(A-48) BENEFICIAL INSECTS SUFFER CATASTROPHIC HABITAT LOSS

Below is another excellent article published by Nick Mann, called "Nectar pointers". Mann brings out everything Create a Wildlife-Friendly Yard stands for, and is the founder of Habitat Aid. Nick Mann's "Nectar pointers" demonstrates the critical role wildlife gardening plays in saving our critical, native insects, such as the Bumble Bee.

"I don’t know whether I was more non-plussed or depressed at finding a man at a trade fair last week selling bumblebees. Have things got so bad that people feel they have to buy them? Apparently, and it’s not just relatively high-profile insects such as bumblebees and butterflies that are struggling. We don’t really know what is happening to hoverflies, or dragonflies, or – you get the picture. The anecdotal evidence provided in books such as Jennifer Owen’s recently published A Wildlife Garden (See "Our Picks" below) seems pretty clear: there have been significant long-term declines in many species of insects. As bee scientist Bill Kunin at Leeds University asked me: “When was the last time you had to clean the insects off your windscreen? Some time in the 1980s?”

It’s bizarre, because we are well-disposed to bees and butterflies and can do a lot to help them. The message from Ben Darvill, director of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, is clear: “The root cause of most wild-bee declines is thought to be the drastic loss of flower-rich grasslands and other habitats which healthy bee populations depend on.” They are all suffering from catastrophic habitat loss, which can be at least compensated for in our own back gardens. Why aren’t we doing more to help them, and what can we easily do?

The way in which declines in insect populations have been reported has not been helpful. Honeybees are a good case in point. Their legion and only partially understood problems have attracted a lurid blaze of publicity thanks to books with titles such as A World Without Bees, by Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum (See "Our Picks" below), and The Systemic Insecticides: A Disaster in the Making, by Dr Henk Tennekes. It is hard to keep a sense of perspective when confronted with the complexity and apparent severity of their problems, which include genetics, viral infections, parasites, climate change, pesticides and some bee-keeping practices. For honeybees too, though, a key issue is the lack of diverse and pollinator-friendly flora.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problems described so graphically, and consequently feel that there is little that can be done to help tackle them. In fact this couldn’t be more wrong. “Gardens ... now provide a stronghold for bumblebees in an otherwise impoverished agricultural environment; furthermore, our data suggest that the positive influence of gardens on bumblebee populations can spill over at least 1km into surrounding farmland,” says Dave Goulson of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Wildlife gardening is no longer about attracting fauna into your garden so much as allowing species to survive. Gardens generally don’t suffer from pesticide use, chemical run-off and soil imbalances. They can mimic natural habitats, offering multiple sources of pollen and nectar, foodplants, water and shelter.

Contrary to popular belief, wildlife-friendly gardens don’t have to be a brambly bio-hazard to be of real value; just sensitively planned, planted, and managed. Jenny Steel, author of Wildflower Gardening (See "Our Picks" below), points out that combining native plants in formal design can work very well: “Even a traditional herbaceous border can be a brilliant source of pollen and nectar. Choose your perennials wisely and incorporate a few of our more flamboyant natives. Echinacea, sedum and echinops for instance, plus native foxglove, marjoram and viper’s bugloss will bring many species of bee plus butterflies and hoverflies, too.”

Ask keen gardeners about the wildlife in their garden and many still think of caterpillars, birds and large mammals. However, all gardeners should be encouraged to think of their plots as an ecosystem with plants and insects at their cores. It is critical that “wildlife gardening” becomes just good gardening practice. This is not something that is apparent in the horticulture business; go to any gardening show and you will find a separate area for “environmentally-friendly” show gardens, and judging which often encourages unsympathetic hard landscaping.

There are many commercial pressures working against conservationists. Garden furniture, barbecues and decking carry higher margins than plants for retailers. Balls of plastic are easier to stock than pre-planted hanging baskets. Patios, paving and fences are exciting propositions for landscapers and suppliers. If you are a garden centre, are you more interested in selling a traditional cottage garden perennial such as catmint – an excellent nectar plant – or a showy annual bedding plant? These may be exotic cultivars whose nectar is either impossible for pollinating insects to access or which are completely sterile – so may as well be plastic. These annuals are a good commercial proposition; they look exciting and customers will have to come back for new plants year after year.

There is no point treating your garden as a wildlife reserve, however. First and foremost it has to please aesthetically; gardening is a selfish pleasure. After making gardeners realise how important they are, this is the second challenge for conservationists – to persuade them that creating a healthy ecosystem isn’t just practically helpful but, principally, very attractive. Put a pond in your garden because you enjoy it and its attendant array of animals.

