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One of the most visible programs that the Native Plant Society of Texas offers is the very popular Bring Back the Monarch Texas program. This month the Society strengthened the program by signing agreements with two of its partners.
The Society signed a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service which will help fund the garden grant program. The USFWS will provide $5000 in funding toward the program in 2015.
The garden grant program provides small grant to community and educational groups to enable them to plant native milkweed and native Monarch nectar plants in the gardens. Now in its third year the program has provided grants to over 120 gardens across Texas. Groups can apply for grants in the spring and a committee headed by Cathy Downs evaluates the applications and awards the grants.
Also in June, the Society accepted an invitation to become a partner in the Monarch Joint Venture. Headquartered at the University of Minnesota the Monarch Joint Venture is a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic programs that are working together to support and coordinate efforts to protect the monarch migration across the lower 48 United States.
The MJV is committed to a science-based approach to monarch conservation work, guided by the North American Monarch Conservation Plan (2008).
The Monarch Butterfly is facing declines in numbers and in habitat availability. Texas is critical to the survival of the Monarch because so much of its migration to and from wintering grounds passes through the state. The Native Plant Society of Texas is committed to helping the Monarch by conserving and increasing the native habitat it needs to survive. We are proud to work with the USFWS and the partners in the Monarch Joint Venture in this endeavor.
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins
