The New Jersey chapter of NABA meets Tuesday, October 3, @ 7:30pm at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Haggerty Education Center, 353 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown, NJ.
This meeting will feature a presentation by NABA President Jeff Glassberg on Trumps’ Border Wall: Its effect on the National Butterfly Center and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas has the most diverse butterfly and bird fauna of any area of the United States. This biological diversity is jeopardized by the construction of a border wall. In addition, a wall will obliterate the 450 million dollars that ecotourism pours into the economy of what is the most economically disadvantaged area in the United States. For people especially interested in butterflies, conservation and education, a wall poses an existential threat to the National Butterfly Center, which is owned and operated by NABA
With this year’s historic hurricane season wrecking havoc through the Caribbean and southern United States, you may have wondered how butterflies evade the destructive power of wind and water.
Some species, especially those in at-risk areas, may have reduced habitat ranges, so even though they seem to know trouble is coming when the skies darken, evacuation isn’t an option. Journey North has some great resources on this topic:
It is extremely rare to find a butterfly when it is raining; they typically have the good sense to take shelter:
The conscientious butterfly gardener can also help out by providing lots of strong, tall plants, leaf mold, or hardscaping for butterflies to wait out bad weather under:
NABA wishes that everyone in affected areas stays safe, and doesn’t worry about the butterflies, they can take care of themselves! It’s the loss of habitat caused by damaging weather events, or human action, that is cause for concern. Fortunately, that’s something we can help with on their behalf. Certify your garden as contributing to world butterfly habitat today!