Railroad Park gardens
(photos by JIM STREET)
Gwynne Jamieson, a key volunteer in the Alpine Railroad Park improvement project explained the next job to volunteer John Bane. The Wassermann Wranch in Sunny Glen has proposed taking over the old caboose as a retail outlet and bringing one or two animals per day to the caboose.
ALPINE – The National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization, is pleased to recognize that the Railroad Park Gardens in Alpine has successfully created a Certified Wildlife Habitat® through its Garden for Wildlife program, according to a NFW news release.
NWF celebrates the efforts of the Alpine Downtown Association combined groups: Tierra Grande Master Naturalists, Historic Murphy Street, Alpine Garden Club, Whitlock Gallery on Sixth Street, the Native Plant Society of Texas, Kiowa Gallery, and Alpine Teak to create a garden space that improves habitat for birds, butterflies, lizards and a wide variety of other Far West Texas wildlife and migrating species by providing essential elements needed by all wildlife – natural food sources, cover and places to raise young.
Certification also makes this Certified Wildlife Habitat® part of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, a national effort to restore critical habitat for pollinators.
“We are so excited to have another passionate wildlife garden team join us and create a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Over the last 40 years, nearly 200,000 wildlife gardeners have joined NWF’s Garden for Wildlife movement and helped restore wildlife habitat right in their own yards and neighborhoods,” said David Mizejewski, naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation. “Whether you garden in a suburban yard, an apartment balcony or a 10-acre farm, a schoolyard or a business park, or anything in between, everyone can create a home for local wildlife. Turning your space into a Certified Wildlife Habitat is fun, easy and makes a big difference for neighborhood wildlife,” he added.
As Kathleen Griffith of the Tierra Grande Master Naturalists says, “Railroad Park is a cornerstone for downtown Alpine. We are helping Keep Alpine Beautiful.”
Nancy Whitlock of Whitlock Gallery, states, “When I heard that our Alpine Downtown Association supports the City of Alpine’s Adopt-A-Plot program, run by Patsy McWilliams, I was thrilled to try my hand at gardening with sustainable plants that add beauty and necessary habitat for our town critters. After dark, Alpine’s downtown and RR Park Gardens become a busy place for native and naturalized critters: javelinas, mule, axis, and white tail deer, fox, turkey, kestrels and more!”
Dallas Baxter, president of the local chapter of The Native Plant Society of Texas, adds, “Our plot includes some previously planted mature natives – Mexican Redbud, Desert Willow; we’ve added Canyon Sage, Scarlet bouvardia, side oats grama and sotol. We already see more pollinators welcome their new landscape.”
NWF’s Garden for Wildlife program encourages responsible gardening that helps pollinators and other wildlife thrive. It encourages planting with native species like milkweed and discouraging chemical pesticide use. With nearly 200,000 locations and growing, NWF’s Certified Wildlife Habitats and Community Wildlife Habitats recognize individuals, schools, groups and whole communities committed to providing habitat for wildlife, including pollinators. Certified locations provide food, water, cover and places to raise young. This makes yards, schools, businesses, places of worship, campuses, parks, farms and other community-based landscapes into wildlife sanctuaries. For more information on gardening for wildlife and details on how an entire community can become certified, visit www.nwf.org/habitat or call 1-800-822-9919.
For more National Wildlife Federation news, visit: www.nwf.org/news.
National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization, inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.
