John,
How can leaders in your state create crucially needed habitat this year for butterflies and bees while also saving tax dollars?
By reducing mowed grass areas along state-maintained roads and planting them with native flowers and plants. As a result, mowing costs paid with taxpayer dollars will be minimized while the roadsides are beautified with wildlife-welcoming habitat.
Urge your state legislators to include roadside habitat programs in transportation budgets this year.
Roadside habitat programs are working for residents and wildlife in the states where they are already established!
The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Pollinator Habitat Program—which focuses on turning Ohio’s highways into healthier environments for wildlife while beautifying the state—saved $2.2 million in mowing costs in one year. The program now has more than 100 roadside prairies covering about 800 acres across 45 counties, with a goal of adding at least 125 acres every year.
Transitioning from turf grass to native roadside habitats also reduces the need to spray herbicides and pesticides—a win for wildlife and people alike.
You can ask for roadside habitats in your state by sending a message today.
A state highway or freeway may seem an unlikely place to create wildlife habitat. But roadsides can support a surprising variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies and other insects.
Researchers have found that butterflies are less likely to cross a road when there is good roadside habitat, meaning the butterflies are at lower risk of getting hit by passing cars.
Long-distance migratory birds such as the ruby-throated hummingbird can also use roadside habitats as pit stops for resting and feeding. And scientists have even found small mammals thriving on the edges of highways.
Tell your state representatives to say YES for roadside habitats.
Thank you for lending your voice to help grow butterfly, bee and other wildlife populations in your state and saving taxpayer dollars by advocating for planting native flowers and plants along roadsides.
