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Habitat for Wildlife

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources wants to help you help wildlife on your property. The Habitat Partners© program encourages corporate landowners, private landowners, schools, and homeowners to improve habitat in their community that will benefit Virginia’s songbirds, mammals, amphibians and other wildlife.

Habitat refers to the essential elements that all wildlife species need to survive: adequate food, water, and shelter in an appropriate arrangement. A diverse habitat is one that has a wide range of plant types, layers, and edges that provide cover from weather and predators, nectar sources for insects, nuts and berries for birds and mammals, and places to raise young. The more diverse the habitat features, the greater the diversity of wildlife that can live there.

The face of our landscape is constantly changing, and with increasing urbanization and development comes fragmentation and loss of critical habitats. Habitat loss is the greatest single factor adversely affecting wildlife populations today.

Homeowners

Improving Habitat for Wildlife