Schoolyard Habitats

Schoolyard Habitats® Program

"The objective is to teach the student to see the land, to understand what he sees, and enjoy what he understands."
- Aldo Leopold

The Schoolyard Habitats® Program focuses specifically on the use of school grounds as learning sites for wildlife conservation and cross-curricular learning. NWF recognizes the on-going efforts of schools across the country through a certification process. Certified schools provide essential habitat for wildlife, as well as use these sites as teaching tools integrated into the curriculum. To date, NWF has certified more than 1000 schools nation-wide, and more than 200 of those are in South Carolina!

Creating a Habitat

Habitat-based learning sites meet the needs of wildlife by providing the four critical habitat components:
- Food
- Water
- Cover
- Places to Raise Young

Sustainable Gardening Practices - Maintaining your landscape in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way ensures that the soil, air, and water that native wildlife (and people) rely upon stay clean and healthy.

Additionally, the creation of a Schoolyard Habitat site meets the needs of students, teachers, and the school community. The evolution of a habitat site is an ongoing learning process for all involved. It offers unlimited and diverse opportunities for active cross-curriculum learning and a new and creative outlet for meeting the requirements of national and state Standards of Learning.  Click here for a Schoolyard Habitat Planning Guide including lesson plans and other resources available from NWF.  

Application for Schoolyard Habitat Certification - NO FEE for K-12 schools!


If you have any questions about Schoolyard Habitats and how you can get involved, please contact SCWF's Habitat Education Manager - Email Savannah Jordan, or call our office at (803) 256-0670.