MJV’s newest partner is Houston Arboretum & Nature Center (HANC). Their mission is to provide education about the natural environment to people of all ages and to protect and enhance the Arboretum as a haven and as a sanctuary for native plants and animals. HANC programs provide education about the natural environment to people of all ages.
The Arboretum’s 155-acre property is an urban sanctuary that plays a vital role in protecting native plants and animals in the heart of the city, including pollinators. Ten acres of closed canopy and dense understory woodland were recently restored to post oak-pine savanna with an understory of native wildflowers and grasses. A five year pollinator and vegetation monitoring study is ongoing to track savanna habitat restoration. So far, these studies have demonstrated an increase in pollinators and native wildflowers. The MJV is thrilled to be collaborating with HANC to incorporate habitat monitoring protocols from the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) into this study.
In addition to the ten acre savanna restoration, an established three acre coastal prairie habitat and multiple wildflower trails and pollinator gardens make the Arboretum a wonderful example of how urban landscapes can be habitat havens for monarchs and pollinators. To learn more about Houston Arboretum & Nature Center and their programs, please visit www.houstonarboretum.org
The Monarch Joint Venture is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and a national partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. The content in this article does not necessarily reflect the positions of all Monarch Joint Venture partners. Header photo courtesy of Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.