A Tri-State environmental organization is undertaking a large-scale effort to increase habitat for butterflies, bees and more. The Ohio River Foundation is launching the 1,000 Acres Pollinator Habitat Project, which it says is the "largest pollinator habitat project ever in the Tri-State region."
The project aims to create or restore more than a thousand acres of native habitat that will attract — and support — important pollinator species.
"Monarch butterflies, rusty patched bumble bees and other pollinators are in decline," Rich Cogen, executive director of the Ohio River Foundation, tells WVXU. "Whether they are recognized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as being an endangered species or not, pollinators are having difficulty due to loss of habitat, herbicide, pesticide, you name it."
The foundation is working with seven organizations in Ohio and Indiana to set aside land and grow native plants that will attract and feed pollinators. They've identified 25 locations within the various sites. Partners include: Butler County MetroParks, 5 Rivers Metroparks, Great Parks of Hamilton County, Warren County Park District, Buffalo Trace Land Trust (Indiana), Appalachia Ohio Alliance and Pollinator Partnership.
MetroParks of Butler County has two sites included in the project: Timberman Ridge MetroPark and Forest Run MetroPark.
"Our intent is to improve 61 acres of existing prairie habitat by removing non-native invasive woody plants and adding forbs (broadleaf plants) that benefit monarch butterflies and other pollinators that are threatened, protected, or in decline due to habitat loss,” says Joe Dumyahn, MetroParks’ Director of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Cogen expects site preparation and plantings could start next year. Partners are still identifying what must be done to prepare, so a timeline isn't yet set. Work may include removing invasive plants and/or doing prescribed burns to prepare the land and soil. Sites are being selected based on various needs of the partner organizations, but Cogen says the goal is to connect the various "partner islands" to create a corridor for migration.
Once the first 25 sites are up and growing, they'll look to identify parcels of public and private land to help connect the "islands." The foundation plans to map out all the parcels.
"There are private landowners that have sizable pieces of property that could be used for this project, as well as suburban landowners. People who have backyards are interested in what they can do to support pollinator habitat. As we expand the project to reach private landowners, there's going to be a public outreach component over the next couple of years to educate the public about what we're doing and how they can participate, not just on volunteer activities off-site, but on-site, on their own properties — what types of plants they can put in, and they can see the map and see how they fit into the big picture," says Cogen.
The habitat project is largely aimed at Eastern monarch butterflies, which need common milkweed, but will focus on a variety of pollinators and plantings.
"Pollinators are important [not just] for ecosystem benefit, but also because a third of the food that we eat is pollinated by these different species, and so they provide an important ecosystem service to us," Cogen points out.
The foundation has funding from The Kettering family Foundation and The Elevar Fund, but is continuing to look for more supporters.
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