On Saturday October 21, 2023, volunteer consultant, Laurie Fox, PhD, Research Associate, Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (Hampton Roads AREC) directed the fall maintenance of the refuge monarch garden. Volunteers pulled weeds. An additional 200 plant plugs were planted to fill in areas where previous plants did not come back. And pollinator garden thinned plants were transplanted in the monarch garden.
Garden signs installed
The Back Bay NWR Society produced and installed interpretive signs for both the monarch and pollinator gardens at the refuge.
Plant It and They Will Come
Photos by: Dr. Barry Kurzer
Last Fall your Society created a new Monarch Waystation Garden at the Refuge Visitor Center. The new garden is a complement to the Pollinator Garden that was planted by the Society in the fall of 2021. As you may know, Monarch butterflies have suffered a drastic reduction in population in the last 30 years. Some estimates indicate a population decline of 90%. The most common reason cited for this dramatic decline is loss of habitat. Given the success of the pollinator garden and the fact that Back Bay is on the Monarch’s eastern migratory flyway, it was decided to put in a monarch specific garden at the Refuge.
The new monarch garden was created by clearing a grassy spot surrounding the bee hotel. Approximately 1,000 plants plugs were planted by volunteers last October. Plants installed included two species of milkweed, common milkweed and swamp milkweed.
Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat. It is thought that the decrease in milkweed due to residential and industrial development is the major cause of the monarch’s decline. Four additional varieties of native pollinators were planted to provide food for the monarch butterflies.
The gardens are tended weekly by teams of volunteers. The 20 people volunteering to do this are divided into 4 teams with each team visiting the garden once a month. The volunteers do a great job of weeding and watering and keeping the gardens looking nice for Refuge visitors. We are always looking for additional garden volunteers. If you are interested in helping, contact Barry Kurzer at drblkurzer@gmail.com
Both new gardens have thrived at the Refuge as seen in the attached photos. There are numerous pollinators and loads of monarchs any time you visit. Please, come out to the Refuge and enjoy the gardens!
Fall garden maintenance
Posted: October 31, 2023 by Back Bay NWR Society
On Saturday October 21, 2023, volunteer consultant, Laurie Fox, PhD, Research Associate, Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (Hampton Roads AREC) directed the fall maintenance of the refuge monarch garden. Volunteers pulled weeds. An additional 200 plant plugs were planted to fill in areas where previous plants did not come back. And pollinator garden thinned plants were transplanted in the monarch garden.
Garden signs installed
The Back Bay NWR Society produced and installed interpretive signs for both the monarch and pollinator gardens at the refuge.
Plant It and They Will Come
Photos by: Dr. Barry Kurzer
Last Fall your Society created a new Monarch Waystation Garden at the Refuge Visitor Center. The new garden is a complement to the Pollinator Garden that was planted by the Society in the fall of 2021. As you may know, Monarch butterflies have suffered a drastic reduction in population in the last 30 years. Some estimates indicate a population decline of 90%. The most common reason cited for this dramatic decline is loss of habitat. Given the success of the pollinator garden and the fact that Back Bay is on the Monarch’s eastern migratory flyway, it was decided to put in a monarch specific garden at the Refuge.
The new monarch garden was created by clearing a grassy spot surrounding the bee hotel. Approximately 1,000 plants plugs were planted by volunteers last October. Plants installed included two species of milkweed, common milkweed and swamp milkweed.
Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat. It is thought that the decrease in milkweed due to residential and industrial development is the major cause of the monarch’s decline. Four additional varieties of native pollinators were planted to provide food for the monarch butterflies.
The gardens are tended weekly by teams of volunteers. The 20 people volunteering to do this are divided into 4 teams with each team visiting the garden once a month. The volunteers do a great job of weeding and watering and keeping the gardens looking nice for Refuge visitors. We are always looking for additional garden volunteers. If you are interested in helping, contact Barry Kurzer at drblkurzer@gmail.com
Both new gardens have thrived at the Refuge as seen in the attached photos. There are numerous pollinators and loads of monarchs any time you visit. Please, come out to the Refuge and enjoy the gardens!
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Category: News & Articles