Become a Habitat Hero
Habitat Heroes are people like you who practice a form of landscape stewardship called wildscaping. You can be a Habitat Hero by creating wildlife and native plant habitat in your own yard, balcony, or other open space. Creating habitat doesn’t require large plots of land, extensive expertise, nor expensive landscaping. Here are some resources to help you get started.
Colorado Wildscapes: Bringing Conservation Home
An excellent resource to learn about wildscaping and creating habitat in your own yard is Colorado Wildscapes: Bringing Conservation Home. This timeless guide provides inspiration and information on how to wildscape your yard. The book is now out of print but you can still find copies at used bookstores and from online booksellers.
Artist rendering of the Habitat Hero Birdwatcher Garden in full bloom.
Habitat Hero Birdwatcher Garden
Add the award-winning Habitat Hero Birdwatcher Garden to your own yard. This pre-planned garden was originally created in 2014 by renowned garden designer Lauren Springer Ogden, in collaboration with High Country Gardens’ chief horticulturist David Salman. The plant collection in this garden provides bird habitat that is easy to maintain, beautiful, and fun! For full plant details and to order the garden visit the High Country Gardens website.
Certification for Native Plant Gardens
Interested in creating a certified native plant garden or landscape? Check out Colorado Native Plant Society and Colorado Wildlife Federation for requirements, resources, and places to purchase native plants.
Habitat Heroes Articles
Learn from the experts in these articles on improving the habitat quality of your yard, deck, or patio.
Scenes from Habitat Heroes Projects
Before wildscaping occurred. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
After wildscaping occurred. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
Providing food, water, and habitat attracts wildlife of all types. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
Bee-friendly hardscaping. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
Wildscaping in Denver. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
Blooming wildscaped yard in the Denver. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
Award-winning water conservation by a Denver-area HOA. By going from sod to plants they save over 15 million gallons of water a year. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
Wildscaping adds valuable habitat to your yard, patio, or porch. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
A front yard before wildscaping occurred. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.
After wildscaping occurred -- a yard transformed. Photo courtesy of the Habitat Heroes archive.