Creating Rest Stops
Imagine running a marathon with no water stations along the route. That is what migration is like when rest stops are destroyed. Migrating animals need places to rest and refuel.
You can help create rest stops in your own yard or school! Plant native flowers that provide nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds. Add a bird bath or shallow water dish. Let a corner of the yard grow wild with native grasses and wildflowers.
For monarchs specifically, plant milkweed! Swamp milkweed, common milkweed, and butterfly weed are all excellent choices. These plants are the ONLY food monarch caterpillars can eat.
For migrating birds, put up bird feeders in spring and fall. Suet feeders provide high-energy food for exhausted birds. Berry-producing bushes like elderberry and serviceberry provide natural food.
Keep your garden pesticide-free! Pesticides kill the insects that birds need to eat during their journey. A natural garden with some plant-eating bugs is actually GOOD — those bugs feed the birds.
**Take Action:** Even a small apartment balcony can help! A pot of milkweed, a dish of water, and some nectar flowers can be a lifesaving pit stop for a tired migrating butterfly.