My article “Duluth Monarch Buddies: Helping Monarchs One Waystation at a Time” appears in the June issue of Northern Wilds. To read my article, click here, and turn to page 22.
I’m particularly proud of this article because it focuses on pollinators, such as monarchs and bees. With the current threat to our national forests and programs designed to protect our environment, there are ways we as individuals can help make Earth a better place. Plant a pollinator garden, ditch the use of pesticides, plant a tree, learn about the natural world around you, and connect with organizations like Duluth Monarch Buddies to learn how you can be a power of one in the protection of our planet.
Northern Wilds also published my short article “Capt’n J’s Mini Golf: A Treasure Chest of Fun on Barker’s Island.” To read my article, click here, and turn to page 7.
Writing Near the Lake 
Congrats! What cool articles. I know several people who plant milkweed in their backyards for monarchs. I lived in a condo for a long time and didn’t have a backyard. I’ve thought about planting milkweed for a while now. I’ll have to get out of the planning stages and maybe do something.
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Thanks! Yes, you only need to plant two or three milkweed plants to help the butterflies. Just make sure you buy native milkweed (no tropical), and make sure it’s pesticide-free. Even if butterflies don’t come, the bees like them too.
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Wonderful articles! The DMB sounds like a great organization. In previous springs, I heard about the “No Mow May” concept of not mowing your grass too early. I guess there are good and bad things about that idea, such as if a pollinator returns later, the grass and food source is gone. I guess education is always a good idea. So, I applaud DMB and you for getting info out on an important topic. 😊
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I think the most important thing about lawns is to leave them chemical free. I wait until nearly the end of May to mow mine, easy to do up in the Northland because May is often cold and rainy. Once the grass is mowed it takes less than twenty-four hours for the dandelions to pop back up. And the small violets reappear quickly. The small stawberry blossoms are so close to the ground that they are spared the lawn mower blade. The idea is that by the time the end of May comes, other flowering plants in one’s yard will have bloomed. That’s a little tough up here because of the cold springs. But last week the spearmint plants I have in a sunny, back garden blossomed, and even this morning with the temp at 51 degrees, I have a bumble bee out there having breakfast this morning.
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Hopefully, more folks are going chem-free these days. Glad to hear that the bumble bee is happy in your yard! 😊
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