Another step we’ve taken early in the journey of stewarding Ponderosa Paradise is working toward becoming a Habitat Hero property through Audubon Rockies, part of the larger work of the National Audubon Society. The Habitat Hero program encourages people across the Rocky Mountain region to create landscapes that support birds and other wildlife by using native plants, reducing chemicals, conserving water, and designing spaces where wildlife can safely live and raise their young.
Birds rely on healthy habitats for food, shelter, nesting, and migration stopovers, and programs like Habitat Hero help landowners understand simple but impactful ways to support them. If you’re interested in learning more or even creating your own bird-friendly space, you can explore the program through the Audubon Rockies website and their Habitat Hero resources.
For us, working toward Habitat Hero certification is about being intentional from the very beginning. Ponderosa Paradise already supports a variety of bird species thanks to the surrounding forest and natural landscape, and our goal is to protect and enhance that habitat rather than disturb it. As we begin shaping the land, we’re following many of the Habitat Hero guidelines including planting native and water-wise species, not using chemicals, reducing outdoor lighting, leaving leaf litter and designing the landscape with wildlife in mind.
Looking ahead, we also plan to install nesting boxes and bird houses (using recycled wood) across the property to support different species and give them safe places to raise their young. Like many of the conservation projects happening here, this is a work in progress, but becoming part of the Habitat Hero community helps guide our decisions and reminds us that even small actions can make a big difference for the birds that share this landscape with us.
