Got Nature? Blog

Purdue Agriculture News – Purdue Extension has been selected to support a multistate effort to help rural, tribal and underserved communities access federal funding for energy and environmental improvement efforts.

The University of Minnesota will lead the effort as an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) for Region 5 with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Purdue Extension’s Community Development program will provide central support in Indiana to help communities navigate federal grant application systems, identify partners and matching funds, and assist with project design and development.

“Purdue Extension is positioned well to connect with rural and underserved communities across Indiana with staff in all 92 counties,” said Kara Salazar, assistant program leader for Purdue Extension Community Development and sustainable communities extension specialist. “We look forward to working with regional partners as a liaison for communities in need of resources to assist with clean energy and water, affordable and sustainable housing, and addressing legacy pollution.”

Additional partners in Indiana include the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD), Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD).

Michael Wilcox, associate director of NCRCRD and assistant director and program leader of Purdue Extension Community Development, welcomes interested community partners to reach out to get involved.

“We look forward to connecting with communities across the state while collaborating with our partners across the EPA Region 5. This is another excellent example of states within the north central region working together as partners to address pressing issues while fostering community resilience,” he added.

“Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is enthusiastic to build on our ongoing programs as we partner on this broad project to help support underserved coastal communities around southern Lake Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes in addressing environmental challenges,” said Tomas Höök, director of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and professor in Purdue University’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.

For full article . . .

Resources:
Implementation Examples of Smart Growth Strategies in Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Conservation Through Community Leadership, The Education Store
Conservation Through Community Leadership, website, Sustainable Communities Extension Program (SCEP)
Conservation Through Community Leadership, video, Purdue Extension You Tube Channel
Rainscaping Education Program, Purdue Extension
Rainscaping and Rain Gardens, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tipping Point Planner, The Education Store
Tipping Point Planner, Purdue Agriculture YouTube Channel
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces, The Education Store
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces: Creating Healthy Communities, The Education Store
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Program, video, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Community Planning Playlist, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Indiana Creek Watershed Project – Keys to Success, Partnerships and People, Subscribe to Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel

Abby Leeds, Senior Communications Specialist
Purdue Agricultural Communications

Michael Wilcox, Associate Director & Program Leader
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) & Purdue Extension Community Development

---

Question: What resources does Purdue Extension have on wind energy/contracts?

Answer: Purdue Extension has wind energy resources and information through the Purdue Extension – Community Development program. This program strengthens the capacity of local leaders, residents, businesses, and organizations to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities through research-based resources and processes. The team actively partners with a variety of state-level entities, including state agencies, private and nonprofit organizations, as well as universities and colleges. Such partnerships have facilitated the launch of applied research projects, the development of innovative educational programs and the delivering of technical assistance and non-formal education programs that are designed to meet the unique needs of Indiana communities and regions.

Under “Community Planning” you will find the resources and information for Renewable Energy.  Learn more about the Purdue Extension Land Use Team as you visit the overview and find contacts, events, publications, general renewable energy, solar and wind resources.

Here are just a few of the resources listed on the Community Development-Community Planning-Wind Energy web page:
Agricultural Impact Statements: Wind Farms – State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
This article provides construction recommendations for commercial scale wind farms on farmland located specifically in the state of Wisconsin. This resource has links to licenses, permits, impact statements and groundwater quality reports that all pertain to the impacts of wind turbines on green-fields and the surrounding areas.

An Examination of the Community Level Dynamics Related to the Introduction of Wind Energy in Indiana
A team of researchers from Purdue University focused on where wind farm projects have and have not been located and examined socio-economic conditions that have resulted since the wind farms were (or were not) installed and made operational.

Blowing in the Wind: The Answer to Farmland Preservation – University of Michigan
This resource highlights the ways commercial wind farms can be used to preserve farmland and farming communities. This resource also emphasizes that wind farms are another source of income for farmers without having to sell their land.

Does my Land Qualify for a Wind Lease, LandGate Resources
This article highlights the requirements of a proper site for a commercial wind farm. These requirements include acreage, power grid access and the quality of the land. Included is a wind land estimator, designed to provide a rough estimate of a possible wind lease.

Sample Zoning for Wind Energy Systems – Michigan State University Extension
This publication presents a zoning ordinance sample amendment for utility-scale wind energy systems and smaller wind electric generation systems for an individual business or home.

These resources are just a glimpse from the Community Development program which shares many aspects of wind energy, along with other community planning, community economics and workforce development, community health, leadership and civic engagement. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to the Renewable Energy Team.

