Help Save the Monarch Butterfly: Plant Your Own Pollinator-Friendly Garden

This summer the Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP) in cooperation with the City of Marquette and other project partners is launching a two-year, 19 acre restoration project along the Iron Ore Heritage Trail/North Country Trail between the Marquette Welcome Center and the mouth of the Carp River. This project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program. The goal of the project is to enhance and restore the diversity and abundance of important coastal stopover habitat utilized by migratory bird species as well as the monarch butterfly, a species that has observed an 80% decline from historic average population levels in recent years. Native plants – including grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees – will be included in restoration efforts to provide a variety of food (e.g. berries, seeds) and shelter types for migratory birds and butterflies. As part of this project, the SWP mailed out fliers to Marquette County residents – including a packet of common milkweed seeds – to encourage residents to plant backyard pollinator gardens.