Princeton Public Utilities and other members of the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) are making an effort to create habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. This is being done by preparing a site and then planting milkweed plants and a variety of flowering nectar plants. We will then maintain the sites. The PPU site is in the utilities right of way.
SMMPA partnered with Sand County Foundation in developing the program. Sand County Foundation has made addressing the loss of the monarch population a priority issue. In cooperation with Sand County Foundation, Syngenta, a leading agriculture company, is helping fund the SMMPA effort.
SMMPA will acquire necessary seeds from Prairie Restorations, of rural Princeton. The Prairie Restorations “Sowing it Back Together” program uses native Minnesota plant species to help create habitat for pollinators like the monarch.
Pollinators, like bees and butterflies, are a critical component of 30-40 percent of the food supply. Loss of habitat is the major factor in the decline of pollinator populations. Being part of the solution makes sense environmentally and economically.
