Habitat At Home
Let’s Build Greener Tacoma Neighborhoods Together!
We know that being nearby nature can significantly improve our well-being. Nature offers a vital buffer against pollution, noise, traffic and other stressors of urban life. But rather than embracing nature, we’ve historically built our cities and towns to exclude it. In fact, the buildings and streets we build interrupt habitat corridors and the natural flow of rainwater through Tacoma’s watersheds into our creeks, rivers and ultimately Puget Sound.
But when we bring nature back into our neighborhoods in our yards and landscapes, we make room for nature and people. And our neighborhoods become places that support healthier neighborhoods and a thriving Puget Sound.
Photo Credit: Pollinator Garden Bed - Gardener's Supply Company
Benefits of yard habitats
Creating a habitat in your yard has a variety of benefits to you and to your neighborhood. These pockets of wild can be any size and be put anywhere. Many creatures have lost habitat or had their habitat fragmented. Yard habitats are a way to increase habitat availability and bridge the gaps for wildlife.
You benefit from yard habitats too! These habitats usually use native plants which are used to the local weather. This means they need less maintenance than other manicured green spaces. Find out more about healthy yard maintenance from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Photo Credit: Container Gardening Complete
What Makes a Habitat
Every habitat has to provide the necessities of food, water, shelter and space to reproduce and and survive. By providing even just a few of these necessities around your home make a difference to wildlife. Find out about what you can add to your yard to make it a Habitat at Home
Photo Credit: Pollinator Garden Bed - Gardener's Supply Company
Learn more about what city habitats can do for an area.
Grant Opportunities
Reimagining landscaping and streets to create a more healthy and sustainable neighborhood can be cost-prohibitive. There are a variety of organizations offering assistance through grant opportunities for individuals and neighborhoods looking to initiate community greening projects.
Make A Splash Grants
City of Tacoma Environmental Services awards up to $48,000 a year in environmental grants to help educate residents and protect and restore local surface water resources. A reimbursable maximum award amount up to $4,000 is open to anyone considering a project within Tacoma city limits. Grants are designed for projects that have a strong stormwater pollution prevention message or provide a stormwater benefit. Submitted projects must meet at least one of the program goals of: education, surface water protection, or habitat restoration and tree planting.
Sustainability Small Grants
City of Tacoma Environmental Services provides a reimbursable maximum award amount of up to $5,000 to eligible projects within Tacoma city limits that help protect and restore our environment. Projects that help educate residents and/or businesses on the environment and sustainable practices are encouraged to apply. Strong grant applications will demonstrate a benefit to one or more of the three Environmental Services utilities: Surface Water, Solid Waste, and Wastewater.
Puyallup White River Watershed and Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed Small Grants
A partnership with Pierce County and the Stormwater Community of Interest (SCOI), a part of the Puyallup Watershed Initiative, with grant administration provided by the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, and the Puyallup River Watershed Council, this program provides grants up to $2,500 to non-profit organizations, schools, teachers, businesses, and individuals wishing to enhance water quality and habitats in the Puyallup-White River Watershed (WRIA 10).
Alliance for Community Trees Grants
A community-based wing of the Arbor Day Foundation, the Alliance for Community Trees is a member-based organization that works with individuals and community organizations to distribute trees and resources to support tree-centric community projects.