CENTER TWP — As the number of housing developments across the United States skyrockets, so does the number of homeless birds and animals.

The situation, however, is not doomed.

Because of the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat program, more than 70,000 people have found ways to coexist with nature by having their yards certified as official wildlife habitats.

Last summer, Butler County resident and garden enthusiast Marie Campbell did just that.

"Ihave a lot of places for animals to hide and flowers that attract different types of birds," Campbell said.

"My husband likes birds and I like flowers, so it worked well together," she added.

Campbell was first introduced to the program in 2006 after reading an article in a spring issue of Birds & Bloom. The article explained that the program's manager, David Mizejewski, set the goal of certifying 70,000 sites by the organization's 70th anniversary.

"He said it doesn't take much," Campbell said, "sometimes all you need is a bird bath and a few shrubs."

Campbell's backyard, just under a half acre, including woods, is in a suburban area near the Clearview Mall, but the NWF stresses that the program is for many different types of environments.

"The average habitat is between one-third and one-half acre, but certified sites range from urban balconies to thousand-acre areas," said Mary Burnette, an NWF spokeswoman.

Burnette said the certified habitats can also help lower energy bills by reducing heating and cooling needs and can make the home more attractive to future buyers.

Except for a few minor additions, Campbell's yard already included most of the things necessary for official certification. However, for those whose yards don't, simple adjustments can be made following steps outlined by the NWF.

The first step toward welcoming animals into your backyard is helping them find food.

In addition to the obvious installation of a bird feeder, planting native species is an option that involves little maintenance. Some of these native plants for the Northeast are winterberry shrubs, eastern red cedar trees and sweet pepperbushes, according to the NFW.

"We have suet, regular bird feed and we tried to get plants with berries," Campbell said.

Next, the habitat will need water. Two options to complete this step and dress up the look of a backyard are birdbaths and ponds.

In Campbell's yard, she has included two ponds, one with a recycling waterfall.

Like humans, animals require shelter. Step three is important because animals need a safe place to hide and long-term shelter to raise their young. Shelter can be provided with shrubs, rocks, brush or nesting boxes.

This step was easy for Campbell because her property is outlined by woods, which provide many hiding places. She said many animals find shelter in her large rhododendron bushes.

Once a yard has been made suitable for wildlife, it must be maintained to conserve resources and keep the environment thriving.

The NWF has several suggestions to complete this fourth task.

One suggestion is mulching, which helps keep moisture in the ground and reduces the need for fertilizers.

Gardeners may also want to consider reducing the land area of the their yard to minimize the use of chemicals and lawn-mower pollutions.

To retain moisture, NWF suggests setting out barrels to collect rain for watering during dry months.

"I use a soaker hose that drips water into the ground," Campbell said. "I read that was a better way to water flowers instead of just pouring water directly on them."

The fifth and final step to creating an official wildlife habitat is getting it certified.

This can be done by filling out a form that is on the program's Web site. There is a $15 processing fee and an option of purchasing a NFW display sign.

A year after being certified, Campbell and her husband, Jim, continue to make improvements to their wildlife habitat using Birds & Bloom as their guide.

"I'm new at it," she said, "so Ijust kinda read the magazine and add this or that."

"The magazine is great for people who want to start or people who are trying learn. It's a great little teaching tool."

For more information, log on to www.nwf.org/backyard/.