butterflies

A Garden for Zebras and Tigers

Whether your garden is in containers on an apartment balcony or sprawling over acres of open land, it can attract zebras and tigers. Ok, not the four-legged mammals you might be … Read more

Four Questions about Neonicotinoid Pesticides

The increasing buzz on pollinators has raised awareness on the various threats to their survival, such as habitat loss and chemical use. For over 42 years, the National Wildlife Federation’s … Read more

Declining Monarch Butterfly Finds Hope for Recovery in St. Louis

About this time last year, the National Weather Service spotted a cloud stretching from the St. Louis area east into Illinois. Meteorologists watching the radar noted that its shape was … Read more

Twelve Native Milkweeds for Monarchs

Updated December 2021 The monarch butterfly population in North America has plummeted in just the last few decades. Destruction of America’s grasslands ecosystems, commercial agricultural practices and even conventional gardening have … Read more

Monarch being released after emerging. Photo by Avelino Maestas.

High Stakes in Declining Monarch Butterfly Populations

As a child, I loved to spend my time chasing the majestic monarch butterflies as they danced around the woods and garden on my parents’ small farm in rural Georgia. Now … Read more

Monarch Butterfly

Six Ways to Save Monarchs

Monarch butterflies are in trouble. Over the last few decades, populations of these iconic orange and black butterflies have declined by over 90 percent. The National Wildlife Federation is teaming … Read more

What to do With Fallen Leaves

Updated October 2022 You shouldn’t feel obligated to get rid of every last fallen leaf in your yard this fall. Leave the leaves — they offer a lot of benefits … Read more

Monarchs Over Chesterfield

This morning we took a tour of the NWF Certified Community Wildlife Habitat in Chesterfield, MO – just outside of St. Louis.  The city has been certified for 10 years … Read more

Monarch chrysalis by Avelino Maestas.

A Visual Journey Through the Monarch Life Cycle

Monarch butterflies have been in the news quite a bit recently, due to their rapid decline. In order to find ways to help, it’s essential to first understand the life cycle of … Read more

A Tale of Three Butterflies: Endangered Species and the Everglades

Can you imagine a place where alligators and crocodiles live side-by-side? It isn’t a fairytale: it is America’s Everglades! The historic Everglades ecosystem once encompassed 11,000 square miles. Home to … Read more