Audubon Announces Nearly $191K in Grants to Support Monarch Butterflies, Important Pollinators
Audubon Announces Nearly $191K in Grants to Support Monarch Butterflies, Important Pollinators
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania was recently awarded two National Fish and Wildlife Grants from the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund that will help to support habitats utilized by important pollinators including Monarch Butterflies. The grants total $190,983. Overall, the total investment in the two projects exceed $400,000.
In addition to Monarch Butterflies, the grants will support Rusty-Patched Bumblebees, Yellow Banded Bumblebees, and other imperiled bumblebees and pollinators.
The grants will also increase the native seed and seedling supply of milkweed—the plant that Monarch Butterflies use to lay eggs.
The Restoring and Improving Rights of Way for Pollinators grant for $99,280 will improve over 150 acres of rights-of ways in Pennsylvania to provide habitat for Monarchs and pollinators through the planting of native species and monitoring bumble bees. The project will restore 95 acres, improve 56 acres, and propagate 4,400 milkweed seedlings.
The Habitat Restoration and Enhancement for Pollinators grant totals $91,703 and will provide for acquisition and planting of flowering trees and shrubs, milkweed cultivation, invasive species control, and monitoring of bumble bees.
The project will restore 145 acres, improve 130 acres, propagate 6,800 milkweed seedlings, and reach 1,000 people on private agricultural lands and nature reserves.
Significant volunteer hours will be committed to the project, getting people outdoors to explore and engage with the natural world.
Project partners include Chatham University, Penn State Extension-Butler County, Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network, Columbia Gas, FirstEnergy, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, United States Army Corps of Engineers - Pittsburgh District, Allegheny County, Friends of the Riverfront, Rachel Carson Trail Conservancy, Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, and agricultural landowners for these projects.