Celebrating Wildflowers

Celebrating Wildflowers News

Join the 2018 International Monarch Monitoring Blitz to help save the monarch butterfly!

Posted July 18, 2018

From July 28 to August 5, 2018, citizens from Canada, the United States and Mexico are invited to participate in the second International Monarch Monitoring Blitz to help identify the monarch butterfly's breeding sites. Launched for the first time last year, the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz aims to provide a valuable snapshot of monarch population status across the monarch flyway.

View the article on the Monarch Joint Venture website…

2018 Monarch Conservation Webinar Series - Next Webinar: “Meadow Establishment in the East”

Posted July 18, 2018

The next webinar in the 2018 Monarch Conservation Series is coming! The "Meadow Establishment in the East" webinar will discuss establishing and maintaining native meadows in the eastern United States.

Register: Meadow Establishment in the East

Also visit the 2018 Monarch Conservation Webinar Series web page…

Pollinator Program Successes Sprouting Up Across Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Posted July 2, 2018

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is participating in a national effort to reverse the loss of pollinator species. Although the pollinator program is in its infancy, efforts across the Forest has resulted in the improvement of more than 36,000 acres of habitat in the last two years. Improvements have been made through weed treatments, fuels reduction, and watershed restoration projects.

Read more about the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest's accomplishments…

Sharp's Knob Restoration Project

Posted July 2, 2018

Take a look behind the scenes at one of the Snowshoe Mountain Resort's #foreverwild initiatives, a partnership with the Forest Service, American Chestnut Foundation, Green Forests Work, Office of Surface Mining, and The Nature Conservancy. The Sharp's Knob restoration project reclaimed a stripped mountain top by planting native trees and digging the ground to allow water back in and prevent runoff.

Pollinator Week 2018 - Intermountain Region

Posted June 21, 2018

The USDA Forest Service Intermountain Region, published a special issue of their regional newsletter for Pollinator Week. It features information about pollinators, what they are, their decline, and what you can do to help. Also visit the Intermountain Region's News and Events web page for more pollinator news.

Plant a garden that butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees will love as much as you!

Posted June 21, 2018

The Bee Smart® Pollinator Gardener is your comprehensive guide to selecting plants for pollinators specific to your area. Never get caught wondering what plants to buy again!

It is available free on both Android and iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod) platforms.

Go to the Pollinator Partnership BeeSmart web page…

Maintaining and Improving Habitat for Hummingbirds in Alaska

Posted June 15, 2018

Hummingbirds play an important role in the food web, pollinating a variety of flowering plants, some of which are specifically adapted to pollination by hummingbirds. This guide is intended to help you provide and improve habitat for hummingbirds, as well as for other pollinators. This guide provides brief descriptions of the hummingbirds that occur within Alaska, as well as some basic information about their habitat needs.

See the Alaska hummingbird guide and also see other hummingbird guides for other parts of the United States.

National Pollinator Week, June 18-24, 2018

Posted June 11, 2018

Eleven years ago the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week has now grown into an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.

Visit the Pollinator Partnership for more information about National Pollinator Week, find events, take action, get a toolkit, graphics, poster, fun facts, and sutff for kids.

Also, see Pollinator Week Activities in Washington DC (all events are free).

Webinar - Trees for Bees: Pollinator Habitats in Urban Forests

Posted May 29, 2018

Scheduled for July 10, 2018 at 1:00 pm (US/Eastern), the Trees for Bees: Pollinator Habitats in Urban Forests webinar will provide Extension Agents with information and resources to promote pollinator habitats in urban and suburban forests. Pollinator habitats are important to all landscapes, including urban and suburban forests. Pollinators need numerous resources in addition to nectar and pollen, such as nesting sites, water, and shelter. The webinar will cover pollinator habitat needs and ways to promote pollinators in urban and suburban forests. Available resource materials and instructions for a hands-on learning activity will be included.

Visit the Webinar Portal for Forestry and Natural Resources for more information about this webinar…

National Wildflowers Week 2018

Posted May 22, 2018

United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue proclaimed May 20 -26, 2018, as “National Wildflowers Week.” National Wildflowers Week will kick off a season-long festival of events highlighting wildflower appreciation, education, interpretation, and restoration activities. The Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service,the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service, along with all of our partners who participate in the Federal Interagency Plant Conservation Alliance, will join together to celebrate the diversity of plants and plant habitats found on the Nation’s public lands.

See the Secretary's proclamation (PDF)…

New Plan Aims to Reverse Monarch Butterfly Decline

Posted May 15, 2018

The Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA) welcomes public comments through May 31, 2018, on a draft conservation plan that provides a blueprint for reversing the decline of the eastern monarch butterfly population.

The Mid-America Monarch Conservation Strategy builds on existing efforts of state, federal, and local agencies and private organizations and individuals. It covers a 16-state region stretching from Texas to the Upper Midwest that encompasses the primary production and migratory habitat areas for eastern monarchs. Other eastern monarch states are also collaborating with the plan

For more information, a copy of the draft strategy, and how to submit comments, please visit the MAFWA website at Mid-America Monarch Conservation Strategy.

New Pollinator Partnership Poster: Pollinators and Seeds

Posted May 9, 2018

A diversity of managed and native pollinators supports healthy wildlands and a nutritious food supply in North America. In turn, native plant communities that sustain pollinators are an essential foundation for ecosystem integrity and diversity.

Rebuilding native plant communities after rangeland fires, the spread of invasive species, hurricanes, floods, and severe drought requires seeds that fit the climate and geography to ensure the species longevity. As we restore and rehabilitate these habitats, pollinator health will increase through a diverse food supply of pollen and nectar. Healthy pollinator populations will ensure productive crops and the food security necessary in the 21st century.

Visit the Pollinator Partnership to see the poster and read more about Pollinators and Seeds…

National Pollinator Garden Network Seeks 300,000 Pollinator Gardens to Reach Goal of One Million Registered Gardens

Posted May 2, 2018

Americans concerned about saving bees, butterflies and other pollinators and their roles in our ecosystems are being asked to #beecounted and help the National Pollinator Garden Network reach one million bee-friendly gardens by National Pollinator Week, June 18-24, 2018. See Monarch Joint Venture News…

By creating, planting and maintaining garden, and registering it on the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge map, Americans can contribute to revitalizing the health of bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators across the U.S.

Read more past Celebrating Wildflower News…