Tag «butterfly garden»

Help Bring Back Pollinator Populations

Recently, we’ve seen an increase in attention focused on the plight of pollinators, in particular the honeybee. Honeybees are extremely important agricultural pollinators, while other native bees are also seeing population declines. The Rusty Patched Bumblebee is native to the Upper Midwest and was just added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services endangered list. …

Milkweed for Monarchs

milkweed for monarchs, landscape design

Monarch butterfly populations are rapidly declining due to drought conditions, increased insecticide and herbicide use, overwhelming habitat loss, and the steep decrease in milkweed plants.  Monarch butterflies are beautiful and important participants in pollinating plants in our ecosystem. However, their population has declined 90 percent over the last twenty years. Female monarchs rely on milkweed …