Wildlife Charity Contributions -–Act Local

I was quite surprised to read a press release from National Wildlife Federation (NWF) announcing their partnership with ScottsMiracle-Gro. NWF is a popular national nonprofit. Many people support NWF particularly through their "Certified Wildlife Habitat™" Program to get the sign indicating such.

I have major concerns about an alliance that pairs up an organization that advocates protection of wildlife with a company that makes chemicals, some of which are designed to kill food sources of wildlife. And, since last I checked, runoff from fertilizers was one of the major sources of water quality issues in Florida. Scotts' products include fertilizers.

NWF has its reasons for this odd pairing as described in an interview with Carole Sevilla Brown, none of which has sold me on the idea that this is a good idea and won’t have an overall adverse impact on the environment. I personally feel that the benefit by increasing the number of people reached will be negated by the brand association.

Clicking on the link from the NWF press release page to the Scotts' Website brought up a clickable link which read as follows:

"Have a Lawn, Garden or Home Pest Control Problem".

I don't understand how this fits in with wildlife preservation. I advocate for insects since they are the baby food for bird fledglings. Baby birds, incidentally, can’t eat the birdseed being touted in the part of the NWF/Scotts alliance called "Save the Songbirds". They need bugs, some of which are not to the liking of some gardeners who buy chemicals to eliminate them. But, given the chance at balance by eliminating this pesticide use, insects can be controlled naturally. My garden is proof of that.

While NWF doesn’t support all of Scotts products, I can’t in good conscience support or recommend an organization that partners with a corporation that makes any products which kill wildlife food sources. I don't believe that people will not associate all Scott products with being acceptable to use. It's that brand association thing.

So, I am advocating that if people really want to protect wildlife in an environmentally sensitive way that rather than contributing to a large national charity, that they look local. In Florida, the Florida Native Plant Society (FPNS) is a local nonprofit organization. "The purpose of the Florida Native Plant Society is to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida." This mission, in protecting native habitat, in turn protects wildlife.

When the beauty of your garden and all the butterflies and birds flutter around, you won’t need a sign to let people know you have a habitat which meets the criteria of certification by NWF. They’ll know just by looking at it.

So, please keep your donation dollars local. It will also serve to help the community, as local dollars are used for local purposes so you can see the benefit of your donation firsthand. I’d rather see butterflies landing on native plants than signs stuck in the ground, any day of the week.

Making a Comeback

A while back I wrote over at Native Plants and Wildlife Garden about when the wind knocked down a large wax myrtle in my backyard. Since that time, I managed to cut the main trunk that cracked and dragged the large branches to the brush pile on the opposite side of the yard where critters will find safe haven.

Nature has a great way of renewal and I was please today when I was walking around the pond and I saw the rounded crown of a wax myrtle that is growing from around the previously cracked trunk. Wax myrtles are multi-trunked and this replacement from nature looks to be a perfect fit. It won't take long before it reaches great heights like its ancestor and it didn't take much time at all.

Happy Holidays

The whole family is in the holiday spirit. We wish each and every one of you a blessed Christmas season and the best of everything in 2012. Be cognizant of your daily actions and the effects it has on our environment...life depends on it.

Bug Gangs

The weather is getting cold in most of the country, but one of the rewards of living in Florida is the warm weather almost all year round. This week we are experiencing mid to high 70s during the day and high 50s to low 60s at night. PERFECT! Just PERFECT!

Of course when you get a freeze only occasionally (mostly for 2 days in January), our insect friends are with us year-round and are quite visible. I still see butterflies mating, caterpillars crawling and this week I was passing by goldenrod going to seed when I was drawn by bright redness on the top of one of them blowing in the breeze.


I got closer and saw a nymph gang of Leaf-footed Bugs (Leptoglossus spp. likely phyllopus). I half expected them to start snapping their fingers and humming da doo da doo daaaaaaaaaa, da doo da do da do da! to dramatic music as they slinked along.

This particular species of L.F. bugs can be a pest on citrus and berry producers as they suck the juices out of the fruits and cause premature drop or withering. I generally let nature take its course and hope that some bird or spider will come along to tend to this type of gang mentality. Thus far, my lemons escaped unscathed (6 years). A good thing about a gang of pest insects is that it is relatively easy to flip them into some soapy water as a means of control. No pesticides needed.


Behold the Green Lynx Spiders (Peucetia viridans) who as they age will acquire their “colors”. While technically spiders are not insects as they have 8 legs (they are Arachnids), most of us refer to them as bugs. I’ve seen the Green Lynx snare the leaf footed bugs, so I guess we know which bug gang will get the grip on my front yard territory.

When they get bigger, IPM at its best!

Pond Prank

Dinner time for the dogs and I send them outside for a run before they eat.  Tanner comes back almost immediately with a big appetite and a woof at the door.  I look out and there is Chili, soaking wet, standing stiff and looking guilty.  I'm immediately stunned and ask her..."how the heck did you get soaked?"  Then I realize I left the gate open to the backyard when I took down the laundry.  I guess the opportunity to venture back there and into the pond was just too tempting, so she took a dip.  She ran when I stepped down the steps and she was flying around the front yard with cunning and zest.  I had to laugh. 

 

I figured what the heck, she's already wet, so I grab her and the camera and head into the back with an "it's ok".  Into the pond she walks.  I'm pretty sure that she doesn't know how to swim, since in all the time she's been going in the pond she never leaves the edge where she can touch bottom.  She's not afraid to get her head wet....dipping her nose deep into the water with the entire head going under.  Back when Blizzard was party to these fun times, Chili used to bark and bark at him as he swam back and forth across the water.  That's why I'm pretty sure she doesn't know how to swim.  Odd for a doggie isn't it?  She was thrilled to have this fun time and I suppose that I should let her back there more often.  She seems to really have a good time, although given permission, I'm not sure she'd appreciate it as much. 

The Sulphur Butterfly Emerged Already!

If you read the blog over at Beautiful Wildlife Garden, you'll know in a recent article of mine I wrote about a caterpillar changing color based on the plant it was eating.

The cloudless sulphur caterpillar quickly turned into a beautiful butterfly. Here's a short, "From Caterpillar to Freedom", video slideshow:



It took considerably less time than I anticipated. Only 6 days from chrysalis to emerge. SPEEDY!

My threatened species....REALLY?

Finding a caterpillar is always an exciting thing. Unless of course you find it gnawing through the leaf of the LEAFLESS BEAKED ORCHID (Sacoila lanceolata--Threatened-State (FL)) you saved while on the plant rescue mission with the Pine Lily Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.

Behold, the Yellow-striped Armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli), who apparently has discerning taste. Armyworms turn into moths and I really don't mind the unheralded of our insect population, but I do take umbrage with them eating a species that is having a hard enough time fending for itself due to habitat loss. The Orchid is still in a pot waiting to be placed in the ground. Now that moisture is, pretty much, guaranteed every day, that will be soon since it will give it a good start. Seems it has gotten over the shock of the dig-up and has put out some pretty magnificent green leaves. I feel it is ready to find it's new permanent home. Back to those green leaves. The dang caterpillar chewed completely through at the base of one of the leaves. Needless to say, he has a new home in a display container with that leaf. Might as well watch his full transformation, while ensuring that he doesn't finish off my threatened plant before it gets a chance to move in.