GARDEN BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION Could there be a more mystical way to spend a gentle summer's afternoon than lolling on a bed of grassy carpet among a jungle of flowering plants and watching wispy wings of bright color flit above us? This spot could be your backyard butterfly garden. Many butterfly species are easily attracted to our gardens. We have been luring these creatures for years with our traditional flower beds, often without a passing thought of the visitors that would eventually bring added coloring to the results of our labors. When we set out to design our gardens with butterflies in mind, filling them with plants and flowers that will attract and nurture the insects, the results can be spectacular. There are generally dozens of species in nearly every region of the continent that will respond, bringing with them a variety of color that is matched by no other group of wildlife. Today across much of North America, the backyard and the garden are the dominant habitat types. Whether intended or not, people are the determining factor in what's available to much wildlife, butterflies and others. We are now an important element in the conservation of many species. Humankind's legacy to the butterfly has largely been one of destruction and devastation. Most species are intensely tied to their environments and cannot withstand our ever-growing pressures of development and land consumption. However, in recent years, we have been increasing the space devoted to our gardens, and even specifically to backyard wildlife habitats. In some urban, drought or otherwise inhospitable environments, our gardens help to maintain the local butterfly populations. Some species, such as the more common swallowtails, seem to have responded recently with some very strong population years. One of the most important conservation decisions we can make concerns the use of pesticides, which should be avoided in the butterfly garden. Most of these chemicals are non-selective in the insects that they destroy, be they pests or desirable species like the butterflies. Even some "organic" pest-control methods have been found to be harmful to butterflies. Copyright © 1993 Quarto Publishing Inc. Excerpted from Creating a Butterfly Garden: A Guide to Attracting and Identifying Butterfly Visitors by Marcus H. Schneck All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
