides continuing education to participants with certified backyard and schoolyard habitats. The newsletter is full color and is filled with tips, projects and ideas on gardening for wildlife and conservation landscaping. <EM>Habitats</EM> is available in both paper and online versions and is only available to people who have certified a garden or landscape with NWF.</DIV>
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<DIV>NWF also produces an e-newsletter called <EM>Wildlife Online</EM> which is available to all and contains more basic information on conservation landscaping for beginners, as well as other wildlife news. Subscribe to <EM>Wildlife Online</EM> at <A href="http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/emailupdates.cfm">http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/emailupdates.cfm</A>.</DIV>
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<DIV>Please let me know if you have any questions about any of NWF's programs or activities.</DIV>
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<DIV>David</DIV>
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<DIV>*********************************************<BR>David Mizejewski<BR>National Wildlife Federation<BR>11100 Wildlife Center Drive<BR>Reston, VA 20190<BR>(703) 438-6499<BR>fax 703-438-6468<BR><A href="http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat">www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat</A><BR>**********************************************<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>