Community Wildlife Habitat - Missoula

To become a certified community, a city much reach a certain number of homes, schools, and common spaces considered Certified Wildlife Habitats. Any space that provides food, water, cover, and places to raise young, while using sustainable gardening practices, qualifies as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. For the City of Missoula, we reached our goal after certifying 135 homes, 12 schools, and 30 common areas. Despite this achievement, Missoula’s gardens continue to grow. 

Providing those five elements of habitat, food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable gardening practices, is made easier when using plants native to the Missoula Valley. The species of birds, butterflies, pollinators, and even deer we see enjoying our garden spaces have evolved to look for these native plants when searching for food, when seeking cover, and when raising young. Native plants are typically more drought-resistant, which makes caring for them in a sustainable way that much easier by reducing water use. Creating powerful and resilient habitat spaces like these in Missoula is even more important when we thing about the habitat space already occupied by homes, roads and businesses. 

Above are Certified Wildlife Habitats™ in the Missoula area. Create and certify your wildlife garden, whether it’s a balcony, suburban yard, schoolyard, or business.

Eliza Lindley - Garden for Wildlife™ Coordinator and 2024 AmeriCorps Member. 

Hello! My name is Eliza Lindley, and I am a Midwestern gals from Mount Horeb, Wisconsin - also known as the "Troll Capital of the World"! I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023 with bachelor's degrees in Environmental Science and Life Sciences Communication, as well as certificate in Sustainability. Throughout college, I worked as a podcast editor, served as an intern with our office of sustainability, conducted ecology research, and played bass drum in the marking band. After graduation, I spent a summer in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks doing aquatic habitat restoration for the National Park Service. And now I'm here! Connecting people with our vibrant environment is a huge passion of mine, so I am truly thrilled to working in this role out here among the mountains. In my free time, I love hiking, canoeing, writing, singing, playing music, and traveling as much as I can. My fun fact for you is that I currently own a viola, guitar, ukulele, kalimba, dulcimer, and keyboard. I am much better at playing some of them than others. :) 

Contact our Team! 

• Email Eliza Lindley, Garden for Wildlife^TM Coordinator - mteducation@nwf.org
• Email Naomi Alhadeff, Montana Education Manager - alhadeffn@nwf.org

Follow us on social media or visit our National Wildlife Federation: Northern Rockies, Prairies, and Pacific – Montana Education website for volunteer opportunities, gardening tips, additional resources, upcoming events, and how to get involved. 

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• An Exemplary Garden for Wildlife
• Attracting Pollinators to your Garden Using Native Plants (PDF)
• Beneficial Insects (PDF)
• Deer-Resistant Plants for Your Garden (PDF)
• For More Resources and a Demonstration Garden
• Gardening for Bats
• Growing a Bird Garden (PDF)
• How to Help Amphibians (PDF)
• Missoula County Weed District and Extension
• Missoula Tree and Shrub Planting Regulations
• Montana Native Plant Society
• Montana Natural History Center
• Native Wildflowers and Bees of Western Montana (PDF)
• Neighbor-Friendly Wildlife Gardening (PDF)
• NWF Garden for Wildlife
• Selecting Plants for Pollinators in Montana (PDF)