Fwd: FW: Invite Birds and Butterflies to your Garden

[Lauren Merrill]

Hi Natural Areas Action Team!

Here's some great information from the National Wildlife Federation on how to benefit birds and butterflies. When you're planning your garden this coming spring, think of the monarchs! Monarch populations are significantly declining from loss of habitat and particularly lack of food source for their larvae - milkweed! Check out Xerces Society and Monarch Joint Venture for more information on national efforts and ways you can help. Monarch Watch and Journey North are two citizen science groups that record monarch  and milkweed sightings. For an interactive map that tracks seasonal migration, try https://maps.journeynorth.org/map/?year=2018&map=monarch-adult-fall. There are monarch butterflies in the Willamette Valley, but we need more citizen science reporters!

Ways you can help right now?
1. Plant native milkweed

In this area that's showy milkweed ( Asclepias speciosa) and narrow leafed milkweed (Asclepias fasciculatis)

2. Provide nectar
3. Don't use broad spectrum pesticides (https://monarchjointventure.org/monarch-biology/threats/pesticides)
4. Reduce your lawn size

5. Support local efforts by educating others, advocating for different practices in your community, or become a citizen scientist

Thanks for helping,

Lauren

Natural Areas Action Team

Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <ami...@virginiavillageproductions.com>
Date: Sat, Feb 13, 2021 at 1:55 PM
Subject: FW: Invite Birds and Butterflies to your Garden
To: Lauren Merrill <lmerr...@gmail.com>, Molly Monroe <monro...@hotmail.com>

Lauren and Molly,

 

What do you think about forwarding this message to NAAT’s Google groups and asking them to help spread the word?

 

Annette

 

 

Invite Birds and Butterflies to your Garden 5 Ways to Help Monarchs The results of the 2020 western monarch butterfly count are in, the western population hit a low of less than 2,000 butterflies, and less than one percent of the population remains. It's not too late to save them! Here are five ways you can help western monarchs (and these same tips will help eastern monarchs too). The City of Los Angeles: Leaders in Biodiversity Protection Los Angeles is creating habitat across city neighborhoods and has developed a new program to restore and protect biodiversity in the area. See what Los Angeles is doing and be inspired to make your own community more wildlife-friendly this spring. Learn more.     Keeping Backyard Birds Safe Bird feeding is one of the most popular ways to attract birds to your yard, but if feeders aren't maintained properly they can do more harm than good. Learn how to keep your bird feeders clean and your feathered friends safe.   Identifying Wildlife Tracks Whether the ground is covered in snow where you live, or it's just wet and muddy out, looking for tracks is a great way to discover your wildlife neighbors. Find out how to identify tracks of some common backyard wildlife.   Featured Product: Tube Feeder with Seed Tray Solid construction and smart design give your feathered friends a trusted food source. Includes six feeding stations with perches and a removable roof for easy filling and cleaning. Get one today.   CERTIFY YOUR GARDEN Join the Conversation         Sign Up   Contact Us   Privacy Policy   NWF.org © 2021 The National Wildlife Federation, all rights reserved The National Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization PO Box 1583, Merrifield, VA 22116-1583 View in Browser | Unsubscribe

[Lauren Merrill]

A member of the Natural Areas Action Team shared their experience with growing milkweed on their blog. You can find that information here - https://thesharinggardens.blogspot.com/2020/08/monarch-restoration.html. It's a great post with more detailed information on how to prepare the seeds and some great pictures. Thanks for sharing!!

Hope you all can use and enjoy this information.

Enjoy the day,

Lauren