The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has just announced that our Boundary Bay Brewery Beer Garden is now recognized as an official Certified Wildlife Habitat site. The property attracts a variety of birds, butterflies and other wildlife, while helping to protect the local environment. NWF began the Wildlife Habitat certification program in 1973 and has since certified over 110,000 habitats nationwide. The majority of Certified Wildlife Habitat sites represent the personal commitment of individuals and families to provie important refuge for wildlife near their homes, but NWF has also certified more than 3100 schools and hundreds of business and community sites. Certified habitats can be found everywhere from restaurants, hospitals, and places of worship to community parks, corporate buildings and municipal facilities. NWF teaches the importance of enviornmental stewardship by providing guidelines for making landscapes more hospitable to wildlife.
In order to become certified, a property like our beer garden must provide the four basic elements that all wildlife need: food, water, cover and places to raise young; and must employ sustainable gardening practices. Habitat restoration is critical in urban and suburban settings where commercial and residential development encroaches on natural wildlife areas, limiting the availability of resources wildlife need to survive and thrive. In addition to providing for wildlife, certified habitats like our Beer Garden here at Boundary Bay Brewery conserve our natural resources by reducing or eliminating the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and/or irrigation water, which ultimately protects the air, soil and water throughout our communities. Creating habitats like this not only helps wildlife, it can help reduce global warming pollution and save energy costs as well. We here at Boundary Bay Brewery are just trying to make our own piece of earth a healthy, green space that adds to the overall beauty and life of this community we call home.