Celebrate National Wildlife Week

Our home and native plants!

National Wildlife Week poster 2008.

When you step outside into your local environment do you hear birds chirping and insects buzzing? Do you see butterflies and bees flying between flowers? How about different shapes and sizes of plants? Are there different types of life living side-by-side and thriving?

If so, your local environment is likely prospering from the benefits of native plants. Native plants are the plants that have adapted to the specific climate and soil conditions of the local environment, and to the interactions of other species that share the same natural space. Native plants are a fundamental part of a healthy ecosystem and increase biodiversity- the natural system that supports life.

But native plants are under threat from invasive alien species. These are plants, insects and animals that have been introduced to the area from elsewhere in the world. Since invasive alien species have no natural predators or disease in the new environment, they can spread widely and quickly, and choke native plants out of their natural environments.

There are many things you can do to help native plants and the wildlife that depend on them. Keep reading to learn more!

Plant a native garden to attract butterflies to your yard!

Native plants have evolved with the local bird, mammal, butterfly and insect populations, and provide them with food and habitat. Protecting native animals and insects means protecting the habitat and plants that they need to survive! You can help by planting the following native plants in your garden to attract butterflies:

• Coneflower
• Bergamot
• Aster
• Daisy
• Sunflower
• Queen Anne’s Lace
• Milkweed

The Canadian Wildlife Federation, a non-government organization, leads a national education program during National Wildlife Week. Click the logo on the left to visit their website and find out more.

The week is planned in collaboration with a core group of organizations who aim to promote wildlife and habitat conservation. Click here to check out our team: Friends of National Wildlife Week.