PHOTO GALLERY: Southold monarch garden tour shows how native plants help pollinators
It starts with a single plant.
That was the message as ReWild Long Island’s North Fork chapter led residents and town officials through the Custer Preserve Native Meadow in Southold for a tour of its monarch garden.
Visitors learned how even a small patch of native habitat can provide food and shelter for monarch butterflies, native bees and other pollinators.
“You can take one small step … one pot on your deck or ripping up a bit of your lawn … We are a community, and this community really cares about plant and insect diversity, not just for us, but for the future generations,” said Nancy DePas Reinertsen, the chapter’s leader and a master gardener.
Town Board members Brian Mealy, Kate Stevens and Alexa Suess joined residents for Thursday’s tour, which covered the dos and don’ts of creating a pollinator-friendly garden.
Ms. Reinertsen credited the town with helping volunteers establish and maintain the habitat.
“The town has been phenomenal,” Ms. Reinersten said. “When we said we needed mulch, they asked, ‘How much?’ They came and dumped a big pile, and then when we needed more, they said, ‘Sure. What day do you want it?”
Photos by Nick Mongiovi
Her advice for anyone inspired by the garden was simple: Don’t be intimidated by the size of the project.
“I want people to know they can make a difference,” Ms. Reinertsen said. “Start small. Just plant two or three — or five — plants and enjoy them. Plant something your mom likes.”
