Winter Habitat for Pollinators: Leave the leaves!
One of the more valuable things you can do to support pollinators is also easy: let fallen leaves remain in portions of your landscape. A two or three inch layer of leaves creates a vital protective winter habitat for a wide variety of moths, butterflies, bumblebee queens and many other invertebrates.
Fallen leaves are especially valuable under native trees. Our library has three mature river birches growing near the community room. River birches are host plants for the caterpillars of 284 species of butterfly and moths, many of which overwinter in the leaf layer below the host tree. One of these is the lovely Luna moth. When fully grown, a Luna moth caterpillar spins a cocoon around itself out of silk and pieces of leaves of its host tree. In autumn, when leaves fall from the host tree, the brown, leaf-like cocoon also falls, and the Luna moth pupa overwinters hidden in the leaf litter.
To provide more winter habitat for our pollinators and invertebrates, including the Luna moth, the library will no longer remove fallen leaves from under the river birches on the right side of the building. A short, temporary fence will help prevent the leaves from blowing away or onto the sidewalk. Next year, we will add more native plants under the river birches to provide additional shelter and hold fallen leaves in future winters.
Where can you create a winter habitat of fallen leaves in your own yard?
Pollinator Garden
In front of the library, you’ll find our vibrant pollinator garden, a haven buzzing with life! This garden isn’t just beautiful, it’s specifically designed to support endangered native bee species. Planted with a variety of colorful, native plants and flowers rich in nectar and pollen, it provides vital food sources for these vital pollinators. So come visit, explore the garden, and learn about the essential role native pollinators play in our ecosystem!
Children’s Garden
Children’s Herb Garden Project – In the spring of 2021, the idea of creating a children’s garden on library grounds began to take shape. Our vision is that this garden will be a sensory experience for the children and families who visit the library. To this end, we plan to grow herbs and vegetables that can be touched, smelled and tasted by lots of little visitors. Now this garden is planted, maintained, and loved by children year after year!
See the children’s page for all upcoming planting programs.
Teen Garden
Teen Salsa Garden – In 2024 the Teen Room grew our own salsa! Our goal with our garden is to promote food literacy and show teens the process of growing their own food from seed, an important life skill. We planted tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro and learned how to create salsa from our harvest at the end of the summer.
See the teen page for all upcoming planting programs.