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The Native Plant Society of Texas is awarding $7500 in small grants to 36 community gardens around the state to fund planting of Monarch butterfly habitat. The grants were announced April 4 by Cathy Downs, chair of the Society’s Bring Back the Monarch to Texas project.
This is the second year that the grants have been awarded to schools, nature centers and other organizations in order to create demonstration gardens or “Monarch Waystations” with habitat for the migrating Monarchs. The grants may only be used to pay for native milkweeds or native butterfly nectar plants. The application process for grants is described here.
“These gardens will not only raise awareness of the plight of the Monarch Butterfly, they also demonstrate the importance of our native plants to the life cycle of the Monarch and other wildlife species,” said Native Plant Society president Bill Hopkins. “We encourage homeowners to incorporate these plants into their own landscapes.”
Texas provides critical habitat on the primary migration pathway of Monarchs to their wintering grounds in Mexico, according to Cathy Downs. The availability of native milkweed host plants, which is necessary to assure successive generations continuing north, has declined in Texas. Herbicide-tolerant crops, mowing of roadsides, parks and open areas and continued drought have all had an impact on the number of Monarchs surviving the southern journey to Mexico. Recently released population estimates for the Monarchs over-wintering in Mexico report the butterfly numbers to be at an extremely low level this year.
The Bring Back the Monarch to Texas project was established two years ago by the Native Plant Society of Texas to raise public awareness for Monarch Butterfly conservation, to produce and distribute milkweeds that support reproduction by Monarch butterflies and to restore Monarch habitat throughout the Texas migration flyway. The project works with Monarch Watch to grow native milkweed and make it more available. Monarch Watch is an educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas that engages citizen scientists in large-scale research projects. Monarch Watch provided some of the funding for the garden grant program. Additional funds were raised by Native Plant Society chapters and some came through generous individual gifts.
Cathy Downs and other volunteers in the Bring Back the Monarch to Texas project are available for presentations at schools, garden clubs and other organizations. Contact our State Office for more information.
Organizations receiving grants in Spring 2014
Grapevine Garden Club
Grapevine
Rio Grande Valley Chapter TMN
San Benito
Linden Garden Club
Lindem
Clear Lake Shores Civic Club
Clear Lake Shores
St. Christopher Episcopal Church
League City
Garden Oaks Elementary School
Houston
Hunt County Master Gardeners
Greeville
Dallas County Master Gardeners
Dallas
Johnson County Herb Society
Crowley
Faith Lutheran Church
Flower Mound
Norchester Garden Club
Houston
Texas Panhandle Audubon Society
Amarillo
First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church
Forth Worth
Kindercare Learning Center
Fort Worth
Oak Hill Elementary PTA
Austin
Children in Nature Network North Tx. Region
Fort Worth
Smithville Public Library
Smithville
City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Dept.
New Braunfels
Schreiner University
Kerrville
Unity Church of Arlington
Arlington
Jasper Arboretum
Jasper
Texas Military Department, Camp Mabry
Austin
Big Country Chapter TMN
Ranger
Pines Montessori School
Kingwood
Kaurman County Agrilife Extension Office
Kaufman
Avery Ranch Owners Association
Austin
First United Methodist Church
Smithville
Festival Beach Community Garden
Austin
Hays County Chapter TMN
Wimberley
Grapevine Elementary PTA
Grapevine
Lubbock Memorial Arboretum Foundation
Lubbock
Dallas County Master Gardeners
Richardson
Good Life Taylor Texas
Taylor
Texas Discovery Gardens
Dallas
Friends of Oak Cliff Parks
Dallas
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: julieallen
