This is our 3rd year attending the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival. It is in one of my favorite events at Walt Disney World and this year felt extra special to me. There were several exhibits that span from Urban Farming to the importance of Bee Pollination. Plants as Natural Medicine and Planting Gardens that can Help and Attract Wildlife. The National Wildlife Federation with support from Disney and Botanical Interests has launched a campaign to bring awareness and help stop the decline of Monarchs and other pollinators.
We are in love that they are bringing awareness to the importance of plants and wildlife in our World to kids.
From The NWF:
Did you know the monarch population has declined by more than 90 percent? Did you know that one-third of monarch summer breeding habitats have been destroyed due to agricultural and gardening practices in the United States?
As part of National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife program, Butterfly Heroes seeks to bring awareness to the declining population and connect gardeners and kids and families alike to help the monarchs and other pollinators. Your pledge will help to create new habitats for monarch butterflies by providing a place to rest their wings and lay their eggs from Butterfly Garden Starter Packets. Help us reach our goal of 10,000 pledges by becoming a Butterfly Hero!
More on the dwindling Monarch population in North America from the NWF.
So right then and there, we (as in ME, because the kids were not in the mood) made my best Butterfly Sign in American Sign Language and became a Butterfly Hero! I uploaded my picture tonight, entered in to win a free trip to Disney World, and got a confirmation email that my Butterfly Garden Starter Kit. We will be arriving in about 6 weeks. You have until May 15th to enter into the Disney sweepstakes, but keep spreading the word about Butterfly Heroes so the National Wildlife Federation can reach their goal of helping 10,000 people, families, and communities plant wildlife gardens, thus helping our Pollinators do what they do best – spread seeds that grow into food and plants for everyone to enjoy!
Once you have made the pledge, the NWF suggest to:
Connect with other Butterfly Heroes!
- Share your butterfly garden on our NWF Facebook page
- Follow National Wildlife Federation on Twitter
- Explore Garden for Wildlife’s collection of pins on Pinterest
- Check out and share your butterfly garden photos on Flickr
- Learn more about other Pollinators and how you can help them!
Have a parent or a relative over 18 upload and share your photos and encourage your friends to become Butterfly Heroes!
Help reach our goal of getting 10,000 people to plant butterfly gardens as part of this years’ Butterfly Heroes by encouraging your friends and family to take the pledge.
We can’t wait to start planting! TIPS: If your neighborhood sprays for pesticides, you can ask them to skip your lawn. Not only is it bad for the wildlife, but it can also be unhealthy for you too. Especially if you are like me and my children who dislike wearing shoes. This is something that I am definitely going to talk to my HOA about. It’s always a bummer when we go to play outside and there are signs that say don’t step on the grass. It makes me a little sad.
Do you have a butterfly garden? Any tips on the best way to get a green thumb? Let us know in the comments below!
If you want a chance to win a trip to Disney World and help the Monarchs, share my post with your friends!