And there's more ...

Black Swallowwort Service Project

In July 2005, Habitat Gardening in CNY participated in our first service project - eliminating black swallowwort seedheads in a section of Green Lakes State Park. This project was especially appropriate for us since it involved a non-native invasive plant that is a special problem for Monarch butterflies. The weather was perfect, we were in the shade, and we had a great time!

Below are some pictures of the event.

Back row: Randi S., Estelle H., Michelle W., Peter H. Peter W.

Front row: Marta L., Gregg W.

Extras for butterflies

Plant your butterfly garden in a sunny location sheltered from the wind. Provide some rocks that will be good sunning spots so the butterflies can warm up. 

Create a puddling spot. The young males of some species of butterflies engage in a behavior called "puddling." It's a way for them to get essential minerals and sodium. To make such a spot, mix one gallon of clean play sand with 1/2 cup of salt, put it in a plastic dish, sink it into the soil, and keep it moist. 

Make sure you plant larval host plants. These will be unique to each species of butterfly. The most well-known example is that monarch butterflies use milkweed as its host plant, but other butterflies have different hosts. Providing these host plants is at least as important as providing nectar plants for food! There won't be any adults to drink the nectar if there are no host plants to raise new butterflies!

Citizen Science

House Finch Disease

We've spotted house finches with House Finch Disease in Central New York. Find out more at Cornell's Lab of Ornithology House Finch Disease website.

Children in the habitat

KidsGardening: how to garden for kids.

Create a Sunflower Fort: What a neat place for summer gatherings!

And many citizen science projects have student versions (such as Cornell's Classroom Feederwatch and the National Wildlife Federation's Schoolyard Habitat programs) or are themselves designed with students in mind. A great way for kids to learn about real science ... and for children to connect with the natural world.