Garden Gang members Bob and Carol Marceluk in Ocean City, NJ, and their WILDLIFE HABITAT were featured in the Press of Atlantic City, Saturday, July 12, 2014: “New Boardwalk Attraction,” by Martin DeAngelis.
I met Bob and Carol in 2012 when I taught a series of Gardening for Wildlife Workshops for the Ocean City Environmental Commission . . . and, as they say, the rest is history!
They transformed a large expanse of boring lawn into gardens full of native nectar plants (that bloom spring through fall), lots and lots of caterpillar plants (including MILKWEED of course), native berry-producing trees and shrubs (for cover and food), water features (including a new pond), neat seating areas. It has given them SO MUCH pleasure and provided an oasis to migrant and resident wildlife.
I wish I was brave enough to add Bob & Carol Marceluk’s habitat to the “Tours of Private Wildlife Gardens” that I lead, but taking people into Ocean City in the summer on a weekend . . . In the future I might plan a special tour to barrier island gardens on a date after the crazy summer tourist season. I’ll keep you posted!
Fellow wildlife-gardening educators Jack and Jesse Connor have brought to my attention 4 bills proposed in the NJ Legislature that we all should be aware of and consider voicing our support.
In short, here are the 4 proposed bills that we can speak up about and show our support:
A3133 Requires DEP to establish “private wildlife habitat certification program”; creates affirmative defense against municipal nuisance ordinances for properties certified under the program.
A3125 Prohibits sale or planting of certain invasive plant species.
A1305 Requires any State entity planting vegetation to use only vegetation native to area being planted, and when purchasing vegetation, to purchase, to the maximum extent possible, only from NJ businesses.
A1373 Prohibits use or sale of neonicotinoid pesticides.
Working with Jack and Jesse, Garden Gang member Jean Riling put together a concise document about these 4 proposed NJ Bills and who to contact (depending on where you live):
Have you (or do you know anyone who has) been harassed for having a wildflower meadow or perennial garden? I do, quite a few in fact. Sadly manicured lawn (“neat as a pin, ugly as sin”) is the norm and any venture towards wildlife habitat in the way of native perennial gardens or meadows in some neighborhoods is seen as a threat. No wonder pollinators are struggling!
Are you fighting English Ivy or Bamboo or Japanese Honeysuckle (all invasives) that are spreading from a neighbor’s yard or were planted by the previous property owner? I have. This bill is an excellent start to help address some of the worst invasives. Once passed hopefully additional invasives can be added to the list.
Many of us have read the articles about European Honey Bees and how their numbers have crashed. Well native bees and many other native pollinators are also in dire straits. Here’s our chance to get Neonicotinoids out of NJ! If you’re unaware of Neonicotinoids, be sure to read Jack Connor’s recent Blog post on South Jersey Butterfly B/Log.
Click on Jean Riling’s document above (Four NJ Bills of Interest as of June 2014) to read more and learn how you can voice your support.
My copy arrived earlier this week and I’m enjoying the book immensely. The authors walk us through and help us understand the layered landscape, something that so many gardeners don’t address, consider, or even know to think about.
I was guilty of it for years and am trying to rectify the situation by making some changes:
incorporate layers under the Tulip Tree that shades our house with understory shrubs and shade-loving wildflowers
incorporate shrub layers in my back side yard where previously lawn had reigned
and my biggest project has been our reclaimed woodland where previously Multiflora Rose grew so thick that there was no understory except for this non-native rose. The woods have given me immense pleasure as I experiment with new understory trees, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, and grasses. I continue to be amazed by all the native plants that come up on their own (either planted by wildlife or from seeds in the soil that couldn’t survive previously because of the Multiflora Rose). For example, friends gave me 2 baby Willow Oaks and since then I’ve found 5 more that came up on their own.
If you’re intrigued,be sure to get Tallamy & Darke’s new book and digest it. It’s a gem!
Monarch on Meadow Blazing Star with Purple Coneflowers beyond (both are Chocolate Cakes, irresistible to pollinators)
This is the 23rd year I’ve been leading these tours of private backyard wildlife gardens. And they just keep getting yummier and yummier!
Mark your calendar with the following dates & plan to join me for one, several, or all NINE of the 2014 “Tours of Private Wildlife Gardens” (pdf) that I will again be leading for NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May.
Alert your friends, family, neighbors, … anyone you’re trying to HOOK on wildlife gardening!
