Native Plant Habitat Certification Program
The GNPS has started its Native Plant Habitat Certification Program to recognize and honor GNPS members for planting and nurturing native plants in the landscape pattern and to applaud the native plant gardener for showing in a small but significant way that a residential property can sustain an ecosystem which continues its connection with the natural world.
Thank you for your interest in the GNPS Native Plant Habitat Certification. This indicates your recognition of native plants as an avenue to common sense gardening, as a link to working with nature, and as a path to environmental wholeness, as well as a blessed haven for wildlife.
Your effort indicates your commitment to preserving, enhancing, conserving and protecting our environment. It also reveals your desire to educate not only yourself, but your friends and neighbors as well, about the intrinsic values of developing a native plant habitat. Keep in mind that a garden is a work in progress. Understand that as a conscientious effort is made to develop a native plant habitat, the garden will never become a final statement, but rather a continuing development connecting the gardener with nature.
Upon completion and approval of your application, a member of the Native Plant Habitat Certification Committee will visit your site as part of the certification process. At that time you will receive a personalized certificate suitable for framing. This visit will be coordinated with you prior to the visitation date.
If possible, please submit a photo of your garden at visitation/certification time that reflects the native plant habitat. Photo will be placed in GNPS Native Plant Habitat Certification Album and will be available for viewing at various GNPS events. Gardens certified as Native Plant Habitats will be announced at the GNPS Annual Symposium.
The Certification Program Fee of $10.00, payable to GNPS, is due with completed application. You must be a member of GNPS to participate.
Please also note that GNPS is unable to certify any site as a native plant habitat where any Category 1 plants as listed by the Georgia Exotic Plant Pest Council are being actively cultivated. We ask that you verify that there are none of these exotic pest plants growing on your property before submitting your application. You can see photos of and read about these plants at the Georgia Exotic Plant Pest Council website.
*Visitations may be made when/where certifiers are available; otherwise certificate will be mailed.
The application form is a set of questions. There are 3 methods of completing the certification form:
Print a PDF and fill in the blanks (there will be 3 or 4 pages)
Open and Fill in the Word version of the Certification Application then print the completed form.
The first method will submit your information directly to the Certification Committee, the other two methods require that you mail the completed form to GNPS. All methods require that you mail a check to GNPS for the certification fee. Check, and, if required, printed form should be mailed to:
Marilyn Bloom
c/o GNPS
PO Box 422085
Atlanta, GA 30342-2085
If you have any questions regarding the application, please send an email to Marilyn Bloom.