MAKING MORE ROOM A Companion to Making Room for Native Pollinators: Oregon’s Butterflies, Local Plants, and Extra Resources Matthew Shepherd, Mace Vaughan, and Scott Hoffman Black The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, OR The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international, nonprofit, member–supported organization dedicated to preserving wildlife and its habitat through the conservation of invertebrates. The Society promotes protection of invertebrates and their habitat through science–based advocacy, conservation, and education projects. Its work focuses on three principal areas—endangered species, watershed health, and pollinator conservation. For more information about the Society or on becoming a member, please visit our website (www.xerces.org) or call us at (503) 232-6639. Through its pollinator conservation program, the Society offers practical advice and technical support on habitat management for native pollinator insects. If you would like advice about pollinator conservation projects or want more information on pollinators, please contact Matthew Shepherd at (503) 232-6639, or by email at [email protected]. Acknowledgements Funding for our work with golf course superintendents, including production of this document, comes from the Meyer Memorial Trust and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund. Our deep thanks go to the staff and trustees of both foundations. Thank you to Caitlyn Howell and Logan Lauvray for editing assistance. Photographs We are grateful to Jeff Adams, Scott Bauer/USDA-ARS, John Davis/GORGEous nature, Chris Evans/ www.forestryimages.com, Sarah Greenleaf, Bruce Newhouse, Jeff Owens/Metalmark Images, Dana Ross, and Edward S. Ross for allowing us to use their wonderful photographs. The copyright for all photographs is retained by the photographers. None of the photographs may be reproduced without permission from the photographer. If you wish to contact any of the photographers, please contact Matthew Shepherd at (503) 232-6639 or by email at [email protected]. Additional copies To order more copies of Making More Room at $15.00 each ($10.00 for Xerces Society members), mail a check, money order, or purchase order to The Xerces Society; fax a purchase order to (503) 233-6794; or call (503) 232-6639 to use your VISA or MasterCard. A PDF copy may be downloaded for free from the Pollinator Conservation Program pages of the Xerces Society’s website: http://www.xerces.org/Pollinator_Insect_Conservation/index.htm Comments or suggestions We would like to know what you think about this publication. If you have comments or suggestions about these guidelines, please contact Matthew Shepherd at (503) 232-6639 or by email at [email protected]. Copyright © 2006 The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. 4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215 Tel (503) 232-6639 Fax (503) 233-6794 www.xerces.org MAKING MORE ROOM A Companion to Making Room for Native Pollinators: Oregon’s Butterflies, Local Plants, and Extra Resources Matthew Shepherd, Mace Vaughan, and Scott Hoffman Black CONTENTS 1. Introduction 4 8. Providing Butterfly Hostplants and Overwintering Sites 24 POLLINATOR BASICS Caterpillar Hostplants 24 2. The Role and Value of Pollinators 6 Overwintering Sites 25 Migration 25 3. Who Pollinates? 8 9. Reducing the Impacts of Pesticides 27 Reducing the Need 27 4. Habitat Needs of Bees and Butterflies 10 Minimizing the Risk 28 CONSERVATION ACTION 10. Conclusion 29 5. Strategies for Success 13 Recognize Existing Habitat and APPENDICES Pollinators 13 Adapt Current Land Management 14 A. Pollinator-Friendly Plants 30 Enhance, Restore, or Create Habitat 14 B. Butterflies and Their Hostplants 34 Tell People What You Are Doing 15 C. Resources: Books, Articles, and Websites 39 D. The Natural History of Native Bees 44 6. Finding the Best Places 16 E. Cleaning Wood Nests 46 Identifying Current Habitat 16 Course Features Friendly to Pollinators 18 Site Characteristics to Consider 19 7. Creating Foraging Patches 21 Choosing Plants for Pollinators 21 Non–Floral Nutrition for Butterflies 23 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In an increasingly urbanized nation—it has been cal- pollinator populations will also benefit nearby natural culated that more than two million acres of land in the areas and neighboring gardens or farms. United States are swallowed up by urban develop- ment each year—golf courses give a welcome break Native bees and butterflies—along with flies and bee- from the hard surfaces of towns and cities. Golf tles—are among the more important wild pollinators in courses and other greenspaces are of growing impor- Oregon and Washington. Unfortunately, pollinators, tance in many communities, offering not just recrea- like all