We’ll be visiting 18 gardens over a 3-day period – six delightful and unique gardens each day. These wildlife-friendly gardens offer so many ideas in the way of design, use of space, plant combinations, native plants that are lovely AND beneficial to wildlife, “chocolate cake” nectar plants, key caterpillar plants, great native shrub ideas, “how to” create your own meadow ideas, garden accents and features like misters, dragonfly ponds, arbors . . .
Imagine getting a glimpse into private backyard wildlife gardens, interacting with the artists who created them, having each and every garden and wildlife question answered, enjoying it with a group of fellow wildlife gardeners, all while being entertained by buzzing and hungry and feisty hummingbirds, dazzling dragonflies, glittering butterflies and other pollinators! Sounds heavenly, doesn’t it ? !
Enjoy a SNEAK PEAK (South Tour, North Tour, Mid-County Tour) into some of the gardens we’ve visited in the past. I’ve updated these links to include many new gardens added in recent years.
Pollinators galore (Sachem and Bumble Bee) are drawn to Purple Coneflower
More butterfly and hummingbird gardens are tucked into Cape May County than probably anywhere else in the country. Mid-July is the time of peak butterfly diversity and numbers. Gardens look completely different from one month to the next (so seriously consider all 9 tours). Learn the magic combination of native nectar plants and caterpillar plants that makes a garden especially attractive to butterflies. Design ideas and new wildlife plants will be showcased while tour participants are entertained by a blizzard of butterflies and hummingbirds.
Tours of Private HUMMINGBIRD Gardens — 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird nectaring on Bee Balm
At the peak of Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration, we’ll savor an array of diverse gardens that have hosted nesting hummingbirds since May and are now drawing in dozens of migrants. Native nectar plants, healthy insect populations, water sources, and adequate cover are key elements of each garden.
Tours of Private MONARCH (butterfly) Gardens — 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Monarchs and a hungry Preying Mantis have come to dine on New England Aster
At the peak of Cape May County’s world-famous fall Monarch migration, tour diverse gardens that have hosted Monarchs since May. Each features native nectar plants and as many as five different kinds of milkweed (used by Monarchs for egg laying to create the next generation). With the downward spiral of the Monarch population, time will tell, but we hope our gardens will be hosting Monarchs and Monarch eggs, caterpillars, and maybe even a chrysalis. The complex Monarch migration will be both explained and enjoyed. Fall gardens will be full of other butterflies and many interesting pollinators.
TOUR DETAILS AND PRICING
Gardening naturalist and author, Pat Sutton, leads these tours, which include her own garden in Goshen (North tour). Bring lunch since the group will eat in one of the gardens.
If some of you are keen to create a butterfly & hummingbird garden, be sure to download the article & plant list I wrote / created:
Limit: 25 per tour. Nine Tours / Cost per tour: $35 members (NJ Audubon), $45 nonmembers. (Join three tours at a discounted rate of $90 members, $115 nonmembers.) These tours require preregistration with payment.
Registration: you may register by phone at 609.898.8848 with a credit card or send payment to the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204 (noting which tours and full names, addresses, and phone numbers of registrants).
NCCM reserves the right to cancel programs, and refunds are available only if NCCM cancels the event. Walk-ins are welcome on a space-available basis. Become a member of NJAS and receive discounts in the gift shop and on many programs.
Yesterday, Saturday, April 12, was a good day! Hope you got out to enjoy it too. Clay and I went to Cape May Point to join Tom Reed in his SPRING WATCH.
The highlight for me was when Tom called out: ” HUMMINGBIRD ! ! ! “
At 8:55 a.m. Tom spotted a Ruby-throated Hummingbird migrating north across Delaware Bay, heading for the tip of the Cape May Peninsula. It was at the top of a cloud bank, higher than I would have expected. I was scanning like mad low over the choppy waves of Delaware Bay.
According to Hummingbirds.net the first NJ sighting was on Friday, April 11. I hung 3 feeders (with only about 2 ounces in each) earlier in the week, seeing that they were already as far north as across the Delaware Bay.
