Dear Recycle Lady,
I keep seeing articles that say to plant Milkweed to help save the Monarch butterfly. Why is the Monarch Butterfly so important? I thought bees were the important pollinators.
Puzzled
Dear Puzzled,
Monarch Butterflies are one of the key pollinators in our ecosystems. They are also considered one of the indicator species that are very sensitive to climate change and to the presence of chemicals in our environment. Deforestation and extreme weather both pose a threat to the Monarchs, as does the increased use of herbicides and pesticides. Plus, milkweed plants, whose nectar is a favorite food of the butterflies, have been removed from gardens and lawns as they were often considered to be weeds. Monarchs are a vital part of the food chain of both humans and animals as they help pollinate fruit bearing plants when they feed on their favorite flowers. Milkweed plants are critical to the Monarchs as this is where they lay their eggs. The plants then become food for the hatching caterpillars that grow to become the chrysalis and then into an adult butterfly. The number of Monarch Butterflies making the annual 3,000-mile trip from Canada to Mexico has decreased from 22 – 70%, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Because of this fast decrease in numbers, the Monarch Butterflies have been put on their endangered species list. Low-cost Milkweed plants and seeds are available at www.livemonarch.com for anyone interested in planting Milkweed plants and helping out the Monarch Butterflies.
Dear Recycle Lady,
When is Earth Day this year?
Forgetful
Dear Forgetful,
Earth Day is always on Apr. 22, so this year’s Earth Day is on Monday, Apr. 22. First held in 1970, this will be the 52nd Earth Day. Originally the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson as an answer to the protests of the 1960s and Rachel Carson’s 1962 bestseller Silent Spring, Earth Day began as a “national teach-in on the environment.” Today, Earth Day celebrates environmental diversity and supports environmental protection. According tonbcchicago.com, Earth Day has influenced a global movement that led to environmentally friendly legislation, advocacy and research that aims to honor our home planet. It is estimated that this year there will be over one billion people in 190 countries participating in the largest secular observance in the world! Everyone can participate in Earth Day by changing just one habit. For example, simply using bar soap in place of soap in a plastic pump bottle, not using single-use plastic bags, buying plastic free alternatives, supporting local businesses, supporting companies that ship plastic-free, or supporting those companies that are working towards becoming carbon neutral are all small, but important changes. Earth Day is also a good time to get your name off the mailing lists for all those unwanted pieces of mail. Over 100 million, that’s 100,000,000 trees, are cut down each year to produce junk mail and catalogs. Opt-out is a term used describe the desire to no longer receive unwanted mail from companies. The website, https://www.wikihow.com/Get-off-Mailing-Lists, lists all the ways you can get off mailing lists, including the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) or Mail Preference Service. Lots of small efforts add up to large ones, as has been shown by the success of the Scout’s project.
Dear Readers,
Good news. Although the Scouts are no longer collecting plastic as they have reached their goal of 1,000 pounds of plastic film, plans are in the works for another organization to take over the project. However, the transition from the Scouts to the other group may take a couple of weeks. The strong support of our local communities enabled the Scouts to complete their project in record time of less than two months. Let’s maintain this level of support! Continue saving your plastic grocery bags, case wraps, and cleaner’s bags or take them to Kroger’s, Food Lion, or Lowe’s for recycling. Hopefully, I will have more information on the new project by next week.
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to recyclelady7@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
