(The following was posted June 21, 2022, on the Mendham-Chester Patch by Vianella Burns, Patch Staff.)
Mendham Township has joined the National Wildlife Federation and the NJ Audubon’s Community Wildlife Habitat program, which is led by the Environmental Commission, in order to become more wildlife-friendly.
Communities that participate in this program work to become healthier, greener, and more wildlife-friendly by creating wildlife habitats throughout the community and educating and engaging residents through events, educational workshops and hands-on service projects.
The Mendham Township Committee encourages residents to learn more about the program and consider certifying their yards in order to assist Mendham Township in becoming a more wildlife-friendly community.
Each certified site in the community provides the four basic elements that all wildlife requires: food, water, cover, and places to raise their young, all while incorporating sustainable gardening practices such as the use of native plants and the avoidance of pesticides.
“If each of us added one new garden bed filled with native plants each year, the impact on wildlife and essential pollinators would be huge. We already have 14 homes certified, will yours be next,” officials said.
As part of the initiative, the Mendham Township Environmental Commission established a new community pollinator garden at Wysong Park, which is located near the Ralston playground.
The new native plant garden, a haven of plants designed to attract insects like butterflies and bees, will be unveiled on June 25 at 10 a.m. after a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“I hope that residents will recognize how important their yard is to the health of our town and its wildlife. Providing habitat and using sustainable gardening practices support our local pollinators and other wildlife,” Mayor Nick Monaghan said.
More information about the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat network can be found at www.nwf.org/community. For more National Wildlife Federation news, visit www.nwf.org/news.
