Animals are an important part of everyday life. Without them, the food chain would collapse and we would not be able to see and experience nature as it is today. That is why I chose to make my yard a certified habitat for wildlife, which is not a hard thing to do. There are a few plants that were already in my yard that provide food for wildlife such as a muscadine vine, a peach tree, and a nandina bush. I also have a birdfeeder to use in the winter when these plants are not producing fruit. Water is supplied in an everyday plastic bucket, but I plan on purchasing a birdbath as soon as I can. Hanging baskets, clay pots, and other hiding places are spread out from my front porch throughout my yard to provide nesting places and shelter for wildlife. I started out wanting to design a landscape for an elementary school that would act as an outside classroom to teach children to respect nature and the wildlife around them. I think young people need to understand that their actions have a direct impact on the environment and their surroundings. However, this project was going to take a little more time than I had in this class. I am still planning on designing a schoolyard habitat, but it will take a little bit more time than I expected and I hope to do it as a directed studies course next semester. Getting your backyard certified as a habitat for wildlife is easy. All you have to do is provide food, water, and shelter for the wildlife and a place to raise their young. Not only am I helping nature, but I am also able to see it firsthand when I walk out on my front porch and throughout my yard, which is a very enjoyable experience. I have seen robins nesting on my front porch as well as many other birds and squirrels enjoying food from plants and feeders in my yard.

When I first set out to get my yard certified, I thought it would be very costly and take a good bit of effort and time. However, I found that most of the items that I used were sitting around in my basement. It just took a little imagination for these household items to be turned into living areas and a water supply for wildlife. I attended a habitat steward workshop in order to get some ideas on creating a certified habitat for wildlife in a schoolyard, which was very informative and gave me a few ideas on people who could help me fund some ideas that I have for an elementary school. I am in the process of trying to design a schoolyard habitat that will be an extension of my backyard habitat in order to serve as a learning environment for children and help them realize how the things they do effect their surroundings. Although I do not think this will be too demanding as far as the design goes, it will take some time in getting the principle and the teachers involved and actually getting this accomplished.