Creating backyard habitat is an excellent way to help wildlife, but even if you have no property to work with, or you want to take part in the conservation crusade beyond your backyard, a world of exciting possibilities lies ahead. Community projects geared to improving habitat can be challenging and fun, and they’re hugely rewarding for humans and wildlife. There are two primary ways to get involved:
First, you can volunteer with a program that’s already under way. Government agencies and private organizations working for wildlife habitat can always use volunteers to make contributions to projects big and small.
Getting started is a cinch! Contact your district wildlife office, a naturalist group, or local fish and game club for information about wildlife projects in your area. Consult with the leader of a project that interests you and ask for advice on how you or your group can contribute. Your provincial or territorial department of natural resources or environment can provide you with the names and telephone numbers of conservation groups and fish and game clubs near you.
A second way to help wildlife through community service is to create projects beyond your backyard. You could organize families on your block to clean up a local wetland, or team up with a neighbourhood school to put up bluebird boxes. A more ambitious project would be to transform the grounds of your local hospital into a wildlife habitat haven.
All the information you need is right here. This site will steer you to the resources necessary to get community wildlife projects up and running. It is worth noting that many of our backyard projects double superbly as community projects! For instance, the installation of a nesting structure on your property can be expanded into an effort to install a whole network of bird houses throughout your municipality’s parks.