POLLINATOR PILOT PROJECT

Six Lutheran churches in the NE MN ELCA Synod are participating in a project to plant a pollinator/Monarch Waystation garden on their church property.  The only difference in a pollinator garden and a Monarch Waystation is that milkweed (a native plant-not a weed) must be present to be considered a Monarch Waystation.  The six congregations are:

          French River in French River (Pastor Kim Sturtz)

          Our Savior's in Outing (Kami Genz)

          Bethesda in Malmo (Julie Swaggert)

          Bethlehem in Twig (SAM Kristin Peterson)

          Our Redeemer in Pine City (Mary Jo Mettler)

          St. Andrews in Grand Rapids (Jan Bilden)

They will be guided by synod members who have experience in this area:

          Pastor Mark Ditmanson (Bethlehem in Grand Marais)

          Laura Raedeke (Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa)

          Tom Uecker (Gloria Dei in Duluth)

To help jump start the project the six congregations have been given a seed packet, Pollinator Paradise (includes milkweed), for approximately 250 square feet.  There are no size requirements for the project.  The seed packets have been approved by the Xerxes Society and come from the Itasca Soil and Water Conservation District.  Seed packets were financed by a grant from the NE MN EcoFaith Network that was obtained by Jan Bilden, a member of the EcoFaith leadership team and St. Andrews Lutheran in Grand Rapids.

Additional free milkweed seed is available if needed.  Milkweed is necessary as it is the only plant upon which monarchs will lay eggs and caterpillars will eat.  According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monarch butterflies officially meet criteria for protection under the Endangered Species Act.  Monarchs are good at finding milkweed; they just need more milkweed to find.

The pilot project is experimental in nature.  We hope it will bring a wealth of information and help be a springboard for many more congregations to try in the following year.  Some helpful guidelines include:  no insecticides/herbicides, sharing of information, natural compost, watering of plants especially beginning plants, remove invasive species, use native plants, mulch.

Other congregations have also shown interest, and we have established a mailing list:

          Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Duluth (Cyndi Venberg)

          United in Proctor (Linda Southute)

          Faith in Hoyt Lakes (Gina A. Haynes)

          Trinity in Cook (Bruce Barbisch)

Right now there are 8 churches in Northeast MN that have Monarch Waystations on their property.  The certification process is quite simple and can be accessed at:  

          monarchwatch.org--click on the link to Monarch Waystations

But pollinator gardens can also be planted at schools, businesses, parks, etc.  They will probably have somewhat of a different look than regular gardens.  They will have a more wild, less cultivated or manicured appearance.  These plants are more welcoming to all kinds of bees, butterflies, and birds.  Native plants have an additional benefit by having long deep roots that help stop erosion and store carbon.

Hopefully, next year this pilot project will become a synodwide initiative with help from these six brave congregations.