Other Resources:
Environmental Planning in Community Plans, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces: Creating Healthy Communities, The Education Store
Conservation through Community Leadership, The Education Store
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
Planting Forest Trees and Shrubs in Indiana, The Education Store
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Tipping Point Planner
Sustainable Communities Extension Program
Subscribe – Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources Calendar, workshops and Conferences

Michael Wilcox, Program Leader
Purdue Extension Community Development

Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader for Community Development and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant/Purdue Extension

Diana Evans, Extension and Web Communication Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

Kara Salazar has been promoted to Assistant Program Leader for Purdue Extension Community Development. She has served in this role part-time but will now be fully dedicated to this program area. Kara will maintain her 25% appointment with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and serve on the Agriculture Natural Resources (ANR) Extension Advisory Committee. She will still be located in the Forestry Building (FORS 308) and affiliated with the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR).

Working with multidisciplinary teams, Kara oversees the development and delivery of programs to support environmental planning, community development, and sustainable development strategies in communities across Indiana and the Great Lakes states. Kara provides leadership to the Purdue Extension Community Development Program and serves as a liaison between Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Purdue Extension.

Kara has a B.S. in public affairs and environmental science and a M.P.A. in natural resources management and nonprofit management from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She also received a M.S. Ed . degree from the IU School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) with concentrations in community building and science education. Additionally, she is a Ph.D. candidate in Natural Resources Social Science at Purdue University. Kara is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a Climate Change Professional (CC-P), and a Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) with credentials from LEED AP Neighborhood Development, the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP), and the National Charrette institute.

Congratulations to Kara in her new position as she continues to move Purdue Extension and IISG forward with her expertise and team building.

Check out Kara’s lead role in the following programs and learn about the vast resources available:
Purdue Extension Community Development – strengthens the capacity of local leaders, residents, businesses, and organizations to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities through research-based resources and processes. Examples of a few of the programs and resources available include: Leadership and Civic Engagement, Community and Organizational Planning, Economic and Business Development.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) – utilizes research, outreach, and education to bring the latest science to Great Lakes communities and their residents. By connecting decision-makers with science, we help strengthen and preserve ecosystems and communities in southern Lake Michigan and beyond.

Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR), Purdue Extension – ANR Educators serve as research based, unbiased information source for county and state constituents on a variety of topics including: crops, ag business, livestock, natural resource, horticulture, small farms, urban ag, pesticide use, and land conservation.

Purdue Extension – a leader in providing relevant, high-impact educational programs that transform  he lives and livelihoods of individuals and communities in Indiana and the world. Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) is a branch of the Cooperative Extension Service/Purdue Extension. FNR Extension provides resources for aquaculture, fish management, urban and forestry management, natural re source planning, wildlife, and sustainable biomaterials. We encourage you to browse, download free publications, utilize our Ask an Expert, subscribe to Got Nature? newsletter and view upcoming workshops.

Sustainable Communities Extension Program (SCEP) – provides multidisciplinary teams focusing in the following areas: Placemaking and Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces; Land use Planning Education; Green Infra structure; Community Development; American Citizen Planner; Facilitation and Strategic Planning; Conservation Through Community Leadership; Rainscaping Education and Tipping Point Planner.

More Resources including Kara’s publications and videos:
Implementation Examples of Smart Growth Strategies in Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Conservation Through Community Leadership, The Education Store
Climate Change and Sustainable Development, The Education Store
Climate Change: Are you preparing for it?, The Education Store
Tipping Point Planner, The Education Store
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces, The Education Store
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces: Creating Healthy Communities, The Education Store
One Water Approach to Water Resources Management, The Education Store
Rainscaping Education Program, Purdue Extension
Conservation Through Community Leadership, Sustainable Communities Extension Program (SCEP)
Community Planning Playlist, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Rainscaping and Rain Gardens, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Conservation through Community Leadership, Purdue Extension You Tube Channel
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Program, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tipping Point Planner, Purdue Agriculture YouTube Channel
Indiana Creek Watershed Project – Keys to Success, Partnerships and People, Purdue Extension You Tube Channel Subscribe to Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel

Diana Evans, Extension and Web Communication Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

The Purdue Rainscaping Education Program introduces two new videos as they continue to provide training and resources on rainscaping practices that can be installed in residential settings or small-scale public spaces projects.

Rainscaping and Rain Gardens
Rainscaping is a combination of sustainable landscape design and management practices that prevents polluted runoff from reaching water bodies — directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils.

 

Rainwater Harvesting with Cisterns
This video demonstrates how rainwater can be harvested with cisterns for future use in your landscaping and gardens.

