Hopewell Valley, comprised of Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough, is launching a new effort with the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat program to become healthier, more sustainable, and more wildlife-friendly by committing to create wildlife habitat throughout its communities while also educating and engaging residents.
Healthy habitats and healthy communities go hand-in-hand. Too often communities are suffering from pollution, disinvestment, or other challenges that separate people from the natural world. When human communities suffer, wildlife suffers as well, according to a press release through Hopewell Valley Gardens for Wildlife.
“By joining the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat program, Hopewell Valley Gardens for Wildlife is sending a clear and powerful message to communities all over America that people working together can create healthy habitats and healthy communities and make a difference in their own community and beyond,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior director of Community Wildlife.
To achieve community certification, Hopewell Valley Gardens for Wildlife is asking Hopewell Valley residents to join in and make their own outdoor spaces healthier and more wildlife-friendly, with the goal of at least 225 Hopewell Valley residents certifying their own gardens as wildlife-friendly.
Hopewell Valley Gardens for Wildlife will provide free community-wide educational workshops on the benefits and how-to’s of gardening for wildlife, and feature articles in local media outlets about the program, its activities and resources.
They will also partner with others in the community to help restore and maintain public areas for wildlife.
“I enthusiastically support the team’s effort to earn certification from the National Wildlife Federation as a Community Wildlife Habitat,” said Courtney Peters-Manning, mayor of Hopewell Township. “We are proud of our open spaces, native habitats and community-wide preservation efforts.
“The promotion of native plantings, the reduction of pesticides and chemicals and the integration of wildlife-friendly practices into gardens and parks in the community will be a perfect complement to the work we are already doing toward sustainability and preserving the natural beauty of our community.”
Since 1973, the National Wildlife Federation has provided millions of people with the basic guidelines for making their landscapes more hospitable for wildlife.
To date, through the Certified Wildlife Habitat program, the National Wildlife Federation has certified more than 300,000 sites including yards, schools, businesses, community gardens, parks, and places of worship.
Each of these sites provides the four basic elements that all wildlife need to thrive – food, water, cover and places to raise young – while integrating sustainable gardening and landscaping practices.
To become certified as a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat, Hopewell Valley Gardens for Wildlife is calling on its residents to certify their own property at NWF.org/Certify and join our education and outreach efforts to learn about how residents can create a healthier, greener and more wildlife-friendly community.
To learn more about Hopewell Valley Gardens for Wildlife go to: https://hvgardensforwildlife.weebly.com/.
For more information about the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat network, please go to: www.nwf.org/community.
For more National Wildlife Federation news, visit: www.nwf.org/news.
