If your neighborhood is interested in becoming a certified Community Wildlife Habitat, contact Debbie Sharp at [email protected] or 865-215-3232.

The City of Knoxville has been a certified Community Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation since 2017.  

In 2013, the South Woodlawn Neighborhood
Association in South Knoxville became the first community in the state of Tennessee to complete the certification process.  Due in part to the great work the South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association engaged in, Knoxville had very little trouble getting the required numbers to register for certification in 2017.

Since that time, the Forest Heights Neighborhood Association and Historic Fourth and Gill Neighborhood Organization have received certification.

The City does activities throughout the year to earn points that keep us Certified as a Wildlife Habitat. 

City Nature Challenge is one of them.

Providing resources for the community is another.  Here are some excellent resources you can use and share with your neighbors about how to have a more ecological healthy yard and staying within the City's Natural Landscape Guidelines.

Backyard Birds of Knoxville [PDF]
Bats of East Tennessee [PDF]
Native Flowers of Knoxville [PDF]
Native Shrubs of Knoxville [PDF]
Native Trees of Knoxville [PDF]
Native Vines and Groundcovers of Knoxville [PDF]
Invasive Plants of Knoxville [PDF]

Natural Landscape Guidelines [PDF] 



More About Certified Wildlife Habitats

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Community Wildlife Habitat program was founded in 1997 to create and certify wildlife-friendly landscapes within larger community settings.  Communities of all sizes can apply, and to date, there are more than 90 certified Community Wildlife Habitats, with Knoxville being the only city in Tennessee.  

A Community Wildlife Habitat provides homes for wildlife throughout the area while educating residents about sustainable wildlife gardening practices.  To become certified, a community must reach a certain number of certified homes, schools, and common areas.  After that, a community must earn education and outreach goals through a checklist that includes native plant education, community events, and workshops.

All certified habitats require the five things necessary for wildlife to thrive in your garden or community:  food, water, cover, a place to raise young, and sustainable gardening practices. The green areas in the map of Knoxville below show all the areas that have been certified so far.

If you want to have a natural landscape in your yard and you want to ensure that you follow City Codes, you will want to follow these Natural Landscape Guidelines. 

Visit the NWF website to find out more about how to certify your home or place of work.



View Knoxville Wildlife Certification Density Map in PDF format.