In past episodes, we have highlighted the important role golf courses play in pollinator health. In today’s episode, we talk about a fantastic success story here in Oregon. Earlier this month, Stewart Meadows Golf Course in Medford, Oregon became Oregon’s first golf course with certified Monarch Butterfly Waystations. This effort came about through a great partnership between the golf course and one of Oregon’s most active pollinator protection group, the Southern Oregon Monarchs Advocates. In this episode, we hear about how the partnership came about, how to create certified Monarch Waystations, and how Stewart Meadows integrated the waystations into their course.
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“We want to put in more of these monarch waystations and pollinator habitats. To me, that is a wonderful next step, not only for the golf course, but for all the monarchs and our entire community.” – Robert Coffin
Show Notes:
- What a monarch waystation is and why it’s important
- What got Robert and Josh started in working on them
- How the waystations benefit both the butterflies and the golf courses where they reside
- How weed pressure has been dealt with on the course
- What other types of waystations exist outside of golf courses
- What it means when a monarch waystation is certified
- How you can get your own waystation certified
- The importance of maintenance with waystations and pollinator habitats
- How the plots of land were prepared before becoming a waystation
- How waystations have become a way of educating the public on pollinators
- Why the monarch population has gotten so low this year in particular
“Anything we can do to help kids experience what I and other kids my age did when we were [younger], if we can bring more of the monarch’s back, let’s do this.” – Josh Loy
Links Mentioned:
- Check out Stewart Meadows Golf Course
- Find out more about Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates
- Learn more about Monarch Watch