Guest Blogger: Ric Kotarsky of the Tulsa Zoo
The Tulsa Zoo has made pollinator conservation a priority. Oklahoma plays an important role in the population of the monarch butterfly, given its location in the center of the monarch migration path between Mexico and Canada. This makes the Tulsa area an ideal location to help increase the overall population of monarchs.
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, and is considered the most familiar butterfly within North America. This king of the butterflies, hence the name monarch, has large wings featuring an easily recognizable orange and black pattern.
One of the ways the Tulsa Zoo raises awareness about monarch butterflies and pollinator conservation is through its participation in the Monarch Watch Program, which is a conservation project of the University of Kansas. The Tulsa Zoo joined the Monarch Watch Program in 2013 to help the plight of the monarch butterfly. Within the Monarch Watch Program, the Tulsa Zoo became a registered and certified Waystation (butterfly habitat) site for the monarch butterflies.
As a certified Waystation site, we provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without native plants like milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall. Similarly, without nectar from flowers, these fall migratory monarch butterflies would be unable to make their long journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico.
The Tulsa Zoo currently has three Monarch Watch Waystations. One is within a large conservation garden made up of a rain garden, water wise garden, and pollinator garden. The Conservation Garden introduces Zoo visitors to sustainable landscaping alternatives. These gardens, along with our Green Roof, help Zoo visitors appreciate the role native plants play in regional ecology. The gardens also showcase our efforts to incorporate native plants and water conservation at the Zoo, and demonstrate how similar practices can be implemented into a home landscape.
Another way the Tulsa Zoo promotes pollinator conservation is through the Monarch Initiative of Tulsa (MIT). The Tulsa Zoo is a founding member of the MIT, which is made up of local conservationists and gardeners who are focused on monarch butterfly and pollinator conservation within the City of Tulsa and the State of Oklahoma. The group is made up of representatives from Oxley Nature Center, the Tulsa Botanical Garden, The Tulsa Garden Center, Riverfield Country Day School, and Sustainable Tulsa. The Monarch Initiative of Tulsa organizes conservation efforts within the Tulsa community to create and plant Monarch Watch Waystations (butterfly habitats) at their local business, schools and homes in hopes of making Tulsa a monarch city.
Since the monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable wildlife species in the United States, it is an ambassador to the natural landscape of our Nation. Over the last twenty years, there has been a drastic decline of monarchs which is also a risk to our overall food production and well as our own health.
The Tulsa Zoo is working to conserve and to establish monarch habitats within our community that will benefit many other plants, animals, and future generations of Americans. To learn more about our conservation efforts please visit the Tulsa Zoo website.
– Ric Kotarsky
Conservation Manager
Tulsa Zoo
Mr. Kotarsky’s contributed post is part of an ongoing series this summer as part of PGAV Destination’s 2016-2017 PGAVIA Conservation Awareness Campaign, supporting pollinators and the restoration of their habitats.
