Kathy Sipple, a Valparaiso woman, is campaigning for Indiana to be recognized for pollinator-friendly habitats. She recently gained National Wildlife Federation recognition for Northwest Indiana, becoming the first multi-county region to do so. Now she wants Indiana to become the first state to be designated a certified wildlife habitat. The Hoosier Habitats Challenge officially kicked off March 7 at an Indiana Wildlife Federation conference. Sipple works part-time as a resiliency coordinator for Earth Charter Indiana, leading the effort. She hopes to achieve the same for the entire state. The environmentalist and Sipple also highlighted the need for native plants, which are not required for wildlife habitat certification, but are strongly encouraged.