Designer Janey Auchincloss recommends “thinking of bees as needing their ‘five-a-day’ as we do, in order to retain a healthy immune system. Plant in blocks of colour – the design will appear more cohesive. Choose blue, purple, pink, yellow and white flowers.”

Your planting doesn’t have to be native although if it is, you might also help butterflies which need native plants as food plants. Think about a herb garden or a micro-meadow, even in a planter, which is about the best thing you can do for your garden. You will be surprised how easy it is to maintain its sustained beauty through the growing season, and at the rich variety of insects it attracts.

Bees need nectar as an energy source and pollen for protein, particularly for their larvae, for which early flowers such as crocuses are invaluable. Autumn nectar sources (ivy and sedum are both excellent) are also important to give bees and over-wintering butterflies an essential last feast.

Gardeners shouldn’t feel they have to compromise to accommodate these guidelines; they must just do what makes them happy. The knack is persuading them that nurturing their own butterflies and bees is as satisfying as growing fruit and vegetables."-

Nick Mann is the founder of Habitat Aid
Related Posts:
Create Wildlife-Friendly Spaces in Your Lawn
God Speaks About Wildlife-Friendly Yards!
Create a Monarch Waystation in Your Yard
Video On Basics of Creating a Wildlife-Friendly Yard: If you build it, they will come
Iowa Couple Made the Ultimate in Wildlife-Friendly Yards!
Urban Landscaping With Native Flowers

(A-47) MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 IN NW OHIO

Hello! Join the Monarch Waystation Program and transform a section of your yard into a Monarch refuge!

Related Posts:

Monarch Butterflies Cross Appalachians From West to Populate N. America's East Coast

Monarch Butterflies Studied by Dana Bolen at Maumee Bay State Park

(A-46) DR. RYAN NORRIS OF MONARCH MIGRATION RESEARCH

Ironically, one of the authors of the Monarch West-to-East migration paper is named Dr. Ryan Norris. Small world! Ryan did his MS with my sister-in-law, Dr. Bridget Stutchbury, at my family summer retreat in Pa. It's a beautiful environment, and we all agreed to convert the non-working farm into a field study area. It's called the Hemlock Hill Field Study Preserve. And, Ryan Norris worked on Hooded Warblers. My older brother, Dr. Eugene Morton, a retired Smithsonian researcher and ornithologist, told me that Ryan was the guy at Guelph. And, he's going to send me a paper of two of Ryan's to read.

Related Posts:

MONARCHS LAYING EGGS GALORE IN NW OHIO

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES CROSS APPALACHIANS TO POPULATE EAST COAST

MONARCH POPULATION OVERWINTERING IN MEXICO

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about the natural world. Questions? Comments? Have photos, personal stories, or articles you'd like to share. We'll publish here, free of charge. Contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-45) MONARCH BUTTERFLIES CROSS APPALACHIANS FROM WEST TO RECOLONIZE N. AMERICA'S EAST COAST!

Ground breaking research into the migratory patterns of Monarch Butterflies was conducted by researchers in the Dept. of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Their research looked at the millions of monarch butterflies that migrate from over-wintering sites in Mexico to recolonize eastern North America. However, few monarchs are found along the east coast of the USA until mid-summer.

The guru of Monarch research for over 50 years, Dr. Lincoln Brower proposed that east coast recolonization is accomplished by individuals migrating from the west over the Appalachians, but to date no evidence exists to support this hypothesis. The researchers used hydrogen and carbon stable isotope measurements to estimate natal origins of 90 monarchs sampled from 17 sites along the eastern United States coast.

It turned out that the majority of monarchs (88%) originated in the midwest and Great Lakes regions, providing the first direct evidence that second generation monarchs born in June complete a (trans-) longitudinal migration across the Appalachian mountains. The remaining individuals (12%) originated from parents that migrated directly from the Gulf coast during early spring. The results provide evidence of a west to east longitudinal migration and provide additional rationale for conserving east coast populations by identifying breeding sources.

The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) travels thousands of kilometers from breeding grounds in eastern North America to wintering sites in central Mexico. During early spring, over-wintering Monarchs and their first generation offspring recolonize eastern North America, becoming abundant in the mid-west and Great Lakes regions in June. Curiously, Monarchs do not become abundant in areas east of the Appalachian mountains until July, leading Brower to hypothesize that the recolonization of the east coast is accomplished by second generation individuals born in the central and northern mid-western states in June that migrate eastwards across the Appalachians; the ‘range expansion’ strategy or "RE").

