West Hollywood City Obtains Certified Wildlife Habitat Designation At Formosa Park And Havenhurst Park

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

January 19, 2021

The City of West Hollywood has created two new Certified Wildlife Habitats through the Garden for Wildlife program of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Certified Wildlife Habitats have been created at Formosa Park, located at 1140 N. Formosa Avenue, and Havenhurst Park, located at 1351 Havenhurst Drive.

NWF celebrates local efforts to create and sustain gardens that serve as havens for local birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Certified Wildlife Habitats additionally may help to support the health and reproduction of local mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates including insect populations such as bees, which are important pollinators in the ecosystem.

“This is one of my favorite initiatives and I'm proud that our City has created two new Certified Wildlife Habitats through the Garden for Wildlife program of the National Wildlife Federation,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore Lauren Meister. “Not only will this help the City of West Hollywood meet its goals to become healthier, greener, and more wildlife-friendly. Every habitat garden is a step toward replenishing resources for wildlife, such as bees, butterflies, and birds. Climate change is real, and each thing we do to help our urban wildlife helps in the fight against climate change.”

“Supporting and welcoming back native plants and animals to our City is part of our larger sustainability efforts,” said City of West Hollywood Councilmember John D’Amico. “And we encourage everyone with a garden of any size to certify their garden as a Community Wildlife Habitat with NWF.”

Community members may take inspiration from the City of West Hollywood’s efforts to certify small parks as habitats. Backyards, urban gardens, container gardens, school grounds, businesses, places of worship, campuses, parks, farms, zoos, and community landscapes can all be recognized as Certified Wildlife Habitats through NWF. Every Certified Wildlife Habitat achieves certification from a combination of five specifically defined elements:

Food — Native plants provide food eaten by a variety of wildlife. Feeders can supplement natural food sources;

Water — All animals need water to survive, and some need it for bathing or breeding, as well;

Cover — Wildlife need places to take shelter from bad weather and places to hide from predators or hunt for prey;

Places to Raise Young — Wildlife need resources to reproduce, and to protect and nourish their young; and

Sustainable Practices — Maintain a yard or garden in natural ways to ensure soil, air, and water stay healthy and clean.

Using a NWF certification checklist, Formosa Park has obtained 21 elements and Havenhurst Park has obtained 20 elements out of a minimum of 10 elements required to receive Certified Wildlife Habitat designation.

Community members who wish to participate in NWF’s Certified Wildlife Habitats program will, upon certification of a garden, receive a personalized certificate with a unique habitat number, a one-year membership to NWF with a subscription to National Wildlife magazine, a subscription to the Garden for Wildlife e-newsletter, a 10-percent discount to National Wildlife catalog, and the exclusive right to post a Certified Wildlife Habitat sign.

NWF is the largest wildlife conservation and education organization in the United States with a mission to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. Celebrating over 45 years, the Garden for Wildlife movement has recognized more than 227,000 Certified Wildlife Habitats across the United States to-date, encompassing more than 2.5 million acres.

For more information about participating in NWF’s Certified Wildlife Habitats Program, please visit www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife. For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s certification of Formosa Park and Havenhurst Park, including details about plant species and elements that support local habitats, please visit www.weho.org/habitat.

The City of West Hollywood is dedicated to sustainability and preserving our environment. One of the City of West Hollywood’s core values is Respect for the Environment and the City has a strong record of developing and instituting progressive and forward-thinking environmental policies. In 2020, the City launched its Green City Awards program to recognize projects and practices that demonstrate excellence in environmental sustainability. The City encourages West Hollywood’s community to nominate local Certified Wildlife Habitats for a Green City Award in 2021.

For more information, please contact City of West Hollywood Senior Administrative Analyst Erin Hamant at (323) 848-6859 or ehamant@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised, at this time, to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public for essential needs, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public. Additionally, people 65 years old or older and all people of any age with underlying health conditions should remain at home whenever possible; people in these categories should only leave their residences to seek medical care, exercise, or obtain food or other necessities.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.