Marion County Certified as Wildlife-Friendly by the National Wildlife Federation as part of the Hoosier Habitats Challenge

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Marion County, Indiana has been recognized as a wildlife-friendly community by the National Wildlife Federation's Community Wildlife Habitat program™. Its mission is to provide a powerful network of community leaders with a framework and educational resources to help neighborhoods, towns, and larger municipalities, equitably create habitat while meeting their own biodiversity, sustainability, climate resilience, and stewardship goals.

"We are proud to collaborate with the many players who have helped Marion County reach this milestone," Dan Boritt, Executive Director, Indiana Wildlife Federation, "This builds upon Indianapolis' 2023 designation as a top Gardening for Wildlife municipality, coupled with the Wild Birds Unlimited leadership championing habitat for several years."

"The Marion County certification models nature-based action to address the biodiversity crisis through regional resident's individual actions and we uplift their leadership as part of this unprecedented statewide challenge." Kathy Sipple, Earth Charter Indiana Resiliency Coordinator.

"Congratulations to Marion County, Indiana for coming together to earn this certification" said Courtney Sullivan, director of community habitat for the National Wildlife Federation. "Marion County is an inspiration to the 24 Wildlife Habitat teams in Indiana who have signed on as part of the Hoosier Habitats Challenge to work towards their community's certification requirements. Consider joining a team or starting your own."

In March 2026, Earth Charter Indiana and the Indiana Wildlife Federation launched the Hoosier Habitats Challenge. The goal is to certify multi-county regions and communities across the entire state of Indiana in the National Wildlife Federation's Community Wildlife Habitat program and advance community habitat resilience and sustainability. Once certified, this Statewide Network of Community Wildlife Habitats will be the first of its kind in the United States, reaching all corners of Indiana.

To receive individual community designation, community leaders commit to building collaborative relationships with residents, educators, youth, city officials, families and more to educate them about and engage them in the creation of native plant habitat for people and wildlife. Each certified community is required to certify a proportion of their residential homes, schools, and public spaces as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat™. Marion County has nearly 1,000 certified critical pockets of habitat throughout their community that provide the four basic elements that all wildlife need to thrive: food, water, cover and places for wildlife to raise young, and are managed using sustainable gardening and landscaping practices.

For more information about the National Wildlife Federation's Community Wildlife Habitat network, please go to: www.nwf.org/community.