Alternatively, recolonization of the east coast could be accomplished by the first spring generation produced in the Gulf coast region. Under this strategy, individuals migrate northwards from the Gulf coast to areas east of the Appalachians in late May and early June, lay eggs and produce a cohort of second generation monarchs along the east coast that emerge in early July (‘coastal migration’ strategy or "CM").

They collected Monarchs at 17 sites in the eastern United States and used stable-hydrogen and -carbon isotopes to estimate natal origins. Following the RE strategy, they predicted that monarchs would have isotopic values consistent with the centralwest and northwest regions of the breeding range, while those following the CM strategy would have isotopic values indicative of either the Gulf coast region (migratory adults) or the central-east and northeast regions (offspring of Gulf coast adults).

The results? Wow!...88% originated in the midwest and Great Lakes region! As a lover of Monarchs (That's why I capitalize the name) and ardent observor of them, I have noticed each year a sudden dearth in eggs and catepillars collected in the latter part of June. This is after large numbers were collected earlier along the roadways and in my backyard Monarch Waystation No. 613 in NW Ohio. Could this late June "lull" actually be that many Monarchs made the eastern journey? I never grew concerned, because the numbers of eggs and caterpillars collected skyrocketed up again in July.

Is it possible that the Monarchs that did not make the eastern journey finally boosted the numbers of eggs and caterpillars collected in July? Case in point. One of my collection sites is a small "waste" area behind a store in downtown Fremont, Ohio, consisting of 39 Common Milkweed plants. I inspect each leaf on each plant for eggs and caterpillars; no egg is left behind! Last July, I collected 33 eggs in one day in the waste lot behind the store and the next day collected 18, and the very next day collected 23...74 eggs in three days from the small waste lot! This is after a short "lull" in collections (-0- eggs) from the waste lot during late June. Ironically, I collected up to 3 eggs on one leaf and 6 eggs on one plant.

The Monarch migration study raises many questions in my mind. Could this west-to-east migratory phonomena in June be a way to prevent over-crowding and thus reduce the spread of disease among the Monarch population or to minimize parisitization- spread out men, one grenade can kill us all?

Read the full research report: MONARCH BUTTERFLIES CROSS APPALACHIANS FROM WEST TO RECOLONIZE N. AMERICA'S EAST COAST

SEE ALSO:
"MONARCH AWARENESS HAPPENS WITH DANA BOLEN AT MAUMEE BAY PARK"

"CREATE A MONARCH WAYSTATION IN YOUR YARD"

"MONARCH OBSERVATIONS WAY DOWN FROM LAST YEAR"

"HELP RESEARCHERS STUDY PARASITE HARMING MONARCHS"

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it! Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-44) HORNED LARKS GALORE!

Note: Scroll down right margin to CODE "(A-44) HORNED LARK" for free videos and free articles on this topic.

These wonderful birds return to their birthplace after every migration (a characteristic known as philopatric). Because of this, local populations have adapted to the color of their habitat resulting in 15 distinct subspecies in the West.

BIRD WATCHING DVD's

I've always appreciated the Horned Lark. They are nestsite loyal, and are "philopatric", meaning they return to their birthplace after every migration. When I first saw a picture of one at age 5 in a child's bird book, I thought in real life they would be as large as a crow. The yellow throat impressed me then, and it still does today. In Sandusky County, Ohio I enjoy driving along County Road 198, then turning left onto County Road 412. The Horned Larks seem to enjoy the vast open fields and corn stubble along this route. There's many names for a group of larks (ascension, exaltation, happiness, etc.), but I like the "springul" description best.

Driving a mere 8 miles along these two rural roads, I counted 63 Horned Larks. And, these were only the ones along the roadside. There's many more deeper into the fields of corn stubble, I'm sure. The wonderful video of Horned Larks feeding in winter (below) are from some great youtube people who shared their first-time Horned Larks feeding in their yard.

As I observed the Horned Larks along County Roads 198 and 412, I noticed many were facing the sun as if to catch every warming ray of light. It was freezing with a moderate wind; they seemed to know how to remain still and burn fewer calories while absorbing as much warmth as possible.

