Certified Backyard Habitat
Learn how to make your space a welcoming environment for local wildlife! In this series, we will guide you to qualify your backyard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.
A certified backyard habitat contains the essential needs that wildlife need to thrive, including food, water, shelter, and places to raise their young. Find out the upcoming schedule of Backyard Habitat programs and workshops using the resources below. After you've joined a Backyard Habitat Series program (or a few!), you should have the information you need to certify your own space. Registration may not open until closer to each program.
Upcoming Programs
Backyard Habitat: Intro to Backyard Habitat
March 4, 2025, 6 p.m.
Sippo Lake Park-Exploration Gateway (Room C)
Over the past decade, urban sprawl has increased at an alarming rate. Due to this trend, our native wildlife have been forced to relocate as their habitats disappear. As individuals, we may not be able to stop this devastating trend, but we can help reintroduce wildlife back into our yards.
Backyard Habitat: Pollinators
March 25, 2025, 6 p.m.
Sippo Lake Park-Exploration Gateway (Room C)
Join us for an engaging evening of learning, craftsmanship, and fun at our Wild Workshops! Each month, we explore the great outdoors while guiding you in creating a habitat that welcomes wildlife into your backyard. This month, we’re focusing on the vital role of pollinators. Discover their importance and build your own pollinator house to take home! One habitat per family. Due to limited materials, registration is required. $5 residents/$7 non-resident
Backyard Habitat: Restoring Drought Resiliency
April 17, 2025, 6 p.m.
Native Roots Nursery of Richfield, Ohio, will be speaking on your garden’s potential, how to select native plants that will benefit wildlife, and how to bounce back from a drought.
Backyard Habitat: Throw and Grow Your Backyard
June 12, 2025, 6 p.m.
Throw and grow a beautiful pollinator garden by making seed balls to help support and attract pollinators to your backyard. Native seeds used in this program are from Stark Parks and have been hand-selected and cleaned by Naturalists and volunteers. This seed ball mix could include any combination of the following seeds: Wild Bergamot, Purple Coneflower, Milkweed, Mountain Mint, Maximillian Sunflower, Black-eyed Susan’s, or Rattlesnake Master. Each participant will make and take their seed balls home supplied with ‘how-to’ directions.
Backyard Habitat: Composting
July 10, 2025, 6 p.m.
Join a representative from Rubber City Reuse as they discuss composting and their environmental initiative designed to help individuals and businesses divert organic waste from landfills and turn it into valuable compost for enriching the soil. The program encourages sustainable practices by providing the community with easy access to composting resources and education.