wildlife, are suffering as landscapes change tional opportunities but also helping to maintain a and habitats are broken up or lost. Pollinator conser- clean environment. vation aims to support populations of pollinators. At the core of a healthy environment are pollinators— Why Pollinators on Golf Courses? animals that move pollen among flowers, thus ensur- Pollinator conservation is perfectly suited for golf ing that the plants can form seeds and fruits. The work courses. The basic habitat needs for pollinator insects of pollinators touches our lives every day through the are simple to provide and can be integrated into the food we eat, and even in how we mark the seasons: current maintenance of any course, from expansive think of the bloom of springtime meadows, berry pick- rural courses to compact urban sites. ing in summer, and pumpkins in the fall. The National Academy of Sciences report, Status of On golf courses, these beautiful animals will not only Pollinators in North America (NRC 2006), identified keep your plants healthy—which in turn provides habitat loss and degradation as two causes of pollina- homes and food for other wildlife—but sustainable tor decline, and specifically mentioned golf courses as Pollinator conservation is an issue of growing national urgency. Golf courses can provide extensive areas of suitable habitat in out-of-play areas. (Photograph by Matthew Shepherd.) 4 Making More Room Bees provide flowers with the vital service of pollination. Native bees are the most important single group of pollinators in North America. (Photograph by Edward S. Ross.) places where pollinator-friendly practices could be managers and have benefited from the creation of adopted. flower gardens and meadows. Other groups of pollina- tors, such as bees and flies—which are each arguably These guidelines offer easy–to–implement tips for pro- more important pollinators than butterflies and hum- viding habitat for native bees and butterflies. In addi- mingbirds—have yet to reach such levels of popular- tion to helping pollinators, these practices will benefit ity. Making More Room is intended as a companion to your course in other valuable ways: Making Room for Native Pollinators. How to Create • Patches of native flowers and the butterflies and Habitat for Pollinator Insects on Golf Courses, pub- bees supported by them add diversity and visual lished by the U.S. Golf Association in 2002. This docu- interest. ment expands on those guidelines by offering more • Habitat patches enhance golfers’ experience of details of how to find existing pollinator habitat, infor- nature and offer a resource for community-based mation about butterflies and their needs, and exten- environmental education programs. sive appendices containing lists of locally native • Habitat projects offer the chance for increased plants, hostplants for caterpillars, and a comprehen- community involvement. sive list of relevant publications. • Providing habitat for pollinators will help gardeners in the neighborhoods surrounding the parks. There is a growing ethic of environmental stewardship • Pollinator habitat supports a wide range of other within the superintendent’s profession—and, wildlife, including birds and mammals. increasingly, club members view the superintendent • Pollinator conservation may also contribute to as someone who does more than just grow grass. achieving “green” certification, such as the pro- They also expect him or her to take a lead in wildlife gram run by Audubon International. conservation and other aspects of managing a course to provide a clean, healthy environment. Maintaining Some pollinators (butterflies and hummingbirds, for pollinator populations is one of the most valuable example) have already caught the interest of land ways in which a course can contribute to a healthy environment. Chapter 1—Introduction 5 POLLINATOR BASICS—CHAPTER 2 THE ROLE AND VALUE OF POLLINATORS All ecosystems have “keystone” species without which the ecosystem would gradually unravel and potentially “These insects, so essential to our collapse. Discussions of keystone species often agriculture and indeed to our landscape as revolve around large, mammalian predators—bears we know it, deserve something better from and wolves, for example. But for many land managers, us than the senseless destruction of their especially those working in or close to urban areas, habitat.” these are rare visitors, if they occur at all. By contrast, small pollinating insects are keystone species that all Rachel Carson managers will encounter. The service these vital Silent Spring animals provide is a fundamental component of a healthy environment. Pollination is the movement of pollen grains within and HOW DOES POLLINATION WORK? between flowers. It is essential for plant reproduction