News

Home

Posted on: October 6, 2022

Volunteer gardeners, City of AB teaming up to save monarch butterflies

Butterfly8Thanks to some volunteer master gardeners, the City of Atlantic Beach is rallying to do its part to sustain the otherwise-dwindling monarch butterfly population for generations to come.

The City’s new monarch butterfly bed, waystation and garden beside Sherman Creek at the City Hall complex at Jack Russell Park provides a highly visible and significant program to educate and involve citizens. It’s an endeavor to save monarch butterfly habitats while promoting interest in similar programs. The monarch is an iconic species whose Eastern United States populations have declined by 90 percent and Western populations have declined by 99 percent in recent years, according to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).

The NWF-facilitated project was carried out locally by the City’s Environmental Stewardship Committee, Planning and Community Development Department, and Public Works Department; and Duval County Extension Service’s volunteer master gardeners. The Extension Service is a program of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“The team who worked so diligently to help us showcase the importance of the monarch, through this installation, is so much appreciated,” said Mayor Ellen Glasser. “It is not only beautiful to look at, but it serves a beautiful function.  A perfect addition in Atlantic Beach.

Glasser ceremoniously kicked off the project by taking the NWF’s “Mayors’ Monarch Pledge,” joining a national coalition of mayors and heads of local and tribal government across North America committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other important pollinators. The NWF says that since 2015, the more than 1,000 Mayors’ Monarch Pledge signatories have engaged 8 million people and restored or enhanced more than 8,000 acres of habitat. The City also gave away native milkweed seeds on Earth day; native milkweed provides monarch caterpillars.

Butterfly2The idea for the project locally was introduced by Julie Rekow, the Jacksonville Public Libraries’ Beaches branch teen librarian.

 Cities participating in the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge are creating native habitat in public parks, city landscaping, roadsides, medians, green roofs, community gardens, backyards, and open spaces throughout their communities to help support and recover populations of butterflies and other pollinators. The idea is for communities to do their parts to restore and enhance habitat for monarchs and other wildlife right where people live, work, learn, play and worship.

“Together these mayors are supporting millions of residents to create healthy habitat in communities that will help the monarch butterfly and bring the joy of nature to residents,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, the NWF’s senior director of community wildlife. “Together, we are helping to reverse the steep decline of the monarch butterfly population and ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy their beauty and learn about their unique metamorphosis and migration.” 
 
In Atlantic Beach, City public works staff built the raised 12-foot-by-12-foot bed and provided the soil, and a handful of local master gardeners planted the garden. The master gardeners are now maintaining the plants.

The August garden installation already has inspired others to act by planting native nectar plants and milkweeds; in September, the nonprofit organization Meraki WellFest planted a butterfly habitat in the Bull Park playground area, and the City’s Cultural Arts and Recreation Department have added plants beneficial to monarchs. Glasser says that everyone can help by planting what the monarchs need in their own yard and throughout the community; indeed, before the City’s initiative began, many residents throughout the garden had installed butterfly gardens.

Butterfly4


Facebook Twitter Email

Other News in Home

New city manager Killingsworth on the job

Posted on: September 26, 2023

Sept. 15 update: AB resurfacing project

Posted on: September 8, 2023

Idalia update

Posted on: August 28, 2023

Cleaning up after the storm.

Posted on: August 30, 2023

Nuisance Flooding: August 2023

Posted on: August 28, 2023

About final building inspections

Posted on: August 22, 2023

Yard Waste Collection Guidelines

Posted on: August 13, 2023

Grant funding update

Posted on: July 10, 2023

Track your water use

Posted on: July 7, 2023

Donner Park splash pad update

Posted on: June 7, 2023

Wild Wonders 2023 schedule

Posted on: May 15, 2023

Kids to Parks Day set for May 20

Posted on: May 8, 2023

City Manager Recruitment Update

Posted on: May 15, 2023

Flood protection in-a-nutshell

Posted on: April 29, 2023

Charter Review Committee established

Posted on: January 26, 2023

Egg hunt on tap for April 8

Posted on: January 19, 2023

Mayor's Message (February 2023)

