A few months ago, we met with representatives from Texan by Nature, an organization founded by former First Lady Laura Bush to help shift the mindset that conservation is something only specialized agencies and scientists do. All Texans, from home gardeners, to land owners, to CEOs, can come together to practice conservation.
One of the topics we discussed was the monarch butterflies. The orange and black monarch butterflies are instantly recognizable. They are a migratory phenomenon. Did you know that monarch butterflies travel between 1,200 and 2,800 miles or more from the United States and Canada to central Mexican forests. These beautiful butterflies fly through Texas twice a year...they are here NOW!
The migrating monarch population has dropped by 80 percent over the last decade, down from an estimated 1 billion butterflies. Among the biggest factors driving that reduction is the destruction of its habitat, and in particular, the milkweed plant. Texan by Nature is encouraging everyone to do what they can to support the butterfly and its kindred.
"These butterflies and their fellow pollinators, like the bumblebees and hummingbirds, are not just lovely to look at, they are absolutely essential for all Texas inhabitants, wildlife, and citizens alike," said Laura Bush. She also said "we couldn't have agriculture without pollinators like butterflies and bees."
After that meeting, we looked at ways we could create a butterfly habitat here at Harvest. We worked with Dr. Robert Moon, our horticulturalist, to plant a butterfly garden by the Farmhouse. The colorful flowers are not only beautiful, but they are attracting monarch butterflies!
[Source: Texan By Nature and Dallas News]