It's impressive how they know how to survive in the open, frigid, wind-swept fields of NW Ohio. Always walking or running, they never hop over the icy fields. I've witnessed them burrow into the snow so only their shoulders and heads are visible. There's plenty of seeds for them to forage for along the CR berms. They compare to the Great Horned Owl as far as early nesters and nest in February in the northern states. Often, their first eggs are wiped out by severe winter storms. But, they have up to three broods a year and make up for the early losses. If there are any Horned Lark enthusiasts out there, set your GPS for the CR's mentioned above and you'll see Horned Larks galore, along with Tree Sparrows and Song Sparrows which often accompany them.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about the natural world. Comments? Questions? Have personal stories, articles or photos, events or seminars you'd like to post? We'll publish them for free. Contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-43) CRITICAL TOXIC EMISSIONS OHIO EPA HEARING THIS FRIDAY (FEB. 11th) IN COLUMBUS OHIO.

Note: Scroll down right margin to CODE " (A-43) ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS" to learn more about how chlildren are harmed by pollution.

I will be attending this public hearing and plan on delivering a short, 5-minute talk on what mercury and other environmental toxins are doing to America's children- read "ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS ARE HARMING OUR CHILDREN". The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking a major step to reduce global warming emissions—and you can help! The Ohio EPA is holding a public hearing in Columbus on reducing heat-trapping emissions from large sources, such as coal-fired power plants. It’s important that the seats at the hearing are full, to show public support for global warming solutions. You can be sure that the fossil fuel industry and others opposed to climate action will be working to pack the room.

What: Ohio EPA public hearing on reducing global warming emissions

When: Friday, February 11, 1:30 p.m.

Where: Lazarus Government Center, 50 W. Town St. Suite 700, Columbus, OH. Visitors should bring a photo ID

A truly comprehensive solution to address global warming that will create jobs, protect the economy, and promote our national security must be done through federal climate and energy legislation. But, in the meantime, the EPA can and must take steps to reduce a major portion of heat-trapping emissions using their existing power under the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act gives the EPA the ability to control and reduce all types of pollution from power plants and factories. We need to act now to address the growing threats from global warming. Find out more information on the Ohio EPA's rules to reduce global warming emissions.

At the hearing, you are welcome to give a short (5 minutes or less) comment on why you think it’s important to limit global warming emissions from power plants and other large polluters, which will help prevent the worst consequences of climate change. You are also welcome to submit written comments at the hearing. See below for some suggested talking points.

Please RSVP by phone or email to LuCinda Hohmann at lhohmann@ucsusa.org or (312) 578-1750 ext. 12.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about the natural world and promotes creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 urban and suburban lawns. Questions? Comments? Have a personal story, photo, or article that demonstrates what you or someone you know has done to increase biodiversity in heretofore "dead zones"? Contact him at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-42) BACK TO THE WILD! SAVES THOUSANDS OF BIRDS

Note: Scroll down the right-hand margin to CODE " (A-42) WILDLIFE REHAB" for free videow and free articles on this topic.

Years ago I was leaving Bowling Green State University after teaching a class. A group of students in the parking lot had gathered around a hawk of some kind, obviously injured and unable to fly. It turned out to be a Sharp-shinned hawk. I tossed a towel over it and took it to Back To The Wild. Within 6 months, director Mona Rutger (above photo) nursed it back to health and released it. Participants witnessed it soar away happy and healthy.

Back To The Wild 2005 Open House slide show

Back To The Wild has nurtured thousands of birds back to health and then released them. Included on this list are Bald Eagles, Great-horned Owls, Barred Owls, Barn Owls, Long-eared Owls, Short-eared Owls, Screech Owls, Saw-whet Owls, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ospreys, American Kestrels, Turkey Vultures, Great Blue Herons, and song birds galore!

We support Mona Rutger and her staff of volunteers.The goal of BACK TO THE WILD! is to develop awareness, appreciation and respect for the animals that share our natural world. Each year, the Center receives over 1,200 animals in need of help. Many are released back into their natural habitat. Unfortunately, not all can be returned; a few disabled animals are permanent residents and are used in educational programs to benefit other wildlife. Create A Wildlife-Friendly Yard urges you to support BACK TO THE WILD! To make a donation and to find out how you may help them out, click HERE.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about the natural world. Have a personal story, article, or photo(s) describing how you or someone you know is creating wildlife-friendly spaces in their yards? Contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

The Backyard Birders Choice Website for all supplies.

(A-40) CREATE WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY SPACES IN YOUR LAWN

I really enjoyed reading the research conducted by Cristina Milesi, a mother of two children and expert in ecological forecasting at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. The map below shows satellite images of America’s lawns, including residential and commercial lawns, golf courses, etc. The American lawn, according to Milesi’s research, is the single largest irrigated crop in America in terms of surface area, covering about 128,000 square kilometers in all.