Rainscaping is a combination of sustainable landscape design and management practices that prevents polluted runoff from reaching water bodies — directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils. Learn more about rainscaping and demo rain gardens at: Purdue Rainscaping Education Program.

Resources:
What is Rainscaping? Purdue Rainscaping Education Program Video, Purdue Extension
Sustainable Communities Extension Program, Purdue Extension
Q&A About Drainage Water Recycling for the Midwest,  The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Rainscaping Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Ask an Expert: Rainscaping, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Rain Gardens Go with the Flow, Indiana Yard and Garden, Purdue Horticulture
Become a Purdue Master Gardener, The Education Store
Master Gardeners Program
Plan Today For Tomorrow’s Flood, The Education Store

John Orick, Purdue Master Gardener State Program Coordinator
Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader and Extension Specialist for Sustainable Communities
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

Indiana communities use several kinds of plans to help guide decisions about development, quality of life, and public safety. Comprehensive plans, parks and recreation plans, multi-hazard mitigation plans, and sub-area plans are conducted by local governments for these purposes. This Environmental Planning in Community Plan include opportunities for addressing environmental concerns. This document provides examples of the connection between each type of plan and environmental planning, along with instructive examples from Indiana communities.

Although this document focuses on the connection between local government and watershed plans and their connections to environmental planning, several state and federal regulatory agencies also impact environmental planning. Some of the major agencies are discussed in this publication, and links to additional resources are provided.

Communities create comprehensive plans to guide decisions about development, quality of life and public safety, parks and recreation plans, multi-hazard mitigation plans, and sub-area plans. Such plans include opportunities to address environmental concerns. Using instructive examples from Indiana communities, this publication examines the connection between those plans and environmental planning.

Resources:
Sustainable Communities Extension Program Website, Purdue Extension
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Program Video, Purdue Extension
Implementation Examples of Smart Growth Strategies in Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Climate Change and Sustainable Development, The Education Store
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces: Creating Healthy Communities, The Education Store
Subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Dan Walker, Community Planning Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader and Extension Specialist for Sustainable Communities
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

Jarred Brooke, wildlife extension specialist, was featured in the April 2022 Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR) newsletter. Jarred continues to share workshops and resources for the state of Indiana and beyond, with topics including prescribed fire, planting native grasslands, habitat management, wildlife management for landowners, utilizing drones and much more.

ANR Newsletter April 2022: Featured Extension Specialist – Jarred Brooke
What do 79% of Indiana woodland owners have in common? They agree providing wildlife habitat is an important reason they own land – making it the 2nd most common reason for owning a woodland, according to a 2018 national survey. And more than just woodland owners are interested in wildlife. Many agriculture producers are keenly interested in wildlife conservation. Jarred Brooke has built his extension program around this idea – wildlife are important to private landowners, and private landowners are important to wildlife.

Habitat Management Education Through Experiential Learning
Embracing the “Learn by Doing” approach of 4-H, Jarred is involved in several wildlife habitat management workshops and field days emphasizing experiential learning opportunities. These range from forestry and wildlife field tours to live prescribed fire demonstrations. One such program is the “Learn-N-Burn” workshops.

Jarred has partnered with Extension Educators and Specialists, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Indiana DNR and Pheasants Forever Biologists to host workshops to help landowners understand the importance of prescribed fire in managing grasslands and woodlands. Participants are treated to a live prescribed fire demonstration during the workshop (weather permitting). Attendees of these workshops own or manage more than 23,000 acres, their knowledge about prescribed fire increased from 37-125%, and 94% of attendees agreed the workshops helped them make decisions on their property.

Moving Natural Resources Extension Digital
Jarred has also been involved in several projects to create digital extension resources. This includes being part of an Issue-Based Action Team that published multiple pond and wildlife management publications, videos, created a pond and wildlife management website, and a tool to help landowners find natural resource professionals in their county. He is also part of a team that helped develop the Purdue FNR Ask-the-Expert Facebook Live program, which has received more than 28,000 views.

Taking to the airwaves, Jarred is part of the multi-state team that created the Natural Resources University (NRU) Podcast Network. He co-hosts the Habitat University podcast with the Extension Wildlife Specialist at Iowa State University. NRU podcasts have received 123,000 downloads in 50 states and 63 countries. A survey of Habitat University listeners indicated they plan to apply or have applied information from the podcast to over 19,000 acres of land.