We haven’t seen one in our yard Y E T, but expect a feisty male to find our feeders and settle in by the end of this coming week or next. Our gardens are not much yet, so feeders are crucial if you hope to entice hummingbirds to settle in. Then be sure to have a jam packed garden and habitat full of native plants that bloom from early spring through fall. Too, maintain those feeders so they offer something as fresh as nectar . . . hence why you don’t fill them to the brim (since you’ll be dumping the solution at least once a week, cleaning, and partially filling with fresh solution). Oh, and NO RED DYE! It’s cancer causing, so DUH . . . who wants to do that to hummingbirds?
WANT TO LEARN MORE ?
Join me for the following fun and informative program that I will be teaching for NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May,1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204; 609-898-8848.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS 101 All About Them and How to Attract Them (with Pat Sutton) Saturday, April 19, 2014 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Learn where Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have they been all winter. Will more than one settle into your backyard garden? Where is the nest? What does the female use to build her tiny nest? Is bottled nectar (or red dye) needed for a feeder? What are the two reasons hummingbirds like spiders? Even if you think you know everything about these winged jewels, expect to be surprised by what you learn during this presentation by Pat Sutton, naturalist and long-time wildlife gardener. Sutton will show off an actual hummingbird nest and share essential tips on how to ready your yard so that you can be entertained by a blizzard of hummingbirds for the next five months. Before this program, download, print, and read the NJ Audubon articles by Pat Sutton: “How to Create a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden” and “Recommended Plantings to Attract Hummingbirds, Butterflies, and Moths.” Limit: 20 participants. Preregistration is required (through NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204; 609-898-8848) Cost: members $15, nonmembers $20 (includes handouts and FREE Tropical Salvia seeds)
Monarch nectaring on Joe-pye-weed with Boneset in the foreground – TWO great Eupatoriums
If you’re looking for some fun plants to add to your wildlife garden, seriously consider the Eupatoriums:
1. They are stunning2. A selection of them can cover a good part of the growing season3. They are pollinator magnets4. Monarchs LOVE them and Monarchs need all the help they can get
In nearly all my programs and workshops I recommend adding a MISTER to your wildlife habitat. This suggestion is often met with some confused looks, so I thought I’d follow it up here with some photos that can help walk you through it and understand how simple it can be. NO ELECTRICITY needed, just a hose connection.
Why a mister, you may ask?
A mister can serve a dual purpose: (1) offering a place for songbirds, including hummingbirds, to bathe, and (2) moistening an otherwise dry part of your garden where you can plant goodies under it that like wet feet, like Cardinal Flower, Swamp Milkweed, Turtlehead, etc.
Misters are especially crucial during rainless summers when everything is bone dry. To a hummingbird, a bird bath is like the Atlantic Ocean and they’ll never use it. Instead hummingbirds need rain showers, garden sprinklers (which few of us use because we’ve planted NATIVES which need little pampering), or A MISTER!
Set up properly, a mister mists down from a nice height over leaves and plants beneath it, drawing in hummingbirds that will fly through it to take a bath or roll around on wet leaves below to bathe, as will warblers and other songbirds as well. We’ve seen some of our neatest garden visitors at the mister!
American Redstart (a warbler) bathing under our misterGray Catbird bathing under our misterCarolina Chickadee bathing under our misterYelow Warbler bathing under our mister on all the wet Pokeweed leaves. We happily let Pokeweed flourish in the shade under our pines where nothing else easily grows – it’s an incredible bird food and a stunning native plant
Do I need Electricity? NO!
NO electricity needed . . . just a hose connectionBe sure that you buy a mister that has 50-60 feet of tubing so you can wind it up a tree and out a branch.Simply turn your hose on in the morn and off at dusk or set up a hose faucet timer to accomplish that automatically
You can set your mister up on a hose faucet timer so that it comes on in the early morning and goes off at dusk (or whenever it suits you), or you can simply turn the hose on that is connected to your mister when you want it to come on and turn that hose off when you want it to stop misting (as we do). We turn ours off at dusk. Obviously, on rainy days we don’t turn it on.
Where Oh Where Can I Find a Mister?
Misters are sometimes sold at Nature Centers. Be sure you find one that has 50-60 feet of 1/4 ” black tubing (along with the special mister unit at the end); that way you can easily snake it up into a tree and out to the end of a branch so the mist mists out over a nice-sized area.
