Public Pollinator Gardens

Where Have All the Butterflies Gone?

Most agree that butterflies are beautiful and one could argue that they are possibly the most beloved insect. However, it is not uncommon to hear older adults remark about the absence of butterflies that they used to see. In the last 25 years, pollinator populations, including butterflies and bees, have been in decline throughout the United States. The most famous example is the endangered Monarch butterfly. Populations of the Eastern Monarch have declined by 80% since 1996. Western Monarchs have declined by 99%. Our native bees and exotic honey bees are also in decline with some native bees considered to be endangered.

Why are these pollinators declining? The main reasons are:

habitat loss due to over development
decline of important native host plants for feeding and breeding due to invasive exotic plants and bacteria/viral infections that are brought by alien species
use of pesticides
effects associated with climate change

How can we bring native pollinators back? One of the most important things we can do is to provide pesticide-free habitat that contains flowering native plant varieties.

Here's some good news: Locally, in the Rochester/Rochester Hills/Oakland Twp area, the number of Pollinator Gardens have been steadily growing! The Rochester Pollinators are committed to supporting and directly implementing the planning and planting of native plant gardens for pollinators.

See below for several examples of recent pollinator garden projects: