Skip to main content
CWF logo
Sign In
Username

Password
Forgot?
Not a Member?   Register Today
Français
Donate
Shop
Subscribe
  • Donate
    • Ways to Give
    • Single
    • Monthly
    • Shop CWF
    • Adopt-an-animal
    • Fundraise
    • In Tribute
      • In Honour
      • In Memory
    • Gift of Securities
    • Symbolic Gifts
    • Legacy Giving
    • Corporate
      • Major Gifts
      • Sponsorship
  • About Us
    • Why Canada's Wildlife Needs Us
    • Contact Us
    • Supporter Centre
    • FAQs
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Board Of Directors
    • Foundation
    • Senior Staff
    • Reports
    • Privacy & Policies
      • Accesssibility
      • Policies
  • What We Do
    • What We Do
    • Coasts & Oceans
    • Forests & Fields
    • Lakes & Rivers
    • Endangered Species & Biodiversity
    • Education & Leadership
    • Connecting With Nature
  • Resources
    • Check out our resources
    • DIY
    • Downloads
    • Encyclopedias
    • Events
    • For Educators
    • Games
    • Printed Materials
    • Reports & Papers
  • News & Media
    • Blogs
    • Brand Guidelines & Logos
    • In the News
    • Magazines
    • Newsletters
    • Press Releases
  • Blog
  • Magazine
  • Shop
  • Site Search
  • Sign In
  • Français
  • Donate
  • What We Do
  • Resources
  • News & Media
  • About Us
  • Français
  • Site Search
  • Sign In
  • Français
  • Ways to Give
    • Single
    • Monthly
    • In Honour
    • In Memory
    • Adopt an Animal
    • Shop CWF
    • Symbolic Gifts
    • Fundraising
    • Legacy Giving
    • Gift of Securities
    • Corporate
    • Holiday Fundraiser
    • Grant Wildlife Wishes
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Supporter Centre
    • FAQs
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Board Of Directors
    • Foundation
    • Senior Staff
    • Reports
      • └ Annual
      • └ Financial
    • Privacy & Policies
      • └ Accesssibility
      • └ Policies
  • What We Do
    • Coasts & Oceans
    • Forests & Fields
    • Lakes & Rivers
    • Endangered Species & Biodiversity
    • Education & Leadership
    • Connecting With Nature


    • Agriculture & Habitat
    • American Eels
    • Aquaculture
    • Backyard Birds
    • Bats
    • Bioblitz
    • Camping and Nature
    • Chinook Salmon
    • Conservation Awards
    • Educator Training
    • Expecting Parents
    • Family Nature Club
    • Fish Passage
    • Freshwater Turtles
    • Gardening For Wildlife
    • Gardening in Schools
    • Monarchs
    • National Wildlife Week
    • Photo Club
    • Pollinators
    • Right Whale
    • River Barriers
    • Rivers to Oceans Week
    • Teens in Nature
    • Wildlife in Winter
    • Young Adults in Nature
  • Resources
    • DIY
    • Downloads
      • └ Booklets & Handouts
      • └ Colouring Pages
      • └ E-cards
      • └ Podcasts
      • └ Reports & Papers
      • └ Wallpapers
      • └ Webinars
    • Events
    • Encyclopedias
      • └ Native Plants
      • └ Invasive Aquatic Species
      • └ Common Animal Fact Sheets
      • └ Common Plant Fact Sheets
    • For Educators
      • └ Curriculum Fit
      • └ Educational Units
      • └ Lesson Plans
      • └ Resource Sheets
    • Games
      • └ Interactive
      • └ Quizzes
      • └ Crafts & Activities
    • Printed Materials
      • └ Calendar
      • └ Magazines
      • └ Manuals
      • └ Posters
  • News & Media
    • Blogs
    • Brand Guidelines & Logos
    • In The News
    • Magazines
    • Newsletters
    • Press Releases
  • Why Support Wildlife
  • |
  • What We Do
  • |
  • Get Involved
Donate
Adopt
Facebook Twitter Wordpress Youtube Instagram Pintrest

Gardening for Wildlife

cwf-fcf.org > English > What We Do > Gardening for Wildlife
  • What We Do
  • Gardening for Wildlife
  • Animals
  • Gardening Tips & Tools
  • Plants
  • What You Can Do
  • Wildlife-Friendly Gardening

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 that wouldn’t otherwise be there. Every wildlife-friendly garden is a haven that can act as a stepping stone between 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 a garden, 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.

bee on yellow flowers

Goal of the Program

CWF’s Gardening for Wildlife program encourages Canadians to get outside and transform home, school and community gardens into wildlife-friendly habitat. Participants are supported with resources and information on making their gardens suitable for wildlife, can contribute to citizen science when they document garden visitors through iNaturalist and have the support of an online community where they can learn and share. Those who certify their wildlife-friendly gardens receive official recognition from CWF and will motivate others to take action, as they are added to a map of certified properties.

What You Can Do

certified icon

Get Certified


Our Garden Habitat Certification recognizes the efforts Canadians are taking to meet the habitat needs of wildlife.

Learn More >
community icon

Get Gardening Pathway


Choose a starting point below and you’ll learn how to help wildlife by creating habitat in any garden.