On line, a few places I found them available were:
Another product I’ve been told about, but not yet tried is a Fan Mister, like the average person might use around their swimming pool. Wildlife gardeners can adapt one and use it as a bird mister. Here’s one (and apparently they’re available at places like Lowes and Home Depot when all the summer stufffffffffffffffff is out):
Josh Nemeth in his 2-year old garden, dripping with Tiger Swallowtails (7-21-13)
Hi Gang,
It’s been a wild, cold, and snowy winter. I’ve been enjoying all the birds that are finding refuge in our wildlife garden. Our heated birdbath has attracted 100s of birds this frozen winter, including a normally very secretive Hermit Thrush and a quite uncommon wintering bird, a Gray Catbird.
Speaking of wildlife gardens, I can’t wait to once again teach the series of 6 in-depth “Gardening for Wildlife” Workshops (pdf), on Saturdays (February 8 – March 29, 2014), the perfect time to shake off winter and begin planning and planting (or enhancing) your property and wildlife garden.
Many (1000s) have taken these workshops, been empowered, and created habitats that have given them pleasure for years to come.
They know and I know that there is nothing like stepping out the door into a magical wonderland that you yourself created, full of hummingbirds buzzing about,butterflies dancing from flower to flower, Monarch caterpillars hiding under Milkweed leaves, hungry songbirds dropping in during migration for a hearty caterpillar meal,dragonflies galore, more frogs than you realized lived in your area (perched on every last lily pad in your pond). There is nothing more gratifying than realizing that you have truly provided safe haven for all these creatures
Consider joining me for one, two, or all six of these workshops. Native plants and wildlife-friendly practices are the key and will be emphasized and detailed throughout.
I present a zillion one- to two-hour programs each year and maybe you’ve attended a few of these. I love teaching them, but (with only one or two hours) they are more one-sided presentations, me sharing fun natural history information and images with you, the audience.
These workshops offer the opportunity to be far more in-depth and interactive and are more likely to empower you, take you to the next level.
The 5-hour format (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) allows for:
an interactive workshop atmosphere
each workshop covers a unique aspect of wildlife gardening (in-depth)
each workshop builds on the others, but is not repetitive (so you’ll want to try and attend all 6 to maximize your learning opportunity)
resources (handouts and circulated books) will be shared and showcased
you’ll learn how to utilize these resources (find answers to burning questions you may have)
time for in-depth questions
time for in-depth answers
during a working lunch we’ll brainstorm (as a group) each participant’s specific challenges (you’ll draw a rough sketch of your yard and submit a photo of your sketch that I’ll project so we can all see it for this brainstorming)
time to get to know one another and learn from each other (of garden triumphs and tribulations, successes and pitfalls). Nothing beats collective experience and roundtable discussion
each workshop will culminate in a site visit to a nearby backyard habitat where wildlife-friendly practices and design and plant selections will be showcased
So, what do you say! Will I see you in February & March?
Sign up today and begin getting ready for the workshops. Draw a rough sketch of your yard, indicating structures (and hardscapes like driveways, decks, etc.), existing habitats (lawn, forest, lone trees, shrub islands, gardens, bird feeding station, brush pile, etc.), and mark NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST on the sketch. Take time to note the sun’s path through your yard and where the sunniest areas are. Bring a wish list of the elements you want to add as well as the elements you need to work around.
Where: Please note that the 6 workshops in this series will be held at the Cape May Bird Observatory Center for Research & Education, 600 Rt. 47 N, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 (and include a site visit to Sutton’s nearby wildlife gardens) and not at the Nature Center of Cape May in Cape May.
Limit: 20 participants; preregistration is required (through NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204; 609-898-8848 — if you reach their message machine, do leave a message . . . they’ll get back to you).
Cost/workshop: $35 member of NJ Audubon Society, $45 nonmember (includes handouts). As of 2-13-14, sign up for last five workshops for a DISCOUNT:
Members: $150 ($30/workshop) and 20% off in the gift shop
Non-Members: $200 ($40/workshop) and 20% off in the gift shop
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Having written the book, How to Spot an Owl, and studied owls for the past 35 years, Clay and I have NEVER seen a winter like this one and probably never will again in our lifetime. This winter’s Snowy Owl invasion is that special.
Invasion of 1926-1927 When 1,000s of Snowy Owls Were Killed
One of our favorite books is the Book of Owls, by Lewis Wayne Walker. Walker wrote of the Snowy Owl invasion during the winter of 1926-1927, stretching from Canada to North Carolina and west to the Dakotas. Sadly it was the dark ages for predators. Many were killed that winter and taken to taxidermists. One ornithologist checked in with taxidermist shops across the northern states and learned of 2,363 Snowy Owls killed and brought in to be mounted as trophies. Sadly the death toll was many, many times higher since most Snowy Owls were killed for target practice or “predator control” and left behind.
