When Phyllis and Ivar Dolph moved into their Anacortes home four years ago, the front yard was a flat rectangle of grass with one maple tree.

Today the Dolph’s property is unrecognizable from what it once was. The once manicured lawn has been replaced with a cornucopia of trees, shrubs, native grasses and flowers.

“It’s just resplendent in color,” Phyllis said.

The Dolphs not only have created an environment that attracts birds, butterflies and wildlife, but they have helped the Fidalgo Island community receive national recognition as a Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

Through a three-year effort by the Anacortes/Fidalgo Island Backyard Wildlife Habitat group, 528 residential yards on Fidalgo and Guemes islands have been certified as either wildlife habitats through the federation, as wildlife sanctuaries through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, or both.

In addition to certifying yards, the wildlife habitat group has organized yard tours and presentations, worked on community projects and participated in educational events through the Skagit Conservation District.

Steering committee member Richard Bergner said the community certification is an achievement to be proud of.

“I can be proud of it. The steering committee can be proud of it. The whole community can be proud of it,” Bergner said. “It’s something to celebrate.”

And celebrate they will, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday in front of the Snagboat Heritage Center on R Avenue. The event promises speeches, refreshments, presentation of the certification by Anne Bikle of the National Wildlife Federation and a surprise or two including an appearance by Town Crier Richard Riddell.

Bergner said when the group registered with the Wildlife Federation’s habitat program three years ago it set a goal of certifying 500 residences along with a number of businesses, churches and schools. Since then it’s been working under the federation’s framework to encourage people to provide the four key features of a wildlife habitat on their property.

Those requirements are food from flowers, seeds or feeders; water from birdbaths or natural elements such as ponds or wetland; and shelter in the form of shrubs or trees, which also serve as the last requirement — places to raise young.

With all four features, any yard can be designated as a wildlife habitat. Bergner points out it’s much easier than most people think and there’s no legalities involved as some people fear. No one will be asked to sign a contract, give up their property or anything of the kind.

The project is strictly voluntary and runs on the honor system, Bergner said. There are no habitat police.

“Our hope is when people start planting habitat plants, they keep going,” he said.

Bergner himself cares for about two acres of property at Dewey Beach. As the property’s caregiver, he tends a garden full of native plants, ponds and other natural features and has noticed a lot more wildlife since he started in 2000. At that time there was hardly an earthworm present, he said.

Caring for the property and working with the wildlife habitat group has given Bergner a sense of balance, he said. Instead of focusing on the destruction that development has done to the island’s natural habitats, he concentrates on re-establishing natural areas.

Habitat loss is the biggest problem for wildlife, Bergner said. Anything that increases it helps even if that’s only one yard at a time.

“The idea is to change our thinking a bit to change habitat and foster it ... to help with the community identity as a community habitat,” he said.

Creating backyard habitats increases people’s sense of identity of a community living in harmony with nature, Dolph said. So many developments scrape away native vegetation that serves as wildlife habitat, and it doesn’t have to be that way, she said.

“We need more than ever yards linked for wildlife so it doesn’t disappear.”

Bergner said today when he drives around town, he can see vegetation the group has helped plant or signs designating yards as wildlife habitats.

“I think all that will make a difference,” he said. “It has made a difference and I think it will continue.”

Although it has reached its goal, Bergner said the group will keep encouraging residents and others to certify their property and may focus more on community projects such as planting native vegetation at the Rotary Ace of Hearts Park, landscaping the Community Shelter Project and just getting more volunteers to help with plantings.

“It’s been a very enriching experience for me as a volunteer with that group of people,” Bergner said. “They have so much energy — it just kind of comes back.”


Celebration

The Anacortes/Fidalgo Island Backyard Wildlife Habitat group will celebrate being designated as a “Community Wildlife Habitat” by the National Wildlife Federation at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 in front of the Snagboat Heritage Center at 713 R Ave.

The free celebration will include a few short speeches, the presentation of the community certification by Anne Bikle of the National Wildlife Federation, music, cake and refreshments provided by the Skagit Conservation District, and a surprise or two. Literature on certifying a yard and other topics will be available.


Anacortes/Fidalgo Island Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the numbers

26th
Community in the country to be certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

4th
Community in Washington to earn the designation.

528
Number of residential yards certified (28 beyond original goal) as wildlife habitats through the Federation, as wildlife sanctuaries through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, or as both.

15
Business grounds certified.

6
Church grounds certified.

5
Parks certified.

4
Schools grounds certified.

3
Habitat projects done by schools.

11
Habitat community projects completed, such as landscaping done at Kiwanis Waterfront Park and a hedgerow built at Frank and Rose Orr’s property.

31
Presentations given to about 1,050 people.

27
Educational events provided, such as information fairs, yard tours and workshops.

30
Information tables staffed by habitat members.

10
Information stations set up around town with brochures, applications and information, including at the Anacortes Public Library, City Hall and Senior Center.

475
People on the group’s monthly e-mail newsletter list.

108,000
Certified habitats nationwide.

4,587
Certified habitats in Washington.

370
Certified habitats in Skagit County.

1
Yellow Wilson’s warbler Phyllis Dolph saw taking a bath in her pond as she was interviewed for this article.
“I have an aviary out here,” she said.