BY CHRIS QUARTARONE

As more and more houses are built across New Hampshire, some residents like the Southwell family of Bedford are doing their part to help keep animals feeling welcomed.  

Over the past year, Anne Southwell and her two children, Victoria and Kalee, groomed their pristine manicured lawn into a natural overgrown field.

On Aug. 13, the National Wildlife Federation recognized their land as an official Certified Wildlife Habitat.

The National Wildlife Federation, a federal nonprofit conservation organization, was created in 1938 to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for children’s future.

“Growing up in this area, I wanted my children to experience nature like I had as a child,” said Anne Southwell, whose interest in nature has led her to become an intern master gardener through the UNH Cooperative Extension, as well as helping run the nature program at Peter Woodbury School.

The National Wildlife Federation’s goal is to certify 100,000 sites by the end of 2007. To become a certified wildlife habitat, a property must provide the four basic elements that all wildlife need – food, water, cover and places to raise young.

The Southwell family worked for a year planting, building and landscaping their land to qualify for the program. They planted native species like milkweed and a blend of wildflowers, built cover with wood and added drinking water around their property.

Kalee, 7, helped put the finishing touches on a small water pond as well as building birdhouses with Victoria and their grandfather.

Victoria, 9, said she loves playing in her new yard and her favorite part was seeing a family of eight deer.

“I like the animals and birds. You would never know the birds are there until you run through it and they fly away,” said Victoria.

“When you think about it, you’re living in the animal’s land, and we can co-exist,” said Anne.

Last month, the Southwell’s property was the 87,546th habitat to be certified by the organization. An outdoor sign was placed on one of the yards trees stating its certification as a wildlife habitat.

Roxanne Paul, the operations coordinator for Habitat Programs for the National Wildlife Federation, said to date the organization has certified more than 91,000 habitats, 540 of which are in New Hampshire.

“Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to wildlife,” she said. “We get calls all the time from people saying green space in their community is disappearing and it’s great to see so many people giving back to wildlife through our program.”

Since the wildlife habitat’s completion, the Southwell family has seen fox, deer, wild turkeys, snakes, insects and numerous kinds of birds in their yard.

“It’s so nice to be able to sit out front and see the wildlife around you,” said Anne.

For Anne, having this environment around her is more than just pleasing to look at.

“For my girls, this environment is a much better toy than anything plastic you can buy,” she said, “On their own, they choose to play outside more often than not.”

About five years ago, Anne began helping out with the nature program at Peter Woodbury  and this is where her interest in nature began.

“The kids’ enthusiasm really got me into it,” she said, “It’s great hands-on learning and the kids don’t even realize they’re learning.”

She now leads the school’s nature program, where each grade has its own garden and students learn about where food comes from, as well as tracking the metamorphosis of Monarch caterpillars to Monarch butterflies.

The National Wildlife Federation began the Wildlife Certification program in 1973. The program is open to homeowners and has also certified more than 2,400 schools, business and community sites. There are no rules regarding a minimum size of the habitats, as Certified Wildlife Habitats have ranged from urban balconies to 1,000-acre sites.

In an announcement letter about the Southwell’s certified wildlife habitat, the National Wildlife Federation said, “It’s easy to feel that there is no hope for wildlife in our modern world of smog, traffic and asphalt. But there is hope. Each of us can make our own piece of Earth a healthy green spaces that help restore the ecological balance.”

Anne and her daughters said they share the National Wildlife Federation’s feeling and hope more people will do the same for the environment.