Geneva, Switzerland
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva was the first U.S. Department of State (the Department) facility to be certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation®.4 As of August 2017, sixteen posts and domestic facilities are now certified.
The Mission’s garden staff and Green Team implemented several changes in the existing gardens in order to meet National Wildlife Federation’s requirements for sustainable horticulture and habitat development. Changes included minimizing the use of water and fertilizer and maximizing native plants, particularly those friendly to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. In addition, staff used mulch, compost, and chemical-free fertilizer. To promote and protect wildlife habitat, the Mission provided for wildlife seeds, fruits, berries, and other food sources; roosting locations; water sources such as birdbaths and ponds; thickets, rock piles, and other cover; and places for wildlife to raise young, including mature trees and host plants for butterflies. The Green Team even organized a workshop for the Mission’s children, who made birdhouses that staff placed in the trees on the Mission’s five-acre grounds.
Mission Geneva customized the Wildlife Habitat Certification to address their specific site. Ecologists or local wildlife specialists provided guidance and expertise to ensure that various species’ needs were met. For more information about the program, visit: http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife.aspx.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva is a Certified Wildlife Habitat™
4 USUN Reaches Green Milestone. State Magazine, May 2010. The Department.