Students at Charlestown Middle School and AVA Gallery created beautiful works of art for the Conservation Districts Seed Packet Art Project. The theme was butterflies this year, one of my favorite groups of animals, that happen to be pollinators as well. The art that was created is transferred to labels that adorn seed packets that contain native perennial wildflowers that provide bountiful nectar and pollen sources all season long. Butterflies are just one group of pollinato

Last fall, I found a brown, spiky chrysalis attached to a wheelbarrow in the community garden. It was hanging of the inside edge and it was blending in spectacularly with the brush I was pulling out of my perennial pollinator garden. I almost didn't notice it. I decided to take it home and find out what kind of butterfly it belonged to. Because I'm a butterfly aficionado, I always have empty peanut butter containers with nylon wrapped around them with a few sewing pins stuck