In honour of National Pollinators Week, check out this article on the exciting work being done by Lawson Health Research Institute to help improve the survival rates of honey bees exposed to pesticide. https://www.lawsonresearch.ca/news/probiotics-could-improve-survival-rates-honey-bees-exposed-pesticide

From Nature Canada. (www.naturecanada.com):

This blog was written by Nature Canada writing intern Amanda Simard.

Why it’s important

Over the last 20 years, the Monarch population has seen an 80% drop. As of the 2016 assessment by the Committee on the Status Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), the Monarch Butterfly is designated “threatened,” and its status under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) is “Special Concern.”  While severe storms are a factor in this decline, one of the main problems is the near eradication of milkweed due to overuse of pesticides.

Milkweed is crucial to this butterfly—they depend on it during their egg and larval stages for food and protection. The decline of milkweed wreaks havoc on Monarch reproduction, but there is something you can do! Grow your own Monarch-friendly garden and give a home to this majestic butterfly.

How to create a Monarch-friendly garden

Plant milkweed

Milkweed comes in many varieties that are indigenous to Canada. Opt for local plants when you can, they are already adapted to the climate and won’t require watering or fertilizer.

Local milkweed varieties include:

• Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) | blooms June to early August
• Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) | blooms June to September
• Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) | blooms June to September
• Poke milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) | blooms June to early August

Plant nectar flowers

Adult Monarchs require nectar as a food source.

Local varieties of wildflowers are an excellent pick, and make sure to include colour! Butterflies generally like yellow, pink and orange flowers.

Some of the wildflowers Monarchs prefer include:

• Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) | blooms May to September
• New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) | blooms August to October
• Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) | blooms July to August
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) | blooms June to September
• Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) | blooms June to August
• Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) | blooms July to September

A place for rest and water

Try to include flat stones where butterflies can perch, spread their wings and bask in the sun. Additionally, damp spots or puddles in the soil allow butterflies to drink and replenish the minerals they need.

For more information about Monarchs and the plants to use in your garden, consult “The Monarch Guide”—our pamphlet with all the information you need.

Read the entire blog posting at http://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/monarch-playgrounds-create-a-butterfly-garden/

As you know, monarch butterflies are in serious trouble. You can do your part by calling on the federal government to take immediate action to protect them.

Sending an email may seem small, but you’ll combine your voice with tens of thousands of others, to push our elected officials to act.

There’s more you can do to help monarchs! Check out the Monarch Manifesto:
http://action2.davidsuzuki.org/monarchmanifesto

And be sure to check out the new Butterflyway Project. Volunteer Butterflyway Rangers are bringing nature home to neighbourhoods in five cities across the country! Stay tuned for more butterfly-friendly fun at http://butterflyway.davidsuzuki.org/.

In the past 20 years, more than 90 per cent of the monarch butterflies that migrate from Mexico to Canada have disappeared. After a couple of years of modest improvement, the monarch population dropped by more than 25 per cent last year.

Read more about this very important subject and find out what you can do to help the David Suzuki Foundation at http://action2.davidsuzuki.org/monarchs