Posted on: February 20, 2023

Mayor's Message (January 2023)

Posted on: January 20, 2023

Charter Review

Posted on: January 10, 2023

Protect Our Beaches Campaign

Posted on: December 13, 2022

November 8 Municipal Election Update

Posted on: November 22, 2022

Tropical Storm Nicole Update

Posted on: November 7, 2022

Adopt-a-Tree, why don't ya

Posted on: September 19, 2022

Please join the AB Cares team, if you can

Posted on: September 8, 2022

King tides in AB during fall 2022

Posted on: September 7, 2022

Crime prevention tips

Posted on: August 26, 2022

City adopts mission, values statements

Posted on: August 24, 2022

Make sure your signs meet code

Posted on: August 24, 2022

Mosquitoes buggin’ ya? We feel ya.

Posted on: August 3, 2022

Donner Road construction underway

Posted on: July 15, 2022

Senior Tai Chi classes

Posted on: July 28, 2022

Sculptures of Atlantic Beach

Posted on: June 30, 2022

Beaches Community Resources Guide

Posted on: June 2, 2022

Lower Speed Limit = Safer Community

Posted on: April 7, 2022

Earth Day Art Show April 22

Posted on: April 1, 2022

Welcome, British Royal Navy sailors

Posted on: March 24, 2022

Volunteer Opportunities

Posted on: March 15, 2022

City of AB honors 'Dutton Island 5'

Posted on: February 15, 2022

Town Hall meeting this Saturday

Posted on: January 20, 2022

Complete Streets Project: Main Street

Posted on: December 10, 2021

Complete Streets: A Primer

Posted on: December 10, 2021

COAB Tree Giveaway Program

Posted on: December 6, 2021

16th Street beach walkover project update

Posted on: November 13, 2021

King tides in AB during fall 2021

Posted on: September 9, 2021

King tides in AB during fall 2021

Posted on: September 9, 2021

City of Atlantic Beach COVID-19 Update

Posted on: August 17, 2021

AB Jazz Fest postponed

Posted on: July 29, 2021

Saluting AB’s Small Businesses

Posted on: July 23, 2021

Trees in AB: Call before you cut

Posted on: July 19, 2021

Bridgeport barge update

Posted on: July 15, 2021

About palm tree pruning

Posted on: May 27, 2021

Stay in the Know, AB

Posted on: March 6, 2021

City of AB Connectivity Plan

Posted on: May 5, 2021

Public Parking Workshop May 6

Posted on: April 29, 2021

City of AB helping 'LEED' the way.

Posted on: April 28, 2021

City Commission Priorities

Posted on: April 27, 2021

USS Stark ceremony to be held May 17

Posted on: April 23, 2021

About traffic signals …

Posted on: February 14, 2021

City Hall Closed Presidents’ Day

Posted on: February 12, 2021

COVID-19 Update

Posted on: January 28, 2021

MLK Celebration to be held online

Posted on: January 14, 2021

Latest COVID-19 testing information

Posted on: January 14, 2021

Please don't feed geese and other wildlife

Posted on: December 24, 2020

Put AB Under Your Tree

Posted on: December 2, 2020

Duval County election results

Posted on: November 4, 2020

Howell Park enhancements under way

Posted on: September 30, 2020

Get the SaferWatch app

Posted on: September 22, 2020

18th Street Enhancement Project update

Posted on: August 17, 2020

Isaias Update

Posted on: August 1, 2020

Are you storm-ready?

Posted on: July 30, 2020

Stay safe at the beach

Posted on: July 9, 2020

Promoting Racial Equity

Posted on: June 19, 2020

Juneteenth Freedom Day

Posted on: June 19, 2020

Sign regulations update

Posted on: May 7, 2020

Coronavirus information

Posted on: March 4, 2020

JEA trimming trees in Atlantic Beach

Posted on: January 21, 2020