Habitat at Home Application

Your Name:*

First Last

Your Email:*

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Habitat Location:*

Please enter the address where your habitat is located.

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Enter the size of your property in acres or square feet:*

(indicate units in next box)

Property Size Units:*

Food*

Everybody needs to eat, and your habitat should provide a variety of natural food sources with native plants. Does your habitat provide at least four of the following kinds of food sources?

Bird feeder
Nectar and pollen from native flowers
Fleshy fruits (“soft mast”—berries, persimmons, etc.
Hard mast (nuts, acorns, etc.)
Seeds from grasses and native wildflowers
Foliage (leaves from native plants)

Yes
No

Which food sources does your habitat provide?*

Select at least 4 from the following to qualify.

Select All
Bird feeder
Nectar and pollen from native flowers
Fleshy fruits (“soft mast”—berries, persimmons, etc.)
Hard mast (nuts, acorns, etc.)
Seeds from grasses and native wildflowers
Foliage (leaves from native plants)

Space*

Good habitat has diverse layers that provide places to live for a variety of wildlife species. Does your habitat have at least three of the following habitat layers (See example diagram)?

Leaf litter & ground cover (low growing plants like: native ferns, partridgeberry, creeping phlox)
Herbaceous (perennial and annual plants and grasses)
Native shrubs and vines
Sub-canopy: small trees
Canopy/mature trees

Yes
No

Which layers are present in your habitat?*

Native plants are the most important food sources for wildlife. Make sure you have enough native plants to support wildlife.

Select All
Leaf litter & ground cover
Herbaceous (non-woody plants and grasses)
Native shrubs and vines
Sub-canopy: small trees
Canopy: mature trees

Does your habitat have at least 30% native plant cover?*

More is better—some bird species like Carolina chickadees do best with at least 70% native plant cover. Don’t worry—a few large native oak trees can make up a lot of the percentage. (See an example of how to calculate native plant cover)

Yes
No

Shelter and Places to Nest:*

Wildlife need places to raise young, hide from predators, and escape harsh weather. Does your habitat provide at least three types of cover?

Evergreen shrubs or trees
Garden stubble (leave stalks and flowers over the winter to provide cover)
Standing snags, trees with natural cavities
Brush piles/rock piles
Leaf litter
Nest Box/roosting box
Exposed patches of soil

Yes
No

What cover types do you have?*

Select All
Evergreen shrubs or trees
Garden stubble (leave stalks and flowers over the winter to provide cover)
Standing nags, trees with natural cavities
Brush piles/rock pile
Leaf litter
Nest Box/roosting box
Exposed patches of soil

Water*

All wildlife require water in some form—larger water sources can provide important habitat for aquatic wildlife like amphibians or aquatic insects. Does your habitat provide at least one of the following water features?

Bird bath or fountain
In-ground water feature (frog pond)
A larger natural water body (creek, pond or lake or river)

Yes
No

What water feature(s) does your habitat have?*

Select All
Bird bath/fountain
In-ground water feature (such as a frog pond)
A larger natural water body (creek, pond, lake, or river)

Conservation Practices*

Many small actions can add up to serious wildlife conservation. Do you practice at least three of the conservation actions below?

Minimize pesticide use (learn about Integrated Pest Management)
Reduce lawn (conversion to garden beds, hedges or water features)
Reduce your turf area by at least 5% (for a ¼ acre lawn this is equal to 500 square feet or a 50 x 10 ft wide strip)
Practice composting
Reduce stormwater run-off
Use rain-barrels, rain gardens or reduce impervious surfaces like concrete or asphalt
Identify and remove invasive plant species (What is an invasive species?) Plants like English ivy, privet, and nandina spread into the wild and degrade natural habitats.
Keep cats indoors
Alter windows that present a strike hazard for birds
Reduce outdoor lighting and use fixtures that minimize light pollution (motion sensors can reduce night-time light pollution by following Dark Sky guidelines)

Yes
No

What practices are you using?*

Select All
Minimize pesticide use
Reduce your lawn/turf area by at least 5%
Practice composting
Reduce stormwater run-off (use rain barrels, rain gardens, or reduce impervious surfaces like concrete or asphalt)
Identify and remove invasive plant species
Keep cats indoors
Alter windows that present a strike hazard
Reduce outdoor lighting and use fixtures that minimize light pollution

Community Science*

Do you regularly share wildlife observations in your habitat with a community science platform, such as iNaturalist?

Yes
No

Join the DWR Habitat at Home iNaturalist Project!

Please provide your iNaturalist username if you'd like to receive an invitation to the Habitat at Home iNaturalist project as we document the benefits of Habitat at Home for Virginia’s wildlife!

CAPTCHA

Thanks for evaluating your property through Habitat at Home. Qualifying as a Habitat at Home requires that your property provide each of the habitat resources listed. Based on your answers your property doesn’t provide the minimum resource for one or more categories above. Please review our Habitat at Home Resources page. You may find that small, easy to make changes can make the difference!