1) Reserve milkweeds
There's still time to reserve milkweeds, though as it describes below, we'll distribute them to as many people as possible and only while supplies last. (See ordering details below.)

2) An HGCNY rebate for certifying!
Planting any milkweed is important, but it's especially important to provide the complete habitat a Monarch Waystation provides. Certifying as a Monarch Waystation not only is a great educational tool (especially if you display the official sign) but it's also a way for Monarch Watch to determine where there are gaps in monarch habitat.
There's an interactive map of certified Monarch Waystations at  bit.ly/monarch-waystations. We need more CNY Waystations! There is a $16 fee to certify, and once certified, you're eligible to purchase a metal sign for $17. These modest fees are an important source of funding for Monarch Watch.

A great deal!
To help out with the cost, HGCNY will provide $10 to the first five official HGCNY Wild Ones members who certify. When your Waystation is certified, email Randi, providing your name, address, and Monarch Waystation number, and we'll mail you a $10 check.

Place your order now
If you'd like to reserve some 6-packs ($7/pack) of either common milkweed (A. syriaca), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), or butterfly weed (A. tuberosa) please email John. We'll distribute 6-packs to as many people as possible, so you may or may not be able to purchase multiple packs even if you have reserved them. (Descriptions of each type are below.)

The plants will likely be ready in June. John will contact you when they're ready to be picked up.

Descriptions of the three varieties
Common milkweed - can become quite tall, but can be pruned back, producing more tender leaves for more caterpillars. But you'd probably miss out on the glorious fragrance this flower produces. Will grow in well-drained soil, in sun or part sun. Pink flowers.

Swamp milkweed - can grow in damp or moist soil, but also in regular garden soil, in sun or part sun. Lightly fragrant. Pink flowers. It's clump-rooted, so it doesn't spread by rhizomes.

Butterfly weed - seeing this grow wild along I-81 is a clue that it thrives in dry, sandy, well-drained soil in the sun. Bright orange flowers.

More info on growing milkweeds in CNY is on the OurHabitatGarden.org website.

We've gotten used to the idea of thistles being a noxious invasive plant that we must eradicate. But maybe we've been too hasty. Non-native thistles such as Canada
(C. arvense) and bull thistle (C. vulgare) are indeed noxious weeds, but in the process of eradicating them, we're losing beneficial native thistles.

The Xerces Society's new book Gardening for Butterflies has a section "In praise of thistles."  It notes that native thistles (of the genus Cirsium) are an undervalued and often misunderstood group of plants. Examples of native thistles for the Northeast include pasture thistle (C. discolor) and swamp thistle
(C. muticum).

* Thistle flowers attract a wide diversity of butterflies and moths, including the monarch, painted lady, the hummingbird clearwing moth and so on.
* Native thistles are larval host plants for some butterflies.
* They're highly attractive to bumble bees and other native pollinators.
* Later in the season, they're an important food source for birds such as the American goldfinch (without the sock!)

The Xerces Society recommends including them in butterfly and pollinator gardens as well as in other wildlife habitat plantings.


How to ID them?
This native biennial can be distinguished from the non-native bull thistle by the white undersides of its leaves. The bracts have slender golden spines rather than thick coarse spines, and the native thistles are less prickly, though prickly enough to keep deer away.

Here are some resources about this plant:
Wildflower Center: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CIDI
Prairie Moon Nursery:
https://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/cirsium-discolor-pasture-thistle.html

For the last few years Whole Foods has celebrated National Pollinator Week by posting pairs of photos illustrating food choices possible with pollinators and without.

1) Where do hummingbirds get all that energy?

Some native plants (along with herbs, vegetables, etc.) will be at their plant sale on Sat. May 21 from 10 am - 2 pm at Beaver Lake Nature Center.

For questions or more info, call 424-9485 x236.

Native plant sale, lectures and workshops, kids activity garden, and more!

Become part of a team of committed environmental stewards working to restore the Onondaga Lake shoreline by enhancing habitat, building habitat structures, and participating in a citizen science bird-watching and monitoring project.

On June 18 participants will build and survey habitat structures and bird boxes, while learning from experts from Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, OBG, and Honeywell about wetlands and their importance in supporting the Onondaga Lake watershed and its value as an Important Bird Area.

The overall work along the lake's western shoreline will transform 20 acres of land into new wetlands and improved habitat for wildlife. The Corps' work is playing a significant role in creating a productive, healthy Onondaga Lake watershed and a sustainable ecosystem.

WHEN: Sat. June 18, 9 am - noon, rain or shine; Lunch will be provided
WHERE: Onondaga Lake's Western Shoreline; Event Headquarters: Onondaga Lake Visitors Center
RSVP: RSVP to Montezuma Audubon Center at Montezuma@audubon.org with the subject line "Onondaga Lake" or call (315) 365-3588 by June 7

Space is limited. Registration is first come, first served.

The Council of Park Friends at Clark Reservation State Park host Don Leopold, Distinguished Teaching Professor at SUNY School of Environmental Science and Forestry for his annual talk on the quirks and characteristics of the native trees of the park.

Join us as Don shares his extensive knowledge in a casual afternoon activity. Meet at the small pavilion near the Nature Center.

WHEN: Father's Day, June 19 at 2:00 pm
WHERE: Clark Reservation State Park (Directions)

May 21 Birds on Tour! 10am-noon
It's the perfect time to find birds! Come out to Baltimore Woods for a morning of birding and enjoy all the sights and sounds that spring birds have to offer. This walk is perfect for beginners and experienced birders alike; don't forget your binoculars and hiking boots!
Ages 8 and up. $6 for members, $9 for nonmembers.

May 28 Frogs & Fireflies 8:30-9:30pm
Take a moment to admire some of the awe-inspiring ways nature has found to communicate. This evening hike will take us to Phillips Pond to learn more about the enchanting sparkle of the firefly and mesmerizing song of the frogs. Ages 7 and up. Meet at the lower parking lot. $6 for members, $9 for nonmembers.

We welcome everyone to our meetings, but we encourage you to become an official member.

Since HGCNY is a chapter of the national organization Wild Ones, when you become a member of Wild Ones, you're automatically a member of HGCNY, too. And since Wild Ones is an official not-for-profit organization, your membership is tax-deductible.

It's easy to become a member, receive the bimonthly Wild Ones Journal, and support our mission.

Just go to the Wild Ones website or call toll-free (877) 394-9453.

As more of us participate on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hgcny, this will become a useful resource for asking (and answering!) local HGCNYers' questions about habitat gardening.

This is an example of a local habitat garden. It also includes links to more information and inspiration to get started on your own habitat garden.

This is an example of a local edible garden. It also includes links to more information and inspiration to get started on your own edible garden.