Burnet VFW post digs in for pollinators
Some of the volunteers helping to create a butterfly garden at the Veterans of Foreign War Post 6974 in Burnet on April 9 were Ray Smith (left), Darla Smith, Ann Swanson, Cindy Brown, Jessamyn Putnam, Liam McDonald, Connor McDonald, Krista Paul, Cindi Leech, and Lori Greco. Courtesy photo
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6974 in Burnet is now a landing spot for migrating monarch butterflies and other beneficial insects and birds after volunteers planted a pollinator garden.
Burnet resident Lori Greco, a veteran and Master Naturalist, spearheaded the April 9 project, mustering funding and then gathering volunteers. She is also a member of the Llano Uplift Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which took the garden under its wing.
DAR’s mission includes a “love of service” and “community engagement.”
The Highland Lakes is located along the migration route of monarch butterflies to and from their wintering grounds in Mexico. Monarch numbers have dropped over the past several decades for a number of reasons, including loss of habitat. Even smaller butterfly gardens such as the one at the Burnet VFW, 1402 Buchanan Drive, can offer crucial habitat and food sources for monarchs.
“And while the monarchs are a vital part of our habitat, this garden will support all pollinators,” according to a DAR media release about the garden.
For more information on the Llano Uplift Chapter of DAR, email Peggy Munson at peggymunson@austin.rr.com. For more on VFW Post 6974, call Post Commander Alex Orosco at 512-756-4942.