April programs promote growth of backyard butterfly habitats in Westmoreland

Spring’s arrival brings two programs to Westmoreland County to guide backyard gardeners in selecting plants for their property that are attractive to the senses and to migrating butterflies.

The staff of the Penguin Court preserve in Laughlintown on Tuesday will lead a virtual program on creating a “Monarch Waystation,” or butterfly habitat.

The 6:30 p.m. program is among nature-based offerings planned by local organizations in April, when “Beautifying Westmoreland” will be the focus as part of the county’s yearlong 250th anniversary celebration.

Penguin Court is a member organization of the Westmoreland Pollinator Partners. That group is encouraging county residents to plant native and nectar-rich plants — varieties that will provide sustenance for butterflies and other pollinators.

According to Melissa Reckner, program manager at Penguin Court, milkweed is particularly important for migrating and reproducing monarch butterflies, which require the plant to feed their caterpillars.

“Monarch butterflies are loved by young and old,” she said. “They also play a role in teaching us how humans impact the success or demise of beneficial insects.”

Finding milkweed is just one of the challenges for the colorful insects. Reckner noted monarchs also must contend with increasingly severe weather conditions, pesticides and the loss of forest habitat in Mexico.

“There are less places for them to overwinter,” she said.

In July, she noted, the International Union for Conservation of Nature added the monarch to its “red list” of threatened species.

As of December, there were 57 monarch waystations in Westmoreland County that met requirements for certification. The Pollinator Partners want to increase that number to 250 by the year’s end.

Visit brandywine.org/conservancy/events to register for Tuesday’s online program. There is a “pay what you wish” fee format.

The Loyalhanna Watershed Association, another Pollinator Partner, will host an in-person presentation on the same monarch waystation topic at 10 a.m. April 15 at its Nimick Family Education Center just west of Ligonier Borough. There is no fee to attend, but preregistration is encouraged by emailing susan@loyalwater.com or calling 724-238-7560.

Participants will learn about guidelines that must be met to achieve certification of a waystation.

Two areas of the watershed farm property have been certified as waystations, according to Wilma Light, a member of the watershed association board who also is a Penn State master gardener and master watershed steward.

Reaching the goal of 250 waystations “is doable if we can just get the word out,” Light said. “We can walk people through the process.”

Visit discoverwestmoreland.com and click on the Westmoreland 250 heading to find a waystation certification application and guidelines.

Local organizations can help supply plants that are appropriate for a monarch waystation or pollinator-friendly garden. Penguin Court is holding its annual native plant sale online through May 2, and the Penn State Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County will hold a plant sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 13 at the Donohoe Center in Hempfield.