Merrillville, January 2026 – Legacy Foundation has awarded Green EC (East Chicago) a $10,000 ‘Transform Lake County’ grant in support of their new effort with the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat™ program to become a healthier, sustainable, and more wildlife-friendly by committing to create wildlife habitat throughout its communities while also educating and engaging residents.
Healthy habitats and healthy communities go hand-in-hand. Too often communities are suffering from pollution, disinvestment, or other challenges that separate people from the natural world. When human communities suffer, wildlife suffer as well.
“By joining the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat program, East Chicago is sending a clear and powerful message to communities all over America that people working together can create healthy habitats and healthy communities, and make a difference in their own community and beyond,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, Senior Director of Community Wildlife.
Olimpia Gutierrez, founder of Green EC and a Resiliency Coordinator with Earth Charter Indiana gathered diverse partners in support of the project, including East Chicago Park and Recreation, East Chicago Public Library, Lake County CISMA, Wild Ones Gibson Woods Chapter, The Nature Conservancy, Student Conservation Association and Shirley Heinze Land Trust.
Marino Solorio, Director of Parks & Recreation, City of East Chicago enthuses, “This grant will help bring educational programs and efforts about urban gardening, native plant habitat, and sustainability to the city of East Chicago. These projects and programs will add to what’s existing now and create new opportunities for a cleaner and more sustainable East Chicago.”
Since 1973, the National Wildlife Federation has provided millions of people with the basic guidelines for making their landscapes more hospitable for wildlife. To date, through the Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program, the National Wildlife Federation has certified more than 300,000 sites including yards, schools, businesses, community gardens, parks, and places of worship. Each of these sites provides the four basic elements that all wildlife need to thrive: food, water, cover and places to raise young, while integrating sustainable gardening and landscaping practices.
To become certified as a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat™ Green EC (East Chicago) is calling on its residents to certify their own property at NWF.org/Certify and join our education and outreach efforts to learn about how residents can create a healthier, greener and more wildlife-friendly community. Click here to receive notifications about events, volunteer opportunities, etc. or to join our private Facebook group.
For more information about the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat network, please go to: www.nwf.org/community.
For more National Wildlife Federation news, visit: www.nwf.org/news.