Train-the-Trainer: Reaching Private Landowners Through Conservation Partnerships
Jarred collaborates with other FNR Extension Specialists and Indiana conservation partners to deliver conservation training programs. These programs are aimed at helping natural resources professionals deliver conservation programs like the Conservation Reserve Program. For example, Jarred works with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to create and provide native grass establishment and management trainings. Jarred helped develop six of these workshops for 164 professionals. More than 95% of participants agreed their future native grass establishment and management recommendations would improve after attending these workshops.

Jarred’s extension efforts aim to help landowners become better stewards of Indiana’s wildlife resources by helping them acquire the knowledge to make sound decisions on their property.

View full ANR Newsletter.

Resources:
Frost Seeding to Establish Wildlife Food Plots & Native Grass and Forb Plantings, video, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Calibrating a No-Till Drill for Conservation Plantings and Wildlife Food Plots, video, The Education Store
Renovating native warm-season grass stands for wildlife: a land manager’s guide, The Education Store
Creating a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan for Landowners, The Education Store
Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management Website, Purdue Extension
Subscribe: Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel, includes videos: Ask an Expert-Prescribed Fire, Ask an Expert-Handling Harvested Deer and more
Upcoming Purdue Extension-FNR Events, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR)

Henry Quesada, FNR Professor, Assistant Directory of Extension and ANR Program Leader
Purdue Extension

Jarred Brooke, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

 

---

The Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces: Creating Healthy Communities Team, has been honored for its efforts by the Purdue Cooperative Extension Specialists’ Association (PUCESA).

The collaborative effort of Purdue Extension professionals from Forestry and Natural Resources, Health and Human Sciences, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education Division (SNAP-Ed), and Community Development, as well as Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, earned recognition as a PUCESA Team Award honoree.

The EVPS: CHC campus leadership team consisted of:

• Blake Connolly, assistant director of Purdue Extension, Nutrition Education program
• Lisa Graves, assistant program leader, Purdue Extension, Health and Human Sciences
• Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader for Community Development and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist, Purdue Extension, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Purdue FNR
• Daniel Walker, Community Development Regional Educator, Purdue Extension, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
• Michael Wilcox Jr., assistant director and program leader, Purdue Extension, Community Development

The Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces program provides Extension professionals with the information, tools, processes and research base needed for them to guide decision-makers and local leaders with oversight and management of community public spaces and public health. The program aims to help participating communities recognize public spaces as community assets; understand the significant influence of the built environment on the health of people and places in their community; develop and implement change strategies and indicators to support the process of creating Healthy Eating and Active Living environments; and to integrate public spaces into communities’ planning and development activities to contribute to the process of creating a healthy, thriving and sustainable community.

Program implementation may involve parks board and planning commission members, public officials and their staff, and members of organizations involved with programming or management of public spaces. Health coalitions and other organizations working in the realm of active living and healthy eating also play a key role.

Full article > > >

Resources:
Sustainable Communities Extension Program Website, Purdue Extension
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Program Video, Purdue Extension
Subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader for Community Development and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Dan Walker, Community Development Regional Educator
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

---

The Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (HTIRC) was conceived in 1998 to address a perceived void in hardwood tree improvement research in the Central Hardwood Forest Region (CHFR) and is committed to enhancing the productivity and quality of CHFR trees and forests for the economic and environmental benefits they provide. Scientists at the HTIRC are using conventional tree improvement breeding as well as molecular and genetic technologies to improve the wood quality, growth characteristics, and insect and disease resistance of trees like black walnut, black cherry, red and white oaks, butternut and American chestnut. Research in tree breeding, tree nursery practices, tree plantation establishment and management, and Central Hardwoods silvicultural systems is aimed at increasing the regeneration success rate for high-quality hardwood trees and forests.

In this 2020 HTIRC Annual Report you will find current research happenings that include:

• Integrated Digital Forestry Initiative (IDIF) – advancements in digital technology have revolutionized society and daily life. Smartphones today put more computing power in our pockets than the computer onboard with the Apollo Mission. Yet studying and managing forest resources still primarily relies on antiquated, imprecise, and tedious tools like sticks and tape measures.
• Understanding and Manipulating Plant-soil Feedbacks to Manage the Invasive Shrub Lonicera Maackii – the overall objective of this research project is to determine the role of pathogens and AM fungi in driving or inhibiting Lonicera invasion in hardwood forests.
• Precise Quantification of Forest Disturbances with UAS (IDIF) – the main goal of this research is to address how UAS can be properly utilized as an inventory mechanism prior to and after planned disturbance events.
• Developing of Micropropagation and Regeneration System for Black Walnut – project objectives included: establishing sterile cultures of selected cultivars of black walnut; shoot multiplication and growth of healthy shoots; rooting and establishing plants in vitro; and successful transfer to soil and acclimation to ex-vitro conditions, including establishment in greenhouse.
• A New, Faster, Cheaper, and Easier Way to Measure HTIRC Plantations (IDIF)- to develop and demonstrate a portable device capable of real-time tree measurements of tree diameters at regular height intervals. Although the data processing of terrestrial stereoscopic photogrammetry is much faster than for the popular SfM photogrammetry, it cannot yet provide “real-time” output, which we consider essential.

