Creatures in my yard pt. 2

There are a lot of ways you can help the creatures (and plants!) in your own backyard. Don't have a backyard? Don't worry, you can do a number of the activities on a stoop or balcony too!  Below you find a list of resources to guide you in creating your own insect havens as well as some tips to helping out our endangered monarch butterfly and bee friends.

what can you do to help your backyard friends?

• Make a monarch butterfly waystation
• leave water outside:
  • Saucers in your gardens for garden friendly insects
  • Dishes on the sidewalk for urban friends and creatures (It can be hard for some animals like rabbits to find water in the city)
  • Old pie or cake pans with marbles and a bit of sugar water are great rest stops for bees and butterflies to land and drink
• Plant nectar and pollen producing plants
  • Bees love lavender and Salvia
  • Some great nectar plants in WNY are Blue Star Aster, Goldenrod, and Black Eyed Susans
• ​Make an insectary - a small garden just for garden defending and helping insects. It can be it's own garden, or a few plants mixed among your garden (or pots!)
  • Aster,  Mustard, and Verbena are some of the families they love
• ​Plant Milkweed (the only plant monarchs lay eggs on)
• Build a bat house: Bats are also great pollinators, and as well as defenders!

Links

• Audubon at Home’s “Super 9” nectar & host plants for a pocket pollinator garden (PDF)
• ​Loudon Wildlife Conservancy: Plant a monarch waystation
• Find the best nectar producing plants for monarchs in your area using the National Wildlife Federation's Regional guides: Here
• Report monarch sightings and view maps on JourneyNorth.org
• Explore the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Watchable Wildlife page