We’ve come a long way since those dark days for predators. But still there is concern. News coverage has been nonstop this winter. Droves of people are out and about looking to see a Snowy Owl. Many have never encountered one before and have only seen them on television or in Harry Potter films.
In our book, How to Spot an Owl, published 20 years ago in 1994, we included “Owling Etiquette.” We think it is timely to share it once again and bring it up to date as it applies to this winter’s invasion — an invasion coupled with today’s technology (cell phone cameras) and unprecedented easy access to Snowy Owls via newspaper coverage, text messages, e-bird, etc.
Do not approach too closely. Arrow points to a Snowy Owl on Stone Harbor Point.The same bird (my digiscoped photo, taken from a safe distance)
Owling Etiquette
If you are heading out to see a Snowy Owl, don’t leave your binoculars at home. Take binoculars and a spotting scope (if available) so you don’t have to get too close to get a good look. Chances are there will be other viewers. Don’t be shy. Ask to get a look through a telescope if one is available.
Do not approach too closely. You’ll know when you’re pushing the limits. The bird will turn from a sleepy, closed-eyes owl, to a glaring owl looking directly at you — a potential threat in their space.
A photograph is not a good enough excuse to crowd and disturb an owl. Chances are there will be other viewers with zip-zap camera systems that can capture an excellent shot from a safe distance away. Don’t be shy. Ask if they’d e-mail you one of their photos.
If you should unexpectedly discover an owl, be very still and quiet and do everything in slow motion
If you are too close to the owl and it fidgets and continues to look alarmed (when it should be sleeping during daylight hours), back off very slowly and quietly, keeping your profile low.
If you should come upon owls roosting by day in wooded settings (owls such as Long-eared, Barn, and Saw-whet Owls), sink slowly to the ground to appear less threatening. If the owl no longer feels threatened, you may get to watch it relax – a real treat.
How close is too close? Actually that is circumstantial. This winter we watched a Snowy Owl at Reeds Beach perched beyond the end of the road end, on a piling across a waterway — much closer than we’ve ever been to a Snowy Owl. If the water had not been between us we never would have gotten that close.
Use basic common-sense etiquette at all times. Respect private property, “no trespassing” signs, “Keep off the Dunes” signs, and “area closed” signs in places such as Holgate. Your bad behavior could make visitors no longer welcome to an area.
Snowy Owls are attracted to areas that most resemble the open tundra, places like Stone Harbor PointSnowy Owl “hiding” by the one bit of vegetation out at the end of Stone Harbor PointEven though perched right out in the open, they often sit next to a bit of shelter which helps camouflage them
Where to find Snowy Owls: Tundra-like Areas
Snowy Owls are attracted to areas that most resemble the open tundra, their normal habitat — a vast area above tree line, far from roads and people. Here in New Jersey most of the Snowy Owls are drawn to the coast, especially areas that have been spared development – natural beaches, windswept dunes, and the marshes behind the barrier islands. You might find a Snowy Owl sitting on the open beach, a dune fence, an Osprey platform or muskrat house in the marsh, or up in the dunes. Sometimes a rooftop offers a Snowy Owl not only a good view of feeding habitat, but also a respite from beach vehicles and beach walkers, people and their dogs.
It is important to realize the value of natural habitat to these birds. They are selecting meadows, marshes, fields, and prairie-like areas (airports), open areas that harbor potential prey (mice and voles and birds).
While here Snowy Owls are preying on rodents as well as rabbits and birds, including ducks in back bay and ocean waters. They’re opportunistic hunters like most predators, probably finding lots of prey during tough winter conditions when other wildlife is struggling.
It is Easier Than Ever to Find a Snowy Owl
The Snowy Owl map on eBird is updated day-by-day by people all over with their sightings. Be sure the date box at the top shows November-April, 2013-2014 to see sightings from this winter’s invasion. Once there you can zoom in closer and closer until you can see sighting details in your own area.
Snowy Owls are quite sedentary by day, often appearing to be sleeping with their eyes closed or nearly closedBy late afternoon Snowy Owls come alive and begin to hunt, often from their perch – turning this way and that way as they detect prey with their keen vision and hearing.
