Austin City Hall is prime real estate for wild urban dwellers

For immediate release
July 21, 2008

Downtown Austin is a hot spot for urban living, and residents of the wild kind have found City Hall to host an assortment of features making it prime real estate.

The National Wildlife Federation representatives officially declared Austin City Hall a "certified wildlife habitat" at ceremonies today, July 21. Austin Mayor Will Wynn and Council Members Lee Leffingwell and Mike Martinez accepted the honor on behalf of the City.

NWF has found that City Hall provides songbirds, butterflies and other wildlife an enjoyable haven of habitat amidst the condos and buildings of Austin’s urban center. The designation of exceptional merit by NWF will make Austin the first city hall in Texas to receive habitat certification.

"Austin's City Hall shows that you don't need a lot of acreage to create habitat for wildlife," said Susan Kaderka, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation. "If you provide birds and butterflies with the things they need, they can thrive in even the most urban environments."

The mostly native landscape at City Hall has provided homes for local critters since the building was completed in 2004. The landscape was designed to showcase a variety of native Texas trees and plants. The diversity of plant life has created a desirable place for birds and butterflies to find tasty food sources like seeds and berries, as well as places for resting, hiding and raising their young. The water features offer the wildlife residents a refreshing drink and place to bathe and cool off in the summer heat.

In addition to the NWF wildlife habitat designation, Austin City Hall boasts other environmental certifications including the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

"City Hall was designed as a reflection of Austin - both our culture and our region's natural beauty," Mayor Wynn said. "This honor from NWF is recognition that with thoughtfulness, creativity and careful planning we can meet our needs for a built environment in ways that actually enhance the environmental heritage that makes Austin such a desirable place to live in the first place."

The habitat certification of City Hall is part of a larger effort for Austin to become the largest metropolitan area in the country and the first city in Texas to be certified by NWF as a "Community Wildlife Habitat."

Wildlife Austin, a new program of the Parks and Recreation Department, is charged with earning the communitywide habitat certification. This fall, PARD will unveil a "habitat demonstration garden" that will also be certified as a wildlife habitat.

"Our department is excited to have the responsibility of certifying our city as a NWF Community Wildlife Habitat and the habitat demonstration garden will serve as a place for learning and a model for wildlife habitat gardens around the city," said Stuart Strong, Acting Director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

Creating spaces for animals in the downtown area is as easy as planting some native plants for butterflies and hummingbirds, putting out a bird bath and providing a nest box or dense shrubs for cover and raising young.

"It is important to create a landscape that is friendly to a downtown business district, residential living and natural wildlife," Council Member Leffingwell said.

A NWF certified wildlife habitat also uses sustainable gardening practices such as reducing or eliminating chemical fertilizers and pesticides, conserving water, planting native plants, harvesting rainwater and composting.

"Sustainable gardens, like those featured at City Hall, are a smart choice for the environment while often being easier on the property owner," Council Member Martinez said.

Austinites can also take an active role in providing habitat for wildlife by taking the Neighborhood Habitat Challenge. For more information about the challenge and the Wildlife Austin program please visit www.keepaustinwild.com.