Our Mission: Grow a network of habitat for songbirds and pollinators in gardens across the Rocky Mountains and beyond, save water for our streams and rivers, and restore our joy in nature every day. 

Habitat Heroes Speak at Plant Smarter Conference

Thanks to our partner, Plant Select®, four Habitat Heroes inspired their peers and received some love for their work at Plant Select®'s fall "Plant Smarter" conference at Denver Botanic Gardens yesterday.

Passionate plantswoman and author Lauren Springer Ogden talked about transforming her suburban Fort Collins yard from "habitat for nothing" into layers and ecotones that mimic the larger landscape from desert and plains, to foothills woodland and mountain forest.

Her wildscape yard not only hides the view of the neighboring houses, it provides habitat to wildlife from nesting mallard ducks to Cooper's hawks and sulphur butterflies.

City of Westminster Horticulturist Shalene Hiller gave a visual tour of the habitat she has created at Legacy Ridge Golf Course, where coyotes help keep the cottontail population under control and hummingbirds flock to the perennial borders around the clubhouse, providing a show for golfers and guests.

Donna Hoffman of Natrona County (Wyo.) Extension showed off the mountain-to-plains-to-river habitat garden she and her predecessor created on the linear "hellstrip" mound dividing the parking lot of the extension building from the main street into the Natrona County Fairgrounds.

The linear "Wyoscape" garden is an example of how resilient habitat gardens can be: the garden has thrived through spring blizzards and summer hail, and continues to inspire despite losing 15 feet along one edge to road and utility construction.

Liz Catt of SE Colorado Water Conservancy District pictured the changing view from her office window of their xeriscape/native garden through the seasons. The Water Conservancy's garden, located in an industrial park by the Pueblo Airport, not only hosts tours for water wise gardening and Master Gardener Workshops; Liz noted it has become a refuge for all sorts of Southern Plains wildlife, from the hummingbirds that are so easy to love to the lizards and snakes some don't appreciate.

Plant It and They Will Come

All four Habitat Hero panelists illustrated our motto: Plant it and they will come.

Wildlife habitat can be restored anywhere, whether in the midst of the habitat-deserts or suburban lawns, on a golf course, between a road and parking lot, or in an industrial park. The right plants in the right place not only form resilient, beautiful gardens, they weave the habitat that wildlife large and small recognize as home.

Apply for the Habitat Hero Awards

Does your garden, park, landscape, schoolyard, farm or other working landscape provide significant habitat for wildlife, especially songbirds and pollinators? Apply now for the Habitat Hero Awards. Applications are due October 15th.

Join Audubon Rockies, Plant Select® and High Country Gardens in promoting wildscaping. Be a Habitat Hero.