Seymour to celebrate National Pollinator Week June 21-27

0

With their orange wings laced with black lines and bordered with white dots, monarch butterflies are one of the most iconic and beloved of its species.

The Seymour Department of Public Works Recycling Division is celebrating the beauty and importance of monarch butterflies and other pollinators with several planned activities.

National Pollinator Week runs from June 21-27 and is an opportunity to spread the word about the need to protect all pollinators and their habitats, according to a news release from the city.

Mayor Matt Nicholson plans to issue a proclamation declaring the week National Pollinator Week in Seymour.

To kick off the week, DPW is sponsoring a community photo contest to encourage people to go out, observe and capture the wonder of pollinators through photography.

The contest is open to all ages and will be judged online with the winner being the one that receives the most likes overall on Facebook.

Photos may be submitted by posting to Seymour DPW’s Facebook page with #protectpollinators or #monarchsmatter or can be emailed to [email protected]. Photos must be taken in Jackson County between 2020 and 2021. Entries should include the name of the photographer, location and date the photo was taken.

Photos should include any of the following, milkweed, monarch butterflies, other pollinators (bees, butterflies, birds, insects and bats) or other native Indiana pollinator-attracting plants.

The overall winner will receive a pollinator gift basket that includes pollinator-inspired items from local businesses and organizations including Schneider’s Nursery and Muscatatuck Wildlife Society. The winning photo will be printed in The Tribune and will be framed to hang at DPW.

Deadline to submit photos is July 10.

The city also is pledging to take action over the next few years to protect and save monarch butterflies through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayor’s Monarch Pledge.

The mayor, DPW and Seymour Parks and Recreation are working together to come up with ways to improve and create pollinator habitat within the city and promote conservation of Monarch butterflies.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

During Pollinator Week, local pollinator expert and retired Seymour educator Peggy Stark will be giving a presentation on flying flowers. Participants will learn how to tell if a butterfly is male or female, how to attract butterflies to their property and other interesting facts and helpful tips on protecting butterflies.

The presentation will be at 6:30 p.m. June 24 at the Seymour Community Center, 107 S. Chestnut St. and is free and open to the public.

[sc:pullout-text-end]

No posts to display