Red-tail Land Conservancy’s community-driven program Growing Home ™ won a 2023 Governer’s Award for Environmental Excellence. It is the highest environmental award bestowed by the state of Indiana and is reserved for projects that show innovative, transferable, and outstanding achievements that positively impact Indiana’s environment.
Growing Home ™ educates, encourages, and empowers homeowners to transform their yards into wildlife-friendly habitats by implementing sustainable practices such as planting native flowers, and providing food, water, and shelter. By doing so, participants not only contribute to local biodiversity but also experience personal benefits such as reduced yard maintenance, community beautification, and the joy of observing birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
The certification program serves as a powerful educational tool, engaging homeowners in learning about local ecosystems and the importance of biodiversity. Growing Home ™ is unique in the educational resources the program provides. A committee of local botanical specialists, including Master Gardeners, biologists, horticulturalists, and science educators, created a step-by-step guide for gardeners detailing how and why to create homes for wildlife in their personal outdoor space. Red-tail Land Conservancy donated 20 wildlife gardening books to local libraries.
Additionally, the Growing Home Committee offers one-on-one mentorship for gardeners who need help getting started or want ideas about improving their backyard habitat. This hands-on approach to education can foster a greater sense of environmental stewardship and inspire participants to make more sustainable choices in other aspects of their lives.
One of the key reasons why the certification program is important is its potential to create a network of interconnected habitats across communities. By attracting and supporting birds, pollinators, and other beneficial wildlife, Growing Home ™ certified habitats build a network of pocket nature preserves where local and migrating wildlife can thrive. By 2023, there were 125 Growing Home ™ certified habitats across eight counties and 13 cities in east central Indiana. The program has created green corridors that allow wildlife to move safely through urban areas.
The Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence recognizes the program’s effectiveness in engaging the community and achieving measurable conservation outcomes. By encouraging individuals to take concrete actions to support wildlife and ecosystems, the program demonstrates the potential for small-scale, community driven initiatives to make a meaningful impact on larger conservation goals.
As communities continue to face environmental challenges, programs like Growing Home™ serve as inspiring examples of how collective action can lead to significant and lasting change, offering a unique and accessible way for individuals to contribute to conservation efforts while enhancing their own living spaces.
Originally published in the State of the Lands 2024 edition. Read it in full: get the pdf.
If you aren’t located in east central Indiana, you can find native landscaping resources and get your native garden certified through some other local programs:
- Bringing Nature Home program – Shirley Heinze Land Trust (Northwest Indiana)
- Grow Indiana Natives certification – Indiana Native Plant Society (Statewide)
- Certified Wildlife Habitat program – National Wildlife Federation and Indiana Wildlife Federation (Nationwide)