Learn More >
pesticides

Buy Neonic-Free Plants


Plant with a purpose to grow wildlife-friendly gardens and healthy habitats!

Learn More >
workshop icon

Events & Workshops


Register for upcoming events.

Learn More >
appli iNaturalist

iNaturalist


Contribute to the ongoing inventory of Canada’s species by downloading iNaturalist.ca and uploading your observations!

Learn More >
school icon

Schools


Join WILD Spaces! Encourage a local school to plant a Monarch garden through CWF WILD Spaces

Learn More >

More Things You Can Do

What You Can Do

certified icon

Get Certified


Our Garden Habitat Certification recognizes the efforts Canadians are taking to meet the habitat needs of wildlife.

Learn More >
community icon

Get Gardening Pathway


Choose a starting point below and you’ll learn how to help wildlife by creating habitat in any garden.

Learn More >
pesticides

Buy Neonic-Free Plants


Plant with a Purpose to Grow Wildlife Friendly Gardens and Healthy Habitats!

Learn More >
workshop icon

Events & Workshops


Register for upcoming events.

Learn More >
appli iNaturalist

iNaturalist


Contribute to the ongoing inventory of Canada’s species by downloading iNaturalist.ca and uploading your observations!

Learn More >
school icon

Schools


Join WILD Spaces! Encourage a local school to plant a Monarch garden through CWF WILD Spaces

Learn More >

More Things You Can Do

Did You Know?

plant in house icon
57% of Canadians are gardening. They grew herbs, vegetables and other flowering plants for at home use in 2013.
mountain icon
Over 80% of the Canadian population lives in urban areas. In these urban settings, gardens are among the most significant places where people interact with nature. Feeling connected to nature is important and the mental and physical health benefits are well established.
mockingjay icon
Hummingbirds need 20% protein in their diet which they get from spiders and insects.
certified garden

Wildlife-friendly Gardening

Learn the basics for gardening for wildlife, as well as earth-friendly tips and suggestions.

Learn more

Plants

Why choose native plants, where to buy them, identification tools and more!

Learn more
yellow flower
squirrel holding a nut

Animals

What are beneficial insects? Which small mammals am I most likely to see in my garden? Find this and more.

Learn more

Gardening Tips & Tools

Design & planning for a garden can be tricky work. Find helpful advice as well as tips on gardening in small spaces, zone maps, how-tos and even demonstration gardens!

Learn more
gardening tools

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.

   Please leave this field empty

Meet The Team

Carole Wheatley, Sarah Coulber and Melissa Lefebvre 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 my knowledge with others so that they, too, can help Canada's wildlife through gardening."

Sarah Coulber,
Education Specialist

"Helping school kids learn to love wildlife through gardening is one of my greatest joys."

Melissa Lefebvre,
Education Program Coordinator

"Each one of us can make a difference in a few simple actions in our backyards or balconies."

Carole Wheatley,
Education Specialist

How to Garden with Wildlife in Mind

No matter your gardening style, resources or size of green space to play with, wildlife-friendly gardening is possible for everyone. And it can be beautiful.

Read More

What You Can Do

What You Can Do

Read More

Plants

Plants

Read More

Animals

A few animals you might find in your garden.

Read More

Gardening Tips & Tools

For the gardening novice or the seasoned pro, our Get Gardening section offers an abundance of advice, tools and resources.

Read More
arrow

Learn more

Donate Today

Donate to support Canadian wildlife conservation!

DONATE NOW
Facebook Twitter Wordpress Youtube Instagram Pinterest
CWF

About Us

  • Ways to Give
  • Contact Us
  • Supporter Centre
  • Corporate Sponsorship
  • Careers
  • Funding
  • Board of Directors
  • Foundation
  • Reports
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy & Policies

What We Do

  • Endangered Species & Biodiversity
  • Lakes & Rivers
  • Coasts & Oceans
  • Forests & Fields
  • Education & Leadership
  • Connecting With Nature

Explore

  • Agriculture & Habitat
  • American Eels
  • Aquaculture
  • Bats
  • Below Zero
  • Bioblitz
  • Canadian Conservation Awards
  • Canadian Conservation Corps
  • #DoMoreForWildlife
  • Fish Passage
  • Freshwater Turtles
  • Gardening For Wildlife
  • Great Canadian Campout
  • Monarchs
  • Mother Goose
  • Photo Club
  • Pollinators
  • Reconnecting Canadians
  • Right Whale
  • River Barriers
  • Salmon
  • Rivers to Oceans Week
  • Wild About Birds
  • WILD Education
  • WILD Family Nature Club
  • WILD Outside
  • WILD Spaces

News & Media

  • Blogs
  • Newsletters
  • Press Releases
  • Magazines
  • In the News
  • Branding Guidelines & Logos

Resources

  • DIY
  • Downloads
  • Encyclopedias
  • Events
  • For Educators
  • Games
  • Reports & Papers
  • Manuals

Partner Websites

  • AquaticHabitat.ca
  • BanWithAPlan.org
  • Canadian Marine Animal Response
  • Foundation
  • Hinterland Who's Who
  • iNaturalist.ca
  • Love Your Lake
  • Quest for Canada's Great Whales
Français - Accueil

© 2021 Canadian Wildlife Federation. All Rights Reserved.

Charitable registration # 10686 8755 RR0001