Though Ron Holman wasn?t able to make it to the ?Pollinator Tour? hosted by the Southwind Extension Master Gardner?s on Thursday evening in front of the Allen County Courthouse, volunteers June Stipp and Judy Arbeiter made it known that the flowers on display were there because of him.
Holman, grounds director at the courthouse, has been planting flowers in the courthouse lawn for a number of years. Over time, he has steered it into a butterfly garden.
?We used to have flower pots out here, but they began deteriorating so I started planting them directly into the ground. It has been a lot of trial and error. I get advice from the Southwind Extension Office, I get a lot of help from TLC. The folks at TLC have been extremely helpful,? Holman said of the LaHarpe garden center. ?They tell me if they are having a lot of success with a certain type of plant each year. They know pollinator-friendly plants and give me advice.?
Holman said the abundance of rain has helped him tremendously this year.
Arbeiter and Stipp wanted to bring awareness to the rapid decline of bees and Monarch butterflies, that area crops depend on. Everyone can do their part in bringing back native flowers and grasses that the pollinators depend on.
?It is absolutely essential. You have to have the pollen to make the plants grow. We have no fruits or vegetables without them,? Arbeiter said. ?We are talking butterflies tonight, but bees are equally important. And I really think that is why we are seeing so many people around here starting beehives. We have a lot of people around here that have hive colonies.?
Stipp said nature requires a delicate balance for things to live in harmony. Milkweed, for instance, is essential for the proliferation of Monarch butterflies, but is poisonous to cattle.
?Most of the things sold in the Farmers Market depend on pollinators,? said Sarah Bradshaw, who took part in the tour. ?Bees are probably the most important for crops. All the insecticides we spray on crops to keep the worms from eating up the corn are killing everything, not just the worms.?
WHILE THE flowers in the courthouse lawn are beautiful, each one is there to attract butterflies. Holman has planted Black-eyed Susan?s, Tropical Milkweed, Vista Bubblegum, Salvia, African Daisy, Snapdragons and many more types of flowers.
According to the Extension Office, the population of Monarchs migrating back to Mexico has steadily due to a lack of habitat suitable for providing important caterpillar food plants and nectar for migrating adults.
Ten states, including Kansas,have been targeted as critical in supporting Monarch migration.
Through a partnership with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, the Kansas Department of Transportation was awarded $65,000 for the restoration and enhancement of right-of-ways for Monarchs. Funding is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The grant will provide approximately 125 acres of pollinator habitat.
Still, plantings in small parks, city landscapes, and backyards are crucial to bringing back the Monarchs, while helping out native pollinators.
Monarchs travel all the way from the Candian border to Mexico each year. Adult butterflies require their own source of nectar from a large variety of flowers. Without that food source, fewer are able to make it to Mexico for the winter. Even fewer return in the spring.