You will also find the Operational Tree Improvement Report and highlights of outreach events.

Resources:
HTIRC 2020 Annual Report
Hardwood Tree Improvement & Regeneration Center (HTIRC)
Tropical Hardwood Tree Improvement & Regeneration Center (tropHTIRC)
Partners, Purdue Forestry & Natural Resources

Hardwood Tree Improvement Regeneration Center

 

---

Question: Can I plant grass over soil where a newly removed stump was ground out?

Answer: We generally don’t want to plant new trees or turf immediately over the top of existing stumps in landscapes. The reasoning is a bit complicated but somewhat simple. The stump location will have limited soil and rooting depth for nutrient uptake and structural stability due to its remaining below ground mass.

The woody debris material created from stump grinding has a high carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio. This reduces nitrogen availability for the new tree or grass. Also, there will be significant settling of the ground below the stump as it decays and loses its structural fiber. The soil should be added to replace the below ground roots and stump. It can take several years to fully decompose the stump unless it was ground very deeply or removed with an excavation machine.

The recommendations are adding soil to the stump area, and a little additional soil mounded to compensate for some decay. Plant the grass, preferably sod, however, seed can work, to adequately cover the newly exposed area. Be sure to add slow-release turf fertilizer to compensate for the high C:N ratio that will be robbing nutrition from the newly installed turf. Maintain adequate moisture and look for signs of yellowing, indicating low nitrogen levels.

Also, sprouts may be generated due to the roots acting as energy storage for the tree. Simply treat them with typical lawn herbicide as needed at the label recommended rates.

Resources:
Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Taking Care of Your Yard: Homeowner’s Essential Guide to Lawns, Trees, Shrubs, and Garden Flowers, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Homeowner Conservation Practices to Protect Water Quality, Purdue Rainscaping, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Purdue Landscape Report

Lindsey Purcell, Chapter Executive Director
Indiana Arborist Association

---

Most of us have probably heard or seen a lot about pollinators in the media recently. The reason why is that pollinators are really, really important. We simply can’t live without them. Researchers estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat is made possible by pollinators. More than 100 food crops in the U.S. depend on pollinators, including almost all fruit and grain crops.

There are many different types of pollinators including native bees, butterflies and moths, beetles, flies, wasps, and of course hummingbirds. But perhaps one of the more interesting pollinators is the Monarch. Millions of Monarchs congregate in a relative small area in Mexico each winter. In March they start their journey north which has occurred over several generations. Unfortunately, the number of Monarchs counted in overwintering colonies has declined over the past 25 years.

In response, many states including Indiana have developed a state Monarch Conservation Plan. With input from many stakeholders over several years, the Indiana Monarch Conservation Plan was released in December 2020. One goal of the plan was to create an online resource that would act as a clearinghouse for Indiana monarch and pollinator conservation data, research, best management practices (BMPs), and events. I invite you to visit the Indiana Monarch and Pollinator Conservation Hub at https://indianawildlife.org/monarchs/.

You might be asking yourself, ‘Why is a wildlife specialist writing about pollinators?’ It turns out that quality habitat for wildlife is often quality habitat for pollinators. The diversity of wildflowers and structure that native grasslands, trees and shrubs benefit them all. Trees such as eastern redbud and Ohio buckeye provide early nectar sources. Native grasslands that have a diverse mixture of wildflowers provide food, bare ground, and structure desirable for a wide variety of pollinators.

Resources
Protecting Pollinators: Why Should We Care About Pollinators?, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Ask The Expert: What’s Buzzing or Not Buzzing About Pollinators , Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Purdue Pollinator Protection publication series, Purdue Extension Entomology
Indiana Monarch & Pollinator Conservation Hub, Indiana Wildlife Federation
Monarch Watch, University of Kansas
100 Plants to Feed the Monarch/Other Resources Available, Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Brian MacGowan, Wildlife Extension Specialist & Extension Coordinator
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---