Habitat at Home | Tucson Audubon Society

Habitat at Home- a yard that is a part of something bigger

Create a beautiful water-saving landscape that helps birds, other wildlife, and you!

A Habitat at Home “naturescape” can lower your utility bills and reduce maintenance. Learn how to beautify your yard while providing food and habitat for the birds that enrich our community. Native plant species allow you to enjoy a cooler yard in Tucson’s hot and dry weather.

Register Today!

Habitat at Home is better with membership! Get a reduced rate on your registration fee! Treat yourself to 10% off at our Nature Shop for completing each level (includes optics)! View the other benefits of membership here.

Join our Facebook Group and be sure to follow us on our new Instagram page

Already have an awesome habitat in your yard? Receive the official Tucson Audubon wildlife bird habitat designation! A site visit can be arranged to receive your certification. You must be registered in the program and at the Cardinal level. Please review the above checklist to see if your yard qualifies. Email or call to schedule an appointment. Email habitat@tucsonaudubon.org with questions or call 520-209-2474.

New Habitat at Home Workshops This Spring!

NOTE: These workshops are postponed. Please follow this space or our social media channels for updates. Thanks for your patience!

Spring is here! Join us at one of our new Habitat at Home Workshops and learn how to create a wildlife-friendly habitat in your own yard. This 5-part workshop series is being held at the Santa Rita Springs Green Valley Recreation Center (921 W. Via Rio Fuerte, Green Valley MAP) on Wednesdays from 10–12 in the Anza Room. These hands-on workshops are free to the public!

March 18 – Backyard Ecology: Realizing Your Home’s Potential for Wildlife
March 25 – Plants for SE Arizona: Selecting Plants to Meet Your Habitat Goals
April 1 – Irrigation: An Introduction to Rainwater Harvesting and Drip Systems
April 8 – Shelter and Water: Meeting all the Needs of Your Backyard Visitors
April 15 – Pollinator Gardens: A Guide to Pollinator Conservation in Your Backyard

See the details of each workshop

Habitat at Home is a self-guided educational program that will help you to:

LEARN

Your program workbook will introduce you to the components of a bird-friendly, sustainable yard. These learning points will give you an outline for more in-depth study. Look forward to that spark of creativity in thinking about your landscaping goals.

BUILD

Let’s get to work! Buy your native plants, water features, feeders, and anything else needed for your perfect landscape. Need some help on the tough stuff? The Tucson Audubon Restoration Team can provide you with expert assistance on creating your ideal bird habitat. Transform your yard and support the work of Tucson Audubon all at the same time!

PLAN

What level do you want to achieve- the Hummingbird, Goldfinch, Thrasher, or Cardinal level? Create a landscaping blueprint for your yard based on flexible, level outcomes. Making a plan will help you follow through and implement your vision.

SHARE

Complete the checklist for each chosen level. Bring it to the Tucson Audubon Nature Shop, and receive stickers for your achievement, to display on your Habitat at Home sign. You can also have your stickers mailed to you. Upload photos of your project to our Facebook Group page, or share your success with a neighbor. Tell your story at a community presentation or host a workshop about Habitat at Home!

GETTING STARTED IS EASY

Sign up online, the cost is $35 for members, $45 for non-members (one-time registration fee)

Receive your Habitat at Home yard sign, “In-Progress” sticker, and bird recipe cards in the mail
Receive an e-copy (PDF) or hard copy of the workbook (in the mail)
Read through and follow the step-by-step instructions, complete your checklist, and feel great that you are helping birds and other wildlife. You will save water and make your home and community a cooler, more enjoyable place to live!
Take advantage of the additional resources on this site to assist you in building your habitat

TRANSFORM YOUR YARD

SIGN UP NOW!

MAKE AN IMPACT

Share your finished bird-friendly project with Tucson Audubon! We’d love to see how you adapted the program to your own needs and creative vision. Upload your photos to the Facebook Group page. Be sure to include your name and a description of your Habitat at Home landscaping project in the captions. Email your photos to habitat@tucsonaudubon.org and we will post them on our Instagram page. Share your profile in your email so we can tag you if you have one. Want to make a bigger impact? Tell your yard transformation story to be featured in our quarterly Vermillion Flycatcher publication and or join us at an upcoming community event!

Become a Habitat at Home Volunteer by emailing us at habitat@tucsonaudubon.org. Be an ambassador for the program and support other participants, host a community mixer at your residence, and or get on the interest list to be a feature home on a future Habitat at Home “naturescape” tour.

SHARE photos

SIGN UP NOW

FIND native plants

RECOGNITION LEVELS

Hummingbird

Do you have limited time, resources, or space for a landscaping project? Are you a renter who can’t make big changes to your yard? This level will guide you to make a small hummingbird planter garden on a patio.

Goldfinch

Are you working with small space, or integrating native plants into a majority non-native garden? This level will guide you to make a pollinator garden with a water feature that you can adapt to small spaces.

Thrasher

Ready to take on a full-scale yard project? It’s time to create a yard that collects water, produces food for birds and humans, and integrates a majority of native plants.

Cardinal

You’re ready to be a champion for birds! This level will guide you in designing a “naturescape” that is bird friendly, sustainable, and designed to lower heat island effects through an integrated approach to landscaping.

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