Conservation Column: Cultivating your yard for pollinators

Photo by Laura Ockel

As a recent transplant to Missouri, I can say this: Y’all do fireworks big here! My first year living in Jackson, we walked approximately 12 blocks from our home to the park to watch the main show. Little did we know the revelry of color we would witness in every driveway along that mile stroll. What a sight!

But there are moments in the wild that can dazzle our senses with color in much the same way. April sees gardens bursting in air with countless blossoms, blooming pinks, purples and yellows. Autumn, of course, treats us to a canopy of brilliant blaze-orange maples, electric-yellow ashes and the winey sophistication of white oak. But right now, as we celebrate our nation’s fiery birth with airshows and fireworks, Mother Nature has one treat of her own: the gift of the butterfly.

I get it, bugs can be a hard sell. I could preach for days about how vital our little creepy friends are. They pollinate our crops. They feed our ecosystems by being — apparently — delicious. They even improve the health of our soils, cycling nutrients high to low.

Butterflies, however, don’t take much lobbying. They don’t need help with PR. What glorious little beasts they are! Every color of the rainbow, gracefully floating from bloom to bloom. Pow! The hot orange of the monarch. Boom! The yellow crescent palms on the wings of a tiger swallowtail. Whizzz! A gleaming great spangled fritillary. Mother Natures has a way of showing off.

If you pardon the expression, there has been a lot of buzz lately about the plight of our pollinators. From bees to beetles, minuscule wasps to butterflies, almost universally, our beneficial insect populations are in decline. Monarch populations alone may have crashed 90% during the past two decades. Red alert!

So, how can you help?

Reduce your reliance on pesticides, and plant native species. These two simple things will help balance and create habitats for plenty of backyard visitors, from bugs to birds. Our native animals have come to rely on Missouri’s natural plant heritage. They may visit your European or Asian garden plants, but can they raise their young on them? A native wildflower will always provide the best habitat. I invite you to visit the nature center garden and ask yourself, when is the last time you saw so many healthy insects?

So, help prep your garden for next year’s pollinators. Take pride in our beautiful nation’s rich native flora and fauna. Teddy Roosevelt, a founder of our National Parks, reminds us, “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children.”

Take Roosevelt’s advice: Search for Missouri native plant vendors, such as Missouri Wildflower Nursery and Forrest Keeling. The Cape Nature Center also hands out free wildflower seeds from our garden. And the Department of Conservation Nursery can ship native trees and shrubs right to your door next spring at exceptionally-low prices.

As always, for more information, contact the Cape Girardeau Nature Center. “Serving Nature and You,” it’s what we love.

Alex Holmes is the assistant manager for the Missouri Department of Conservation's Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center. Alex has a passion for outdoor education and can be found fishing and floating Missouri's beautiful streams and swamps when not at work.