The Monarch butterfly is a welcome pollinator for gracing any yard or garden with its presence. Attracting them is also mutually beneficial for this majestic butterfly whose numbers have fallen off due to loss of habitat, herbicide use along their migratory routes and impacts of climate change. Photo courtesy of James Davis.

Hosted by DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship in Laurel

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will host two free presentations in March on techniques for attracting butterflies, birds, and other pollinators to suburban yards and gardens and helping them to thrive and flower.

The presentations, part of the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Reclaim Our River Program – Nanticoke Series, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will be given at the Laurel Public Library on March 6 and 27. They will be led by Carol Stephens, a Delaware Master Naturalist by way of a science-based natural resource training program jointly coordinated by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Delaware Nature Society.

• On March 6, “5 Steps for More Butterflies in Your Garden” will highlight easy practices that homeowners can use to increase butterfly populations and for their own outdoor viewing pleasure.
• On March 27, “Helpful Tools for the Birds and the Bees in 2023” will focus on the native shrubs, trees, and flowers most likely to attract birds, bees, and other pollinators. Plant sources for native shrubs, trees, flowers, and seeds also will be shared, along with ideas that homeowners can gradually incorporate into their yard, one step at a time, for enticing more pollinators.

Both hour-long presentations are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Laurel Public Library, 101 E. Fourth Street, Laurel, Del. A limited supply of butterfly habitat-enhancing milkweed seeds will be given away to attendees.

Plants rely on pollinators such as insects and animals moving pollen from one plant to another, to ensure that a plant or tree produces vegetables, fruits and nuts. Flowering plants not only provide food, but also are essential in maintaining local water quality because of their ability to absorb nutrients, prevent erosion and purify water. Insect pollinators have been declining due to the use of pesticides and the loss of habitat and their host plants. Creating a native plant garden can benefit local pollinator populations by offering more opportunities for nectar and reproduction.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

LAUREL – The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Reclaim Our River Program – Nanticoke Series, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will host two free presentations in March on saving the monarch butterfly, gardening for butterflies, and the importance of clean water.

The presentations will address the monarch butterfly population’s decline of more than 90 percent worldwide over the past 20 years. This is a critical environmental loss, since flowering plants depend on pollinators, including butterflies, to reproduce. Pollinators enable flowering plants to purify water and prevent erosion, through roots that hold the soil in place, and provide foliage that buffers the impact of rain.

On March 2, butterfly enthusiast Mike McFarlin of Milton will speak about his efforts to help repopulate Delaware’s monarch butterfly population, by raising hundreds of them each summer. In addition, he will explain how attendees can volunteer as stewards, and adopt an area of land that supports pollinator habitat.

The second presentation, on March 30, will be led by Alice Mohrman of the Delaware Nature Society’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center and focus on gardening for butterflies. She will also provide tips on how to landscape yards with attractive native plants that support wildlife habitat, and help reduce waterway pollution.

A limited number of free milkweed seeds will be available to participants, along with information on activities that support clean water. Attendees also will learn about the 2020 Reclaim Our River–Nanticoke Series, which offers numerous opportunities to learn techniques for keeping local waterways clean. Participants are encouraged to arrive early.

Both presentations will begin at 6 p.m. at the Laurel Library, located at 101 East 4th Street, Laurel, DE 19956.

For more information about the presentations, contact Alice Mohrman at 302-422-0847, or alice@delawarenaturesociety.org. For more information on the Reclaim Our River Program, contact Philip Miller at 302-608-5468, or Philip.miller@delaware.gov.

Contact: Phil Miller, DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship Nonpoint Source Program, 302-608-5468, philip.miller@delaware.gov

SEAFORD – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship and the Reclaim Our River (ROR) Program, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will host a free presentation on “Gardening for Clean Water and Butterflies” at 6 p.m. Monday, March 26 at the Seaford Library, 600 North Market Street Extended, Seaford, DE 19973.

Over the last 20 years, the monarch butterfly population worldwide has declined by 90 percent – a critical environmental loss. Plants depend on pollinators like the monarch butterfly for reproducing and natural abundance. Flowering plants in turn help purify water, and help prevent erosion through roots that hold soil in place and foliage that buffers the impact of rain as it falls to the earth.

Presenter Alice Mohrman, from the Delaware Nature Society’s Abbotts Mill Nature Center, will introduce participants to the life history of a variety of native butterflies and pollinators, and focus on how to invite pollinators, birds, and butterflies to your yard, deck, patio, or balcony. Mohrman will offer tips on landscaping yards large and small with attractive native plants to support wildlife habitat while also helping to reduce pollution in our waterways. She also will demonstrate a few easy steps toward creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

A limited amount of free milkweed seeds – which can be grown into attractive monarch habitat – will be available to those attending the presentation. Participants also will receive information on activities that support clean water and learn about this year’s 2018 ROR-Nanticoke Series, which again offers numerous opportunities to have fun around the water and learn techniques for keeping our waterways clean.

For more information about the presentation, please contact Alice Mohrman at 302-422-0847 or alice@delawarenaturesociety.org.

For more information on the Reclaim Our River Program, please contact Philip Miller at 302-739-9939 or Philip.miller@delaware.gov

Vol. 48, No. 64

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