https://certifiedwildlifehabitat.nwf.org
I’m new here and as I’ve reviewed several nominations with these, I wanted to confirm that since “Certified” wildlife / butterflies / pollinators signs are bought and they’re meant to be a designation that is only for a SINGLE PRIVATE RESIDENCE…they are not eligible for a wayspot that I know of. Yes, you qualify for them through an organization, but they’re still for private property.
I happen to be part of my local beekeepers club as well as a US master gardener and I see these signs all the time, and it reminds me of Little Free Libraries; just because you buy one and put it on your private property, it doesn’t make it a waypoint/Pokestop. I’ve read several “this is a permanent sign” in supporting statements, but that’s still on private property. Also, I’ve seen these signs removed when new homeowners take over the property, or when the homeowner repurposes the originally designated garden, so no sign is ‘permanent’, if that makes sense.
Side note, there are other business/corporate “Certified” wildlife and pollinator signs, but those are a separate entity and I usually approve those in their proper context. I’m just wanting clarity and confirmation about these particular homeowner signs because they may look official like it’s a business, but they are bought by homeowners for their own personal property.
Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m just trying to help, so thank you in advance.
Thank you for bringing up this topic! Yes, any SFPRP location is ineligible, no matter what the sign says. I might accept a nomination using a sign like this as a focus for a communal area garden. The link you shared says, “This online application is for single site properties only.” I don’t think that means that it has to be residential property. But it definitely shows that the sign is not significant in itself - just for what it represents. And the top sign there does appear to be a program only for homeowners: Conservation@Home - The Conservation Foundation
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I agree this was my interpretation when I read the site. It does seem to be aimed at individual homes, but I can imagine community projects potentially using them. It looks like it’s main purpose is stop fellow residents complaining if lawns are not mown and the garden is not looking “tidy”.
Most of the community pollinator projects I know have a little more education value explaining the need for pollinators, which these don’t seem to do.
As with any object if it’s on single family private residential property it’s a no.
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My memory of USA is that people would definitely complain in a well-to-do suburb if someone dared to let their grass grow longer than a few inches. (Putting in shrubs and plants was beyond the pale).
So, not the case everywhere, especially when education can be done on how these help protect the local environment, provide a habitat for small animals, etc. Many cities actually have places like this now, usually little pocket preserves or pollinator gardens.
I’ve seen some of these in review before. I think the last one I saw was on SFPRP, and others seem questionable as to whether or not they are on SFPRP. I think the program is set up to allow more homeowners to have nature habitats on their properties, as if they are done by a park district or other governing body, the signs tend to be different and reflect the area more; they also tend to have names for the nature areas, not just a random nature habitat sign.
In the UK we have over the last several years started to see areas of the grass verge signed to state they are mowing this bit less to help wildlife (most of us think it’s due to them sacking the staff 
).
Seen a fair few of these nominated but the problem is at the end of the summer the signs will be removed and put in to storage and the area will have a final mow before winter so they are not permanant. 
I nominated a bee friendly sign for a project about 4 years ago it got rejected as temporary. It’s still there and project is still active.
But some you win and some you wrongly lose 
I suppose that is where local knowledge comes in to play. I know locally they are removed.
Walking past last year and saw a youth “damaging” one, was about to say something when I spotting his workmate doing the other end and the council van with several in the back. The lawnmower guy was about 100 metre further down doing the years final cut
