St. Louis Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program is an ecological landscaping inspiration and consultation service. Trained Habitat Advisors provide tailored advice and resource connections to help people create high-quality natural spaces where they live.
Site Visits
Site visits are available for stewards of residential yards (owned or rented), schoolyards, workplaces, common ground and vacant lots. Our advice and resource connections are geared specifically toward parcels in the St. Louis area under 5 acres.
Note: The current waitlist for site visits is 4+ months. We also pause site visits between December to mid-March. We appreciate the patience of all those waiting for a site visit. In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to increase our capacity to meet this growing demand.
If you’d like to get started right away, you might find some helpful ideas, resources or guidance on the STL Naturescaping Info Hub.
Gateway Consultation
- For those relatively new to landscaping for wildlife, we provide a basic overview of what is already present and the potential benefits of making choices to improve the natural environment. We will help identify a basic project to start with or provide recommendations for a specific problem area.
- This option is also appropriate for those managing an existing BCH Certified Landscape and who need guidance on maintaining it.
- Up to 1 hour, on-site visit with a trained Habitat Advisor.
- $50 suggested fee, or pay what you can. (Free for residents in priority areas. Check eligibility.)
- Basic, on-site report with findings and recommendations for improvement projects.
- Connections to resources.
- Discount on a follow-up visit for a Full Consultation or a free Certification Assessment.
Wildlife Habitat Certification Assessment
- For those who believe their landscape meets the criteria for certification.
- Please check the certification criteria here before choosing this option.
- Up to 2 hours (typically 90 minutes), on-site visit with a trained Habitat Advisor.
- $80 suggested fee, or pay what you can. (Free for residents in priority areas. Check eligibility.)
- Qualifying landscapes will receive a certificate and a yard sign with the certification level.
- Connections to resources.
Full Consultation
- For those committed to transforming their landscape, we provide an in-depth exploration of what is already present, potential solutions for problem areas, and other potential enhancements and next steps for wildlife habitat certification.
- Up to 2 hours (typically 90 minutes), on-site visit with a trained Habitat Advisor.
- $100 suggested fee, or pay what you can. (Free for residents in priority areas. Check eligibility.)
- Includes a detailed written site-visit report sent by email after the site visit.
- Connections to resources.
Service Area
Our service area is limited to 50 miles by road from the center of St. Louis City. You can check your address with the map linked here. Contact us if you have questions about eligibility.
Fee Structure
Our generous program sponsors help to keep our services affordable to all. There is no required fee for site visits. Instead, there is a suggested fee for each type of visit to help cover operational costs. After the site visit, you will be invited to contribute an amount that you feel is affordable and reasonable. For active members of St. Louis Audubon Society or St. Louis Wild Ones, the suggested fee is reduced by 50%.
Suggested Fees for Residential Site Visits:
- Gateway Consultation – $50
- Certification Assessment – $80
- Full Consultation – $100
Suggested Fees for Institutional Site Visits:
- For small community institutions such as schools, nonprofits, or religious communities, the suggested fee for a Consultation or Certification Assessment is $100
- Larger institutions are asked to contribute $500 for a Consultation or Certification Assessment.
Free Site Visits in Priority Areas
There is no fee for any site visits within our priority areas. (Check eligibility)
As part of a larger effort to ensure all Missourians have access to nature in their communities, the Missouri Department of Conservation has adopted a tiered approach to focusing the department’s urban community conservation efforts in the St. Louis region. The highest priority are areas that have historically experienced disinvestment and where residents have limited access to nature. Bring Conservation Home is partnering with this effort to help ensure all St. Louis area residents are supported to improve the natural habitat value of their space for birds, butterflies, and people.
Certification Levels
Wildife Habitat Certification is available for Residential or Institutional Landscapes. Below is an overview of criteria for Residential Certification.
FREE sign is available upon certification.
The same sign can be used for all three levels of certification.
Silver
$ 99
Per Month- Clear some invasive plants
- 5% naturescaping
- 2 of 4 canopy levels
- 3 wildlife stewardship elements
- 15 native plant species
- 1 stormwater management element
Gold
$ 99
Per Month- Clear most invasive plants
- 15% naturescaping
- 3 of 4 canopy levels
- 4 wildlife stewardship elements
- 25 native plant species
- 2 stormwater management elements
- 1 education/volunteerism element
Platinum
$ 99
Per Month- Clear all invasive plants
- 50% naturescaping
- All 4 canopy levels
- 6 wildlife stewardship elements
- 50 native plant species
- 3 stormwater management elements
- 2 education/volunteerism element
Upcoming Events
Partners for Native Landscaping
Spring 2025
Partners for Native Landscaping is an annual outreach education series presented in collaboration with other mission-aligned organizations with the goal of inspiring and helping individuals to create gardens that are not only beautiful but are also habitats for native wildlife.
St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour
2025 Tour TBA
Each year, Bring Conservation Home teams up with St. Louis Wild Ones to present a tour of native plant gardens in a different part of the St. Louis metro area. The 2024 tour had 11 gardens in southwest St. Louis City and Maplewood.
Bring Conservation Home Expo
September 22nd, 2024
The Bring Conservation Home Expo will be at Tower Grove Park. It will feature activities, exhibits and native plants for sale.
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors
OAK LEVEL
DOGWOOD LEVEL
SPICEBUSH LEVEL
BLAZINGSTAR LEVEL
River City Natives
Rolling Ridge Nursery
Custom Foodscaping