The ecological impacts of this crop of lawns Americans are cultivating is incredible when one considers the pesticides and fertilizers, gasoline usage for weekly mowing, the water consumption, bagging the clippings and disposing of them…the list is endless. Further, according to Milesi, outdoor watering accounts for more than half of municipal water use in most areas, and homeowners often apply fertilizers and pesticides to their lawns at many times the recommended levels.

By the way, 128,000 square kilometers = 31,629,489 Acres...ouch! That's a lot of lawn grass. And, much of it is surrounded by pavement, cement, strip malls, etc. I know this, personally, for I have witnessed woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and family farm lands transform into sterile manscapes as a child living in Rocky River, a western suburb of Cleveland. Please read "How This Site Came To Be". As you view Milesi's map (Below), think how critical these lawn patches are to wildlife. Ask yourself, why not create wildlife-friendly spaces in each of them? It's not as if you're giving up your lawn. You're actually augmenting its value by adding entertainment and educational value to it by creating safe havens for local wildlife and migrating birds to find food, shelter, nesting spots, and water.


Wildlife habitat loss is a serious problem faced by all of us. Urban sprawl with strip malls, factory farms and intensive farming practices, the use of pesticides, and human population growth are all leading to the destruction of animal and plant species. Here's some sobering statistics:

Extinction of Species
· Every 20 minutes, the world adds another 3,500 human lives but loses one or more entire species of animal or plant life - at least 27,000 species per year. (Source: PBS)
· At the present rates of extinction, as many as 20% of the world's 7-15 million species could be gone in the next 30 years. This rate of extinction has been unprecedented since the disappearance of dinosaurs 65 million years ago (Source: WWF).

The Backyard Birders Choice Website for all supplies.

Habitat Destruction (Source: Animal Alliance)
· Human population reached 1 billion by 1800. Over 6 billion by 2000. Conservative estimates predict that our population will reach 9 billion people by 2050 (Source: Population Reference Bureau).
· The hourly destruction of an estimated 240 acres of natural habitat is directly attributable to the growth in human populations.
· 80% of the decline in biological diversity is caused by habitat destruction.

We all witness fertile farm land and open fields and meadows being bought up and sub-divided into plots for housing. Fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, butterflies, moths and even many species of insects no longer are easy to enjoy. We may have to drive a while to enjoy them. Why not Create a Wildlife-Friendly Yard (WFY)? hopes our 25,000,000 suburban lawns can help stem the destruction of biodiversity.

Front and backyards, school yards, and business spaces can be transformed into WFY areas. The blue bird, bluejay, raccoon, opossum, boat-tailed grackle, American robin, catbird, dark-eyed junco, red-bellied woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, house finch, goldfinch, carolin wren, common flicker, monarch butterfly, coyote, fox, eastern chipmunk, squirrel, blue and green darner dragonfly, damsel fly, screech owl, dozens of migrating warbler species, american toad, snapping turtle, frog, water beetle...I'm running out of ink...all reappeared daily or seasonally after I converted my garden and patches of sterile lawn into wildlife-friendly spaces. Here's what these species needed:

Food
Native plants provide food for wildlife. The more native plants in the landscape, the more wildlife diversity is sustained. Non-native plants support very little life. Go to article, "Going Native: Urban Wildlife Landscaping With Native Plants"- it has great videos!

Suet, cracked corn, wild bird feed mix, black-oil sunflower seeds, and thistle bird feeders were set up next to a fir tree.

I dug out a water garden- 5 feet wide, 8 feet long and 38-inches deep- then lined it with vinyl. Duck weed floats on the surface and native aquatic plants are placed in containers along the edge.

Cover
Leaves are left in the corner of the backyard, alongside the water garden and fir tree. I piled sticks and small logs, even collected small tree limbs at the city dump that had cavities in them. They were positioned to provide cover and a place to hide for rodents as well as snakes. The grass was left to grow a foot from this small space, and leaf litter was spread around it as well. A compost pile adjoins it. It's also a shaded area of the lawn where the grass doesn't grow well anyway. This small area remains moist and toads and salamanders have appeared!

Wren and woodpecker houses are set up in protected sections of the yard. Catbirds and Carolina Wrens nest in the backyard each year. Before the conversion, all these wonderful creatures were absent from the neighborhood. Wild strawberries were planted, which the catbirds enjoy. Pokeberry, which I used to dig up and throw away, is now left to grow and spread. The fruit and berry-eating birds enjoy them in the fall.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about the natural world. Questions? Comments? Have photos, personal stories, or articles about creating wildlife-friendly spaces out of sterile manscapes? We'd enjoy publishing it on this site. Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

<>