On Tuesday, July 25, as a part of the Crossroads Landowner Series, Amy Shafer of Pheasants Forever will speak on programs and resources available in Door County for restoring and managing open land.
At the first lecture of this series, Mike Grimm suggested that landowners first define the intended outcomes of their efforts. If the intent is to improve wildlife habitat, landowners should understand the importance of "host plants."
By coincidence (or maybe it’s not so coincidental in that everything in the environment is connected) the three upcoming Summer Nature programs (offered Monday-Wednesday at 10:00) will feature “butterflies", "glaciers" and "insects."
By planting and maintaining an open land, one is contributing to the food web. Green plants capture the energy of the Sun and convert it to food. That energy is passed along when animals eat the leaves, stems, and roots of a plant.
But many creatures, great and small, are carnivores. Not able to eat plants, they can obtain food energy only by eating the creatures that do eat plants. And of the herbivores, caterpillars --immature forms of moths and butterflies—apparently are the most important link in the food chain.
Dr. Douglas Tallamy, an entomologist, native plant advocate, and professor, and his students have been studying caterpillars and native plants. They conclude that "not all native plants are equal. Some plants have more ecological value than others. Most native plants don’t offer much value regarding the number of moth and butterfly caterpillars they host."
Their research shows that 14% of native plant species are larval hosts for 90% of caterpillar species.
Host plants are defined as plants that provide food for butterfly or moth larvae (caterpillars). Adult butterflies or moths lay their eggs on host plants, and the larvae hatch and eat from the plant before undergoing metamorphosis into butterflies.
Monarch butterflies are famous for laying their eggs only on milkweed plants. They are not unique! Almost all butterflies and moths are very, very selective, laying eggs solely on one or several species of plants.
Surprisingly, trees such as oaks, cherries, and willows host the greatest number of moth and butterfly species, but many upland wildflowers are also host plants. The greater the diversity of plants, the greater the diversity of moths and butterflies. That said, some native flowers host far more butterfly species than others, and it would be wonderful to just list these plants.
But here is the glacier connection: In addition to giving us the Great Lakes, the glaciers left the Door Peninsula with several different and difficult soil types. We have sand, clay, rock, and wet areas. Just as certain plants support certain insects, different soil types support different host plants.
To meet restoration goals, a landowner or manager needs to introduce plants that will thrive in their land's unique conditions and select plants with the greatest ecological value. The Landowner Series was created to help interested citizens learn how best to manage the land they steward. While we encourage people to attend in person to meet and talk with the restoration professionals, we will record the lectures, which will be posted on our website soon.
Thursday, July 25
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Crossroads Landowner Series: Pheasants Forever
Amy Schaefer will speak on Pheasants Forever, describing the programs and the resources they offer landowners and how they connect Door County landowners with the tools and resources available in the county for restoring and managing the natural resources found on their land. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
Monday , July 29
10:00 Sumer Nature Program: Butterflies
Butterflies are masters of transformation. Seek our summer butterflies in Crossroads’ gardens, meadows, and fields. Nets will be provided. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.
Tuesday, July 30
10:00 Summer Nature Program: Glaciers
Ice Age glaciers provided Wisconsin with an amazing gift-our Great Lakes. We will explore how glacial ice has transformed our landscapes. This free program is for all ages! No pre-registration is needed. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
Wednesday, July 31
10:00 Summer Nature Program: Insect Safari
Learn the secrets of insects as they transform from egg to adult. Hand lenses and collecting nets provided. This free program is for all ages! No pre-registration is needed. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan. Sturgeon Bay
Picture courtesy of Crossroads at Big Creek
