Accent on Natural Landscaping

Donna VanBuecken

Ortho Drops Neonic Chemical

In the words of former Wild Ones Journal Editor Maryann Whitman, “I’m gobsmacked.” Ortho, a division of Scotts Miracle-Gro Company says it will stop using neonicotinoids in their lawn care products. Neonicotinoids often called just neonics are a class of chemicals that harm bees and other insects and other invertebrate-life that live in our soils and ponds.

Maryann wrote in Vol 28, No 4 issue of the Wild Ones Journal:  “Like many pesticides the neonics kill arthropods by disrupting their nervous systems. They cause confusion, seizures and ultimately death.”

Bee on New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae; formerly Aster novae-angliae).
Bee on New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae; formerly Aster novae-angliae).

This is great news, of course, but now others like Bayer, Dow, DuPont, Monsanto, BASF and Syngenta have to stop using neonics in their lawn care products as well. Please feel free to share your thoughts with them.

A variety of good initiatives on bees is being conducted by the Pollinator Partnership whose mission is to promote the health of pollinators, which are so critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education and research.

Thanks also to Ilse Gebhard for reporting this “one bright spot on the horizon.”

   Send article as PDF   

Home Storm Water Management – Rain Barrels

This is just one of many styles of rain barrels.
This is just one of many styles of rain barrels.

Spring typically brings the rain needed to maintain healthy vegetation throughout the summer, so I thought it would be a good time to discuss home storm water management. Home storm water management through the use of rain barrels provides a water source for those thirsty planters and gardens and for our newly planted native plants without having to draw from our potable water supply. [Read more…]

Wisconsin Citizen-Based Monitoring Partnership Program RFP

The Wisconsin Citizen-Based Monitoring Partnership Program hosted by WDNR is now accepting applications for funding and assistance for projects focused on a variety of priorities. All priorities focus on biodiversity, of course. Many focus on pollinators and other insects and birds, and a couple relate to native plants.  Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP) is a monitoring priority program in this partnership, so setting up a monitoring program for monarchs would be a really appropriate project.

Funding requests may not exceed $5,000 per proposal and must be submitted by midnight, June 06, 2016.

Wisconsin Citizen-Based Monitoring Partnership Program Proposal and Guidelines 2017

On-line application

For more information

Thank you Lisa Mroczkowski for this information.

   Send article as PDF   

Cinco de Mayo May 5th

Tomorrow, May 5th, Cinco de Mayo is a day many schools and communities celebrate here in the USA as well as in Mexico. Often mistaken as Mexico’s celebration of independence, it actually is intended to celebrate the Battle of Puebla. It has, however, become more of a fun holiday which celebrates the Mexican way of life. Because of its importance in Mexican culture, it is also a day to celebrate the monarch butterfly.

Whether you celebrate Cinco de Mayo Day or not, this holiday would be a good opportunity to take the time to learn more about the monarch butterfly migration and to explore the native plants that attract these butterflies to your garden or yard. Then, plan to plant more of them at your home or encourage your employers and your communities to plant more in their green space.

Many IMAX theaters will be showing Flight of the Butterflies in celebration of Cinco de Mayo so I thought you would enjoy this trailer.

   Send article as PDF