As part of the Sustainable Poolesville program, the Town has registered with the National Wildlife Federation to become a Community Wildlife Habitat. Since 1973, NWF has provided millions of people with the basic guidelines for making their landscapes more hospitable for wildlife. To date, through the Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program, NWF has certified more than 190,000 sites including yards, schools, businesses, community gardens, parks, and places of worship. Each of these sites provides the four basic elements that all wildlife need to thrive: food, water, cover and places to raise young. The Community Wildlife Habitat certification project includes a long-term commitment to citizen education about providing habitat for wildlife and employing sustainable gardening practices. These practices include reducing or eliminating the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, conserving water, planting native plants, removing invasive plants and composting. Poolesville's goal is to have at least 50 homes, businesses, places of worship and other locations certified under the Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program. The Town will receive points toward its community certification goal for each certified habitat. For more information on becoming involved in Poolesville’s efforts to become a certified Community Wildlife Habitat, please contact Donald Street at dmstreet51@gmail.com. To get started on your own gardening for wildlife adventure, visit NWF’s website. The site offers access to continually-updated information and resources for habitat projects, along with a wealth of other information on wildlife and wild places, and how to help protect these precious natural resources.