Southern Driftless Grasslands (SDG) has received funding from the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin (NRFW) to work with private landowners on pollinator habitat enhancement and creation in southwest Wisconsin.
As part of a $100,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund matched by the Natural Resources Foundation’s Wisconsin Pollinator Protection Fund, NRFW, SDG, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will improve nearly 2,000 acres of pollinator habitat on public and private lands in southwestern Wisconsin. The goal of the improvement project is to create and sustain a connected patchwork of habitat that supports insect pollinators and the annual migration of the monarch butterfly.
“Across the country and here in Wisconsin we are seeing unprecedented losses of once common pollinators,” said David Clutter, Natural Resources Foundation Executive Director. “We have a narrow window to take action to reverse these trends, and this project will be an important step to restore critical pollinator habitat in southern Wisconsin.”
With 82% of Wisconsin land in private ownership, maintaining and restoring pollinator habitat on private lands will be critical to reversing the fates of monarchs and other at-risk pollinators. SDG will work with private landowners to distribute $25,000 of these funds to build and restore pollinator habitat on private land near state natural areas, wildlife areas, and state parks.
Monarchs, rusty patched bumble bees, and regal fritillary butterflies, are included in the assortment of twenty butterfly, bee, and moth pollinators designated as Species of Greatest Conservation Need that will benefit from this increased habitat. Read more about this exciting project at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/45476
Are you a private landowner with property located near York Prairie SNA, Blackhawk Lake Wildlife Area, Governor Dodge State Park, Nelson Dewey State Park, Yellowstone State Park and Yellowstone Wildlife Area? Are you aware of a remnant prairie or savanna on your land? Are you interested in improving the condition of an existing prairie planting for pollinators? You may be eligible for funding. Please contact Jenn Simons at jsimons@dfritlessconservancy.org or 608.425.0464 for more information.
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