Why Help Wildlife In Your Garden?
As more land is developed for human use, our gardens are needed now more than ever to provide wildlife with habitat - spaces to nest, rest and feed. Every wildlife-friendly garden is a haven that can act as a stepping stone between other gardens, parks and larger areas of natural habitat. In turn, these animals play a critical role in our own survival, from pollinators that help provide fruits and vegetables to cavity nesting birds which keep mice and insects under control.
When you welcome songbirds, butterflies, bees and other animals to the gardens surrounding your home, cottage, business, school or community garden, you are supporting them with much needed habitat. Anyone with outdoor space, be it a patio or acres of land, has an amazing opportunity to help our local and migratory wildlife and to enjoy the benefits and beauty they bring. The best part is it can be as simple as you like and suited to any lifestyle, budget or space.
Goal of the Program
CWF’s Gardening for Wildlife program helps Canadians discover, appreciate and support our local and migratory wildlife. It inspires them to get outside and transform home, school, business and community outdoor spaces into attractive wildlife-friendly habitat.
We do this through workshops, webinars, an online course, posters and handouts, online articles and many resources like our Native Plant Encyclopedia and Supplier List. We also offer a Garden Habitat Certification where successful applicants have their property certified as “Wildlife-friendly Habitat”. If you like sharing and learning with others, we also have a Gardening for Wildlife iNaturalist project and Facebook group to share ideas, stories, photos, get help with identification and find out what’s happening in your part of the country! See below for more great ideas and resources to help you!
Videos
Click here to see the complete list of videos available
which includes both webinars and short instructional videos
Buy the CWF Medallion Plant Collection!
Pollination is one of the most important processes on the planet. Thanks to pollination, we have delicious foods, healthy ecosystems, and even growth in the economy. Pollinators are the tiny but important creatures that make this all of this possible. Purchasing one of our five plant kits from our pollinator collection of Medallion Plants is one way to help conserve wildlife in Canada.
What You Can Do
Did You Know?
Honey Bees are not native to Canada but there are approximately 900 species of bees that are! Most are solitary, unlike our social bumble bee species, and can be as small as just a few millimeters up to the large fuzzy bumble bees. Some are blue-black while others are metallic green!
Studies show that being around nature such as trees and gardens along a road or simply looking at greenery outside a window can reduce pain, anxiety, blood pressure, depression and speed healing. It can improve mood and self-esteem, lower crime rates and increase school attendance, attention span and grades!
Hummingbirds need a significant amount of protein in their diet which they get from spiders and insects. Some estimate they need 20% while others put that figure at 80%!
How to Garden with Wildlife in Mind
Learn about the basic elements wildlife need and get ideas how to incorporate them in your outdoor space.
Plants
Why choose native plants, where to buy them, identification tools and more!
Animals
How do I stop birds from hitting my windows? What are beneficial insects? What are some animals that live in or visit Canada's gardens? Find out these and more.
Gardening Tips, Tools and Other Resources
Download handouts, get how-to advice, consult zone maps and plant ID tools, listen to podcasts, order a poster, peruse our demonstration gardens and more!
In the News
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Municipal bylaw reform needed for biodiversity and community wellbeing
December 5, 2025 - Today, a group of conservationists published an open letter to Canadian municipalities urging municipal bylaw reforms to support development of habitat gardens: places where pollinator-supporting native plants replace traditional, non-native turfgrass. The group consists of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, Canadian Wildlife Federation, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecological Design Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University and author and environmental advocate Lorraine Johnson.
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Municipal bylaw reform needed for biodiversity and community wellbeing
December 5, 2025 - Today, a group of conservationists published an open letter to Canadian municipalities urging municipal bylaw reforms to support development of habitat gardens: places where pollinator-supporting native plants replace traditional, non-native turfgrass. The group consists of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, Canadian Wildlife Federation, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecological Design Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University and author and environmental advocate Lorraine Johnson.
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Intergenerational Gardening Blooms at Bruyère Village in Orleans
December 5, 2025 - The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) has received funding in part from the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. The funds will be used to create a WILD Generations Gardening Club pairing tenants of Bruyère Village with Grade 8 students at Terry Fox Elementary School, Orleans, Ont.
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CWF and Olde Forge Community Centre Create Conservation Garden
December 5, 2025 - The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) has received funding in part from the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. The funds will be used to create a conservation garden at Olde Forge Community Resource Centre in Ottawa.
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A NETWORK SPREADS ITS WINGS: RIGHTS-OF-WAY MANAGERS JOIN GROWING MOVEMENT
December 5, 2025 - The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is pleased to announce the launch of the Canadian Chapter of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group. This is a network aimed to engage professional managers of hydro lines, roadways and pipelines in restoring pollinator habitat by providing expertise, cost-effective best management practices and industry-driven resources.
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Why 'grow it and don't mow it' is ideal spring gardening tactic
December 5, 2025 - With the arrival of spring, you may now be thinking of tending to your garden or yard but you may want to hold off on that for the time being.
Sign Up for Timely Articles and Tips
Our e-newsletter Grow Wild features Canadian animals and plants as well as some edible plants and how to grow them in harmony with nature. It also provides tips, project ideas or family crafts suited to that season as well as sharing photos of wildlife-friendly gardens across the country. Sign up to join over 20,000 readers in this gardening community.
Blogs
Little Green Sprouts – 3 Toddler-friendly Gardening Projects
Gardens provide a wonderful environment for children to explore, learn and play. By gardening together as a family, you can plant the seed of a life-long love of nature, while reaping the many health benefits of being outside!… Read
Meet The Team
Carole Wheatley, Sarah Coulber and Eneze Baye-Imerion work to ensure that Canadians have the resources and support they need to easily and enjoyably create wildlife-friendly habitat in their gardens.
"I love sharing potentially helpful and inspiring information with others so that they, too, can help Canada's wildlife through gardening."
Sarah Coulber,
Education Specialist
“I’m passionate about outdoor experiential learning, liaising with partner organizations to promote social inclusion through nature engagement."
Eneze Baye-Imerion,
Education Manager (Generalist)
"Each one of us can make a difference in a few simple actions in our backyards or balconies."
Carole Wheatley,
Education Specialist
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