We are a group of Brown County citizens who care about our environment, especially our monarchs and pollinators. According to Indiana’s State Wildlife Action Plan, nearly 100,000 acres of Indiana habitat was lost between 2001 and 2011. The National Wildlife Federation reported, eastern monarch butterfly populations have declined 90 percent from their high in 1969. The reductions have been so dramatic, monarchs now meet the criteria to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. As milkweed and natural habitat are removed to make way for roads, farming and housing, the number of migrating monarchs continues to decline.

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Although fewer monarchs might be more noticeable, there are also fewer bees, songbirds and other wildlife because the monarch breeding habitat is one they share with all pollinators. Monarch Joint Venture, a nonprofit devoted to protecting monarchs and their migration, consider monarchs to be the proverbial “canary in the coal mine.” The loss of habitat sets off a chain reaction as food sources suffer for pollinators and birds, and eventually impacts our food systems. Pollinators help create one out of every three bites of food we eat. Pollinators, birds, wildlife - our health is tied to theirs. We are all connected and restoring their habitat is an essential first step.

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We are taking that first step and hope you will too. Restoring pollinator habitat is not difficult or expensive. We'll show you how and help you along the way. Click on Get Involved and join us.