Do Snowy Owls Ever Fly or Open Their Eyes?
This lovely northern owl, like other owls, is quite sedentary by day. Most owls are nocturnal, night-time hunters. Snowy Owls hunt through the night, but are also crepuscular (active during the dim hours of dawn or dusk) when here in winter. They begin to get very active as dusk approaches.
Most owls hide in deep cover by day – hence why owls are so elusive. But Snowy Owls, being birds of the open Arctic tundra, often sit in plain view during the day. Through the day they appear to be sleeping with their eyes nearly closed, but they are ever vigilant for ground predators and other potential threats. The daytime is their down time. Once you’ve found a Snowy Owl, there’s an excellent chance it will remain at that very spot all day long unless it is harassed or flushed or threatened. So, by all means give them their space and don’t crowd them.
This Snowy Owl has detected prey. It is trying to get a better look and a better listen
If you want to see a Snowy Owl fly and hunt, you have a brief window at the end of the day. Return in the late afternoon, about 4:00 p.m. and plan to watch the owl you found earlier in the day as it comes alive and begins to hunt. Bring your binoculars and a telescope and study it from a safe distance.
The few Snowy Owls that wander south most years begin to appear around Thanksgiving. That was the case this winter. But by early December record-setting numbers appeared. Snowy Owls will spend the winter here, remaining through March when some birds will head north. Others may remain through much of April and then head north. They will return north to the Arctic tundra, a land mostly beyond our reach, far far away. They may or may not return to where they were born, as it has been proven that Snowy Owls are highly nomadic in response to prey abundance (such as lemming population explosions).
Researchers are Following Snowy Owls This Winter
Our own encounters with Snowy Owls this winter have included intimate experience with Assateague, one of the tagged birds being followed by Project SNOWstorm. Follow Project SNOWstorm and consider supporting their research, assembled in record time to study this amazing invasion.
If you haven’t seen a Snowy Owl yet this winter, don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when they’re here in incredible numbers. A good place to start might be Forsythe NWR where one to three Snowy Owls have been seen since late November, either on the wildlife drive or sitting on the visitor center.
Head out for owls, though heed our advice and practice owling etiquette. Speak up if you witness someone crowding an owl. Chances are they are misinformed or unaware and think the owl is tame (and not a wild creature) or not bothered by crowding (which we all know is far from the truth). Send them to this website so they can be informed and enjoy these Arctic visitors without disturbing them.
I just returned from a far and distant land where thousands upon thousands of butterflies filled the many native plant wildlife gardens that I visited during my 10-day stay, which included the 18th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival.
Many of the butterflies were exotic (to me) southern species that just make it into the United States.
Since my first visit in 1979 to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, I’ve made 7 additional trips. That first visit in 1979 was kind of scary. It was in spring and Clay and I witnessed major fallouts of Broad-winged Hawks and other migrant birds at places like Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. Exiting the refuge and looking north we cringed. Farm fields stretched as far as we could see without a tree or hedgerow in sight. How could these migrants survive once they left refuges like Santa Ana NWR?
Mexican Bluewing
Thirty-four years later I am hopeful and hugely impressed with favorable changes to the landscape in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, changes that include natural corridors of native plants running between many of the protected parcels. The official Birding & Butterfly Map of the Rio Grande Valley (available for free at nature centers throughout the Valley) directs visitors and residents to 86 sites, many of which have extensive butterfly gardens planted with native nectar and host plants benefiting all pollinators and attracting insect-eating birds galore.
The area is a bonanza for those of us in the north, whose gardens have been quiet for a good month.
Garden Gang members Bob and Carol Marceluk in Ocean City, NJ, and their WILDLIFE HABITAT were featured in the Press of Atlantic City, Saturday, July 12, 2014: “New Boardwalk Attraction,” by Martin DeAngelis.
In nearly all my programs and workshops I recommend adding a MISTER to your wildlife habitat. This suggestion is often met with some confused looks, so I thought I’d follow it up here with some photos that can help walk you through it and understand how simple it can be. NO ELECTRICITY needed, just a hose connection.
Many (1000s) have taken these workshops, been empowered, and created habitats that have given them pleasure for years to come.
Consider joining me for one, two, or all six of these workshops. 
So, what do you say! Will I see you in February & March?
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm.
Having written the book, 
