Pollinators are an essential part of any ecosystem. Animals and insects that transfer pollen between plants help ensure fertilization, and therefore the continuation of the plant species. Pollinators are on the decline, and many populations are critically threatened. For the continued health of our ecosystems, our agriculture, and our livelihoods, we must protect and cultivate pollinators.

Butterflies need food, sunlight, water, roosting spots, and host plants for their various stages of life. For food sources, butterflies like bright flowers with plenty of nectar. Colors such as red and purple are especially attractive to butterflies. Butterfly friendly plants usually produce clusters of brightly colored sweet-smelling flowers and include asters, daisies, butterfly bush, butterfly weed, lantana, marigolds, purple coneflowers and zinnias.

Hummingbirds like deep tubular flowers and flowers with red, orange, and white coloration. Birds need berries and seeds, as well as safe places to bear young. Bees like white, yellow, and blue flowers that are open in the daytime and have lots of nectar, and they prefer flowers with a sweet or minty fragrance.

Students in the CHS Sustainable Living Club helped make Carmel greener in two ways. They created their garden to provide a place for pollinating butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to thrive, and they chose the location in the public garden and will place signs to teach the public about the importance of providing habitats for pollinators.

There are a number of things we can do to help. 1) Plant a Pollinator Garden. 2) Build a Bee Box. 3) Avoid Pesticide Use. The US Fish and Wildlife Service website explains in detail how we can take these steps. KidsGardening.org is a great reference for small children wanting to learn about and create their own pollinator gardens.

Caterpillars like many different plants, but especially like those within the mustard and cabbage families. Some species of caterpillars will only live on and eat one species of plant, such as monarch butterfly caterpillars and milkweed. It is important to consider all stages of the butterfly’s life cycle when planting a butterfly garden.

Bees have been disappearing at an alarming rate and continue to vanish without a trace. Why should anyone care? Did you know that without bees, we would not have honey, apples, almonds, blueberries, cherries, avocados, cucumbers, onions, grapefruits, oranges?

How can you help? Attract butterflies to your garden, by planting a “butterfly friendly” garden which provides the types of plants required by butterfly larvae. Understand that releasing non-native butterflies for special events, such as weddings, can be harmful to native butterfly populations. It’s worthwhile to become better educated in the effort to keep these extraordinary creatures existing among us.