FGC Webinar: Supporting Monarch Butterflies as Pollinators; A New Mapping Tool and Case Study
Pollinators are a key part of the economy and vital to the production of many of our favorite foods. In 2014 federal facilities were directed to help reverse pollinator losses and restore populations for this crucial group of animals. Since receiving this direction many federal facilities have been working to increase their pollinator habitat and reporting their successes to the FGC. This webinar will help facilities focus on increasing the amount of milkweed available for monarchs though the use of new mapping tools and a case study from a federal facility that has increased the amount of milkweed on its landscape.
Featured Speakers
- Dr. Abigail Derby Lewis of the Field Museum in Chicago will present her research group’s GIS mapping tools for milkweed, which is a key plant in the monarch’s lifecycle. These tools can help federal facilities create a baseline estimate of milkweed plants present at their facility and model anticipated increases in milkweed density. The tool has been piloted in several locations along the monarch’s migratory route and is available for use by interested landscape managers.
- Peter Van Dyke of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia will discuss the work that he has done as the center’s natural resources manager to increase monarch habitat. One of the highlights of Mr. Van Dyke’s pollinator work has been the relocation of milkweed plants from a construction site to a native plant garden.