The Xeric Garden Club of Albuquerque created a Wildlife Habitat Garden utilizing the habitat garden principles of providing food, water, cover and places to raise young for birds and pollinators, modeled after the National Wildlife Federation’s Habitat Certificate requirements. The garden, originally designed by Albuquerque resident Virginia Burris, incorporates all of these elements.
In 2012 the habitat garden received certification from the National Wildlife Federation with recognition for protecting and nurturing wildlife in our community education space. As of 2024, the garden is now certified with the Friends of Valle de Oro Albuquerque Backyard Refuge Program which has certified over 545 individual, business, school and community participants in our state.
- National Wildlife Federation: https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Create-and-Certify
- Albuquerque Backyard Refuge Program: http://abqbackyardrefuge.org
The Xeric Garden Club’s Wildlife Habitat Garden utilizes native plants to accomplish our goal and incorporates both coniferous and deciduous plants varying in heights from trees to very small shrubs. The change in heights accommodates the needs of various wildlife creatures and the native plant selection attracts butterflies, birds and bees providing food, cover and pollination to other plants. Several water sources including rocks with natural basins provide the needed water.
By using native plants the Xeric Garden Club of Albuquerque is helping to maintain the natural order of all living organisms by nurturing the relationships that have evolved over millennia between plants and animals in this environment.
While the Xeric Garden Club’s Habitat Garden is to educate children and adults of the importance of providing an urban sustainable habitat for native plants and wildlife, it also provides a template that can be easily replicated in a homeowner’s modest yard.