WWF has reported that the number of Monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico this past winter (2024-2025) has roughly doubled from the previous year (2023-2024). But before we pop the champagne corks realize that 2023-2024 population was the second lowest on record, so the bar was set pretty low. Read all about it here.
Also in case you missed it here is a link to yesterday’s Nebraska Statewide Arboretum presentation on the importance of Oaks, Willows and Cherries/Plums to our Lepidopteran friends. And in case you’re not into larvae chewing on your landscape but instead prefer birds, realize that these plants and the larvae that feed on them power our ecosystems. The presenters cover species of these three groups “native” to our area and offer options for plantings suitable for multiple situations you might find at your locality. Entertaining and informative. Check it out.