The City of Purcell Parks Department and Street Department have altered their scheduled mowing for certain areas around Purcell City Lake, allowing for acres of pollinator habitat to flourish.
Purcell City Lake Pollinator Habitat
Payne County Pollinators Garden at the Courthouse
This is a recently added butterfly/pollinator garden at the Payne County Courthouse, on the northeast corner of the lawn located in Stillwater. Chris Reding shared the photo with us at a Monarch Meet Up and also reports that his team has been working with County Commissioners across the state to spread pollinator protector species on roadsides in need of maintenance updates. They grade with pollinator beneficial plants while reforming ditches. Way to go Payne Co crew!
The Papilion in Honor Heights Park – Butterfly House and Gardens
The Papilion is a seasonal open-air butterfly house located in Honor Heights Park in Muskogee, OK. The only butterfly house in Oklahoma, The Papilion is home to ~300 native butterflies from mid-May through the end of September. Pollinator and display gardens, some of which change annually, surround the house and attract many species of native butterflies and other pollinators. A small admission fee helps offset butterfly and maintenance costs. Open daily beginning the Saturday before Mother’s Day through September 30. Hours: Monday – Saturday 9am-4pm and Sunday 1-4pm. Limited hours on holidays: 9am-2pm. The Papilion also hosts a tulip garden display in early spring.
OK Dept of Transportation Pollinator Garden
Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) planted 2 large pollinator gardens in front of their Oklahoma City headquarters. During the 2018 season, many monarch eggs and larvae were collected from these gardens, raised to adults, tagged, and successfully released.
WildHorse Park Butterfly Garden
Small raised bed garden. Boxes were made and planted by Girl Scout. Open to public
Cherokee Nation Heirloom Garden
The Cherokee Nation Heirloom Garden and Native Plant Site was initially created to preserve Cherokee heirloom seeds unique to the tribe. After the preservation of heirlooms was underway, it was natural to start adding a variety of culturally important native plants to the site as well. This provides a great opportunity for Cherokees to continue the traditions of our ancestors and elders, as well as educate our youth in Cherokee culture. These plants represent centuries of Cherokee cultural/agricultural history.
With the addition of native plants at the site, many varieties of native flowers and a few species of milkweed have been added to the site. New plants are added every year and the diversity of the garden just continues to grow. There are rock beds throughout the garden displayed in culturally relevant shapes. If you look closely, you may even spot the butterfly.
Pollinator Habitat
We are converting some of our native or low maintenance areas to pollinator habitats at Bailey Ranch Golf Course in Owasso Oklahoma. Our goal is to help increase the population of endangered wildlife to a more sustainable level.
Lake Tenkiller State Park
We have a butterfly demonstration garden at Lake Tenkiller’s Driftwood Nature Center. It was built in spring 2018 and thus far, we’ve seen about 15 monarch caterpillars munching away in the garden this fall.
Nathan Hale Public Library (Tulsa City-County Library)
Nathan Hale Public Library has created a monarch/pollinator garden.