Urban Wildlife

Backyard Wildlife Habitat Certification

Through the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program, the City of Greeley hopes to increase habitat available to urban wildlife, help residents enhance health and enjoyment factors of their property and provide education and awareness of wildlife and human needs.

The City has a program for certifying habitats which successfully provide the basic needs of wildlife.

A brochure about the program and application form may be obtained from the Community Development Department or the Forestry Division of Parks.

Contact Karen Scopel, Natural Resources Planner at 970-350-9783 or Joe Lohnes, City Forester at 970-339-2447.

Natural Areas Certification Program

The City of Greeley Natural Areas Certification Program was created to provide natural areas management guidance to private landownwers and non-City public landowners within the Greeley Urban Growth Area. The program’s goal is to encourage site management practices that focus on protecting, restoring, and enhancing native animal and plant communities. The management plan must conform to City Code regarding trees and shrubs, weeds, brush piles, rubbish, and animals.

Criteria for Natural Areas Certification include the location of the parcel, size of the parcel (at least 1/4 acre), and existing or potential wildlife habitat value. If the parcel does not fit the criteria for certification as a Natural Area, applicants may wish to pursue the City’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat certification.

Interested property owners/managers are encouraged to set up a pre-application meeting with City staff. A brochure about the program and application form may be obtained from the Community Development Department or the Forestry Division of Parks. Contact Karen Scopel, Natural Resources Planner at 970-350-9783 or Joe Lohnes, City Forester at 970-339-2447.

Community Gardens

Gardening has many benefits and the Community Garden Advisory Committee has an opportunity for residents to enjoy this activity and reap the benefits. In addition to the physical activity involved in digging, planting, watering and weeding, the taste and associated nutrients of fresh-picked produce will help contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

Greeley residents with the urge to garden but no space to satisfy their farming instincts are encouraged to apply to rent a garden plot this summer. For only $25 gardeners can rent a 15' x 15' plot in the Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens at the University of Northern Colorado on the corner of 17th Avenue and 20 th Street in Greeley. Twenty-two plots are available and will be assigned on a first come-first served basis after the applications are reviewed. Gardeners must supply their own seeds, plants and other gardening supplies and tools, but the rental fee includes the cost of water for irrigation.

The opportunity to rent a garden plot is one of the projects coordinated by the Community Garden Advisory Committee as part of Project GROW (Gardeners Reaping Opportunities for Wellness) through the Natural Resource office at the City of Greeley . This program is an integrated effort of the City of Greeley, Steps to a Healthier Weld County, University of Northern Colorado, Envision, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Home Depot and interested community members.

Contact Karen Scopel at 350-9783.

Download Application (PDF)