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Attracting pollinators at the Altona Community Garden - Kelly Skelton and Marilyn Houser Hamm

 Altona’s community garden keeps getting better and better!  Since its inception, the garden has 

expanded several times and now a butterfly garden has been added as part of the David Suzuki 

Butterflyway project, coordinated by Marilyn Houser Hamm.

ACAN members were happy to dig in and plant 140 perennial native plants and grasses from 

Prairie Originals.  These plants were carefully selected as they will attract butterflies and other 

 pollinators to the garden. 

 


Did you know that pollinators are essential to our well-being?  They are responsible for bringing 

us one out of every three bites of food and they also sustain our ecosystems and natural resources 

by helping plants reproduce.  Pollinator populations have declined worldwide by approximately 

45 percent in the past 40 years or so.  Some of the factors that contribute to the decline are 

extreme weather, loss of natural spaces in our communities, and nutrient depletion caused by some 

agricultural practices.

While many plants provide some form of pollen, the nutritional content of plants such as 

Goldenrod has decreased by 30% since 1864. Most of the drop has occurred since 1960 

and  correlates with rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.  Depleted nutrients 

mean a shorter lifespan and reduced behaviour and vigor in bees.  It also means that many 

plants only provide a ‘junk food’ diet.  This is why it’s so important to bring nutrient rich, 

native plant species into our gardens.

The good news is that we can create habitats to help pollinators thrive and do their Important 

work.  Stop by the community garden and watch the plants grow.  Please remain on the walking 

path to keep these new plants safe.  Perhaps you will be inspired to start your own butterfly garden!

 

ACAN seeks to educate and inspire sustainable practices in our community.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, altonacan.blogspot.com or email inquiries to 

altonacan@gmail.com Give us a shout if you would like to be a Friend of ACAN.



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