The beautiful Mourning Cloak is one of the first butterflies to delight us in the spring. It gets a head start by overwintering here as an adult, in tree cavities or under loose bark. When it emerges in early spring, it feeds on tree sap from woodpecker or flicker holes. It is not a pollinator, preferring trees like aspen or willow which are hosts for the larvae.
We can help increase the wildlife in Glenbrook by focusing on pollinator gardens to attract butterflies, bees, and other insects. These can be additions to your existing gardens or the creation of new ones. The more we plant, the more butterflies we will see and the sooner we will reap the benefits.
Let’s start by beautifying our community meeting place, with a butterfly garden at the front corner of the community hall. We will be hosting a plant exchange of pollinator-friendly perennials on Saturday, May 10 at 10:00 am at the Glenbrook Greenthumbs Garden, and then bringing them to the hall to plant. We will focus on native, drought-tolerant species such as Asclepias (butterfly weed) and Penstemon (beardtongues).
Please reach out if you are interested in putting this together.
Contact Grace at [email protected].
Colouring Contest
1. Cut the Mourning Cloak outline out of the Globe or print a copy from the online version.
2. Colour it in and put it in the mailbox at the community hall with your name and phone number on the back.
3. We will judge your drawings for accuracy, and perhaps your experience with the butterfly.
The deadline is Sunday, June 15!
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