Thank you for wanting to learn more about the Falls Church City Healthy Habitat project! You have taken an important first step toward helping to conserve, protect and restore an ecologically balanced habitat for both humans and wildlife in our urban environment.
The Falls Church Healthy Habitat project is a multi-year effort initiated by the City of Falls Church Environmental Services Council and concerned citizens to gain certification from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) as an official Community Wildlife Habitat. Through this program, a select few communities in the United States become certified for providing healthy spaces to wildlife and humans and then managing an ongoing program to sustain and support those healthy spaces. The nearby communities of Arlington County, Reston, and Mason District in Fairfax County are all either seeking certification through this program or have already attained certification.
Read on to learn more about the project and what you can do…
How Will the Project Help Our Local Environment? Citizens involved in the Falls Church Healthy Habitat project envision a local habitat that is healthy for both humans and wildlife, and that promotes clean water, clean air, and environmentally friendly land management. The project will help to:
Improve water quality by limiting runoff due to impervious surface and lack of vegetation; reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides and fertilizers; and using native plants, which require less supplemental water.
Improve air quality by encouraging more vegetation and trees and discouraging gas-powered tools required to maintain a conventional landscape.
Encourage land use that is respectful of a healthy environment, by creating and preserving more quality open space and natural areas.
Beyond the clear positives, the Healthy Habitat project will assure our children and grandchildren the wonder of seeing a butterfly, chipmunk, or salamander for the first time within City limits, and the healthy environment that comes with it!
The Healthy Habitat Project and the National Wildlife Federation At the center of the Falls Church City Healthy Habitat Project is the certification of homes, parks, schools, churches, and other spaces as Backyard Wildlife Habitats through the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Certification of a property through NWF is simple and involves the following steps:
Assess Your Yard / Garden Space -The first thing you need to do is identify the habitat elements that already exist in your yard or garden space.
Provide the Four Basic Wildlife Habitat Elements - All species have four basic requirements for survival. These are Food, Water, Cover, and Places to Raise Young.
Practice Resource Conservation in Your Own Back Yard - Conserving resources will not only help the wildlife in your own yard but will help improve your community's environment.
Note that a properly maintained Healthy Habitat should always discourage mosquitoes and animal pests by eliminating standing water and keeping garbage cans tightly covered. Also, it's important that you never approach wildlife that you may see or encounter in your yard.
After you have met these requirements, complete a Backyard Wildlife Habitat Certification Form (either online at https://secure.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/certify/page1.cfm that provides a profile of your habitat. Help us reach our goal of 125 homes, townhomes, or apartment/condo communities! You can also download a printable application to apply by mail. (There is a $15 application fee for each property to be certified.)
Where Can I Find Out More? National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat . Certify your yard online!
Help Spread the Word About this Program! Help us spread the word in the City of Falls Church about the Healthy Habitat program. Distribute this printable brochure about the program.
A program that promotes a healthy environment for humans and wildlife living in the City of Falls Church, Virginia
