{"id":12356,"date":"2023-03-06T08:16:27","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T08:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/?p=12356"},"modified":"2023-03-06T18:42:48","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T18:42:48","slug":"cwf-certified-cascade-green-parks-butterfly-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/en\/cwf-certified-cascade-green-parks-butterfly-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"CWF Certified: Cascade Green Park\u2019s Butterfly Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

British Columbia\u2019s Sechelt Garden Club created a butterfly garden in a local park which has since been certified as \u201cWildlife-friendly Habitat\u201d through CWF’s Garden Habitat Certification program<\/a>. A member of the garden club, Suzan Essiembre, describes below their experience in creating and using the garden.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Butterflies bring graceful movement and beauty to a sunny garden.<\/h2>\n

The sight of these delicate, winged creatures flitting from flower to flower captivates and delights both young and old.<\/p>\n

We know it\u2019s important to provide bright, fragrant flowers to attract butterfly populations. But there\u2019s another important element that is often overlooked: the butterfly baby nursery.\u00a0 Supporting butterflies on their journey through complete metamorphosis requires way more than just planting pretty flowers or sticking a butterfly house in the garden.<\/p>\n

Furnishing a Butterfly Nursery<\/h3>\n

Once mated, the female must find a place to lay her fertilized eggs.\u00a0 She seeks out the unique and necessary host plants that her species has co-evolved with so that her young are able to start feeding immediately after they hatch.\u00a0 You can\u2019t have butterflies without first having caterpillars and those caterpillars can\u2019t survive if they don\u2019t have the right food sources to feed on.<\/p>\n

To enhance and build resilience in the native butterfly populations, it is important to plant highways of native host and energy-rich nectar plants in our gardens and communities.\u00a0 Butterflies and other pollinators benefit from the fragrant banquets laid out before them and play a role in supporting neighbourhood food gardens.<\/p>\n

The kaleidoscope of colour, texture and form; the scent of fragrant flowers; the sound created by fluttering butterflies, buzzing bees, and birds singing, make a butterfly garden more engaging and beneficial to a wide variety of wildlife, pollinators and insects.<\/p>\n

Pesticide-free regenerative native gardens support ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity, manage water and soil erosion, mitigate noise pollution, sequester carbon and promote long term sustainability. And when a butterfly garden attracts and sustains a healthy population of butterflies, other wildlife benefit too.<\/p>\n

A Neighbourhood Butterfly Garden<\/h3>\n

The Cascade Green Park \u2014 a 1.4 hectares natural neighbourhood park \u2014 includes wild flora, fungi and fauna, walking trails and seating areas.\u00a0 The park is frequently used by residents of the community, dog walkers and the West Sechelt Elementary School.<\/p>\n

The Cascade Green Park Butterfly Garden (approximately 600 square metres) is located at the southeast corner of the park in an open sunny area bordering the forested park.\u00a0 This location is a unique micro-habitat where a variety of butterflies and other pollinators can find:<\/p>\n