Program: Gardening for Butterflies and Moths: Why You Need the Nectar Bar AND the Salad Bar
Please join Sharon Mammoser, photographer and naturalist and author of her own Nature for my Soul blog, as she discusses the characteristics, lifecycle, and basic needs of Lepidoptera—that is, butterflies and moths.
According to Sharon, most butterfly gardens fall short of their noble goals because they address only the needs of the adult Lepidoptera while ignoring the needs of the caterpillars. And most information available out there doesn’t include moths—in part because many people have negative opinions about moths, mistakenly thinking they eat their clothes, for instance. Moreover, Sharon notes that most of the songbirds we wish to attract to our spaces require a healthy ecosystem and that this ecosystem must include songbirds’ food—and that food includes butterflies and moths in both adult and caterpillar stages. Her presentation will offer ideas on how to begin supporting this healthy ecosystem, including a review of host plants for some of our most common Lepidoptera species.
Sharon, who says that nature nourishes her soul and makes her heart sing with joy, spent her childhood exploring the wildlands around her home in western New York. She then went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY at New Paltz. And for many years, she shared her love and knowledge of nature with people of all ages in Minnesota, Michigan, Rhode Island, Colorado, and New York. In 2008, she thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, an event that prompted her to move to Western North Carolina, which she now calls home. These days, Sharon is focused on educating people about the plants and animals in their yards and how they can make their outdoor spaces more welcoming and beneficial to wildlife both large and small.
All are welcome to attend. Feel free to bring your own lunch, snack, or beverages to enjoy immediately following the program, if you’d like. The business meeting will begin soon thereafter. For more information, feel free to visit our website at https://gardenclubofweaverville.org/
