creating a pollinator friendly yard

Creating a

Pollinator-

Friendly Yard Stephanie Pitts

(Pitts, 2012)

(Pitts, 2012)

Pitts, 2012

Jeffersonia diphylla-twinleaf Threatened in IA and NY and

endangered in GA and NJ.

Natives are

Easy to Maintain

They’re meant to grow in our

environment

Many spread and fill in so you

need not buy as many plants

(Pitts, 2012)

(Pitts, 2012)

Adds Beauty to Your Yard

The plants are beautiful

They attract birds, butterflies, bees and other insects

(Pitts, 2012) (Pitts, 2012)

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris Silver-Spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus

Pollinator-Friendly vs. Pollinator

Unfriendly Yards

A yard with pollinator friendly plants

A well-manicured lawn with few decorative plants

(Pitts, 2012) (Pitts, 2012)

The Yard with Pollinator-

friendly plants:

(Pitts, 2011) (Pitts, 2012)

(Pitts, 2012)

The Pollinator-

friendly Yard

Pollinators have only a few

basic habitat requirements:

a flower-rich foraging area,

suitable host plants or nests

where they can lay their

eggs, and an environment

free of pesticides (Xerces,

2011).

This yard has a variety of

over 40 pollinator-friendly

plants.

(Pitts, 2012)

During the two month study of the two yards, the pollinator

friendly results were as follows:

Thirteen bird varieties found in the yard: American robins, gold

finches, house finches, mourning doves, ruby-throated

hummingbirds, black-capped chickadees, tufted titmouse, white-

breasted nuthatch, gray catbirds, northern cardinals, song

sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, and house sparrows.

Butterfly species included: Clouded sulphurs, cabbage whites,

American coppers, commas, buckeyes, pearl crescents, little

wood satyrs, and monarchs.

Other insects found were several varieties of bees, moths, beetles,

and flies.

The Yard with a few decorative

plants:

There aren’t any close-ups because

after over two months of studying this

yard, only the occasional pollinator

was witnessed passing through.

There is essentially nothing for them

to eat and minimal space for even a

bird to take a break.

No food or plants = No pollinators

Bibliography Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Going Native: Biodiversity in Our Own Backyards. Brooklyn, NY, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc., 1994. Print. Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Hummingbird Gardens: Turning Your Yard Into Hummingbird Heaven. Brooklyn, NY, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc., 2007. Print. BugGuide.net. Iowa State University. n.d. Web. < http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740 >. 27 Sept. 2012. Burton, Robert. National Audubon Society: Birdfeeder Handbook. New York, NY, DK Publishing, Inc., 2005. Print. Maescapes.org. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension. n.d. Web. < http://www.maescapes.org > . 27 Sept. 2012. Stokes, Donald W. and Linda Q. Stokes. Stokes Beginners Guide To Butterflies. New York, New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2001. Print. The Xerces Society Guide. Attracting Native Pollinators. North Adams, MA, Storey Publishing, 2011. Print.

Photos

Pitts, Stephanie-All photos (2011, 2012)