Bird Friendly Habitat

Our Bird Friendly Habitat Certification sign

As the land is increasingly developed in our area, we are destroying much of the native habitat on which birds and other wildlife depend. Typical developments include large areas of lawn and non-native plants. Some of these non-native plants escape cultivation and take over the few remaining natural areas, which in turn threatens those habitats for wildlife.

The New Hope Audubon Society is trying to restore native habitat and reduce the pressure from invasive plants through education and direct intervention. We are educating people about the benefits of using native plants, how to identify and remove invasive plants, and other steps they can take to make their property more bird-friendly. Our goal is to create Bird Friendly Communities, a goal we share with North Carolina Audubon.

Special update, July 2021: New Hope Audubon has been awarded a Sustainable Communities grant from the Triangle Community Foundation in the amount of $15,000. Grant funds will be used to create and pilot a “Leave Your Leaves” public education program enhancing environmental conservation efforts in our local communities. Click here for details.

Bird Friendly Habitat Certification

To encourage and guide people in the process of creating bird friendly habitat on their property, New Hope Audubon is offering a Bird Friendly Habitat Certification Program. For details about the program and how to qualify, follow the link to our recently revised brochure with new criteria (spring, 2022) below:

Bird Friendly Habitat Certification Brochure

Our Bird Friendly Habitat Under Construction sign

Also see the associated web page, “Ways to make habitat safe and friendly for wildlife” for explanations and details about many of the items in the brochure.

The information in our brochure and at this website can be used to improve the habitat for birds in a yard, at a business, or in any public or private outdoor space with or without certification. It doesn’t all have to be done at once; instead, just take one step at a time. For instance, get started by adding a native plant or removing an invasive plant.

If you are interested in becoming certified, please fill out the following form online and submit. There is a fee of $50 for the first visit for yards, but subsequent visits are free as you work toward certification. Fees for other properties like co-housing shared property, businesses, houses of worship, retirement centers, etc. will vary and will be negotiated.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

We do property visits from May until November when we can identify the plants on your property. However, please go ahead and apply for a yard visit anytime since that will get you on our wait list in the order of your date of application, and we will have a backlog of properties on the list for spring. We will acknowledge receipt of your application, but there may be a delay in doing so during the off-season.

Also note that we cover all of Durham and Orange Counties and parts of Chatham County including Siler City, Pittsboro, and Moncure. We also cover small parts of adjacent counties including Butner and Mebane. Check our zip code map at ABOUT US for details of coverage area in Chatham and bordering counties.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

For more information on any of the key elements of creating a bird friendly habitat, follow the links below by clicking on a photograph.