

Habitat at Home – Celebrating Urban Habitat
Habitat loss is by far the leading source of human-caused bird mortality. The problem is so huge in its scope and scale that creating positive change through individual action can seem frustratingly futile. But our individual efforts to create and enhance habitat in the spaces we control can be incredibly effective.
Habitat at Home was founded on the basis and realization that urban landscapes are key in the ecological restoration of degraded and fragmented natural areas and that if we deem these urban, human-dominated landscapes as not suitable in supporting wildlife, we will lose an unforgivable amount of biodiversity. In defense of urban habitat’s importance and its potential to provide beneficial habitat for birds, pollinators and other wildlife, Habitat at Home enables homeowners to be stewards of their land; those who are willing to reconcile their needs with the needs of wildlife.
Our Mission:
To create and enhance bird, pollinator, and wildlife habitat in urban landscapes through education, individual and community participation, recognition, and restoration.
MORE NUANCED PROGRAM GUIDELINES
We’ve revised our general guidelines to be both more focused and inclusive. Our concepts are based on the fundamentals of Reconciliation Ecology, helping everyone to invent, establish, and maintain new habitats in our urban spaces.
HABITAT À LA CARTE
Choose from 10 different habitat à la carte enhancements, or engage all 10. These specialized categories help you create habitat for everything from caterpillars to lizards, and include initiatives such as dark skies protection and pesticide-free gardening. See below.
Join our Facebook Group to share info and photos, and be sure to follow us on our Instagram page!
CREATING URBAN HABITAT—4 Basic Elements & 7 Key Components
PLANTS
- LOCALLY APPROPRIATE PLANTS
- VEGETATION LAYERS
- REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES
PROTECTION
- REDUCING HAZARDS

WATER
- WATER FOR WILDLIFE
- WATER FOR HABITAT
HOME
- HOMES IN HABITAT

HABITAT A LA CARTE – DOING MORE WITH HABITAT AT HOME
Collect them all or pick and choose additional habitat enhancements and receive your approved sticker to add to your Habitat at Home yard sign.
See the detailed Habitat at Home A La Carte Menu.

START BUILDING YOUR HABITAT TODAY
We encourage everyone with access to an outdoor space, whether it is small or large, to join and participate in our mission of creating urban habitat.
Upon registration, you will receive a Habitat at Home yard sign as well as educational materials curated by Tucson Audubon Staff and local experts that will guide and teach you how to create beneficial habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.
REGISTER YOUR HABITAT
Do you already have a habitat at home? Looking to do more? Register your yard and join the community.
Upon registration you will receive your Habitat at Home yard sign with correlating level sticker(s) as well as all of our educational materials that will help you further enhance your backyard habitat.
GETTING STARTED IS EASY
- Sign up online, the cost is $35 for members, $45 for non-members (one-time registration fee)
- Take advantage of the additional resources on this site to assist you in building your habitat
GET INVOLVED
Share your achievements, get advice, and see what other Habitat at Home members are doing in their backyards by joining our Facebook Group. Or share your photos with Tucson Audubon by emailing habitat@tucsonaudubon.org.
Become a Habitat at Home Volunteer by emailing us at habitat@tucsonaudubon.org.
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.
Tucson Audubon Society
300 E University Blvd. #120 Tucson, AZ 85705
Mason Center
3835 W Hardy Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85742
Paton Center for Hummingbirds
477 Pennsylvania Ave.
Patagonia, AZ 85624
520 415-6447
RARE BIRD ALERT
FIELD TRIPS
JOIN
DONATE
e-News sign up
520 629-0510
CONTACT US
Tucson Audubon Society
300 E University Blvd. #120
Tucson, AZ 85705
Mason Center
3835 W Hardy Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85742
Paton Center for Hummingbirds
477 Pennsylvania Ave.
Patagonia, AZ 85624
520 415-6447
RARE BIRD ALERT
FIELD TRIPS
JOIN
DONATE
e-News sign up
520 629-0510
CONTACT US
Tucson Audubon Society
300 E University Blvd. #120
Tucson, AZ 85705
Mason Center
3835 W Hardy Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85742
Paton Center for Hummingbirds
477 Pennsylvania Ave.
Patagonia, AZ 85624
520 415-6447
RARE BIRD ALERT
FIELD TRIPS
JOIN
DONATE
e-News sign up
520 629-0510
CONTACT US