Celebrate National Pollinator Month with some all-natural and sustainable crafts, designed specifically for native pollinators!  Below are some ideas that can support butterfly populations, protect declining bee populations, and increase the amount of pollinator-friendly native plants found in your community. 

This is part 4 of my “Eco-friendly” & sustainable art projects. Find more projects and sustainable activities below!

Butterfly Puddler

Did you know that butterflies drink more than nectar from flowers? Males also make gifts of minerals and salts to females, which the females use to enhance caterpillar egg development. The butterflies will “puddle”, or drink from water that pools on rocks, dirt trails, or sidewalks to collect these minerals. By making a butterfly puddler in your garden, you can encourage them to visit the flowers AND the puddler for their nutrients!

Methods:

1. Punch three evenly spaced holes in a plastic pot tray.
2. Use string or ribbon to tie knots towards the base of the tray, and then gather the three strings at the top and tie a knot around an O ring or hook for hanging.
3. Hang up on a tree, balcony edge space, or display stand outside near your garden space.
4. Add rotten fruit (the decomposition process releases more liquid and sugars, making drinking easier), small stones, and a bit of water. You do not want to have the water be burying anything, since butterflies will need a dry space to land and drink from.
5. Watch the butterflies come! You may need to clean the puddler to prevent mold and bacteria growth if you have added the rotten fruit.  Fruit can include watermelon, apples, banana peels, oranges and more!

Native Plant Seed Balls

Many pollinators, such as our native bee populations, have been in decline due to a lack of habitat. By adding more native plants to our local ecosystems, we can help revitalize these populations!

Methods:

1. Mix clay, potting soil, and water together until the mixture can be rolled into a ball without crumbling or feeling wet/slimy. This is a messy process, so it’s best done outside or over a tarp!
2. Select your native seeds. Consider where you want the plants to grow and the light/soil/water that is in that area. Choose plants that will thrive in that area. Seed packets will provide you with all of the growth information. Some wonderful Eastern US native plants for bees include: Coneflower, Common Milkweed, Sunflowers, Golden Alexander, Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed, and Spotted Bee Balm.
3. Roll 3-5 seeds into your seed balls. Each seed ball should be ½” in diameter. Mix and match, or keep the seeds all the same!
4. Throw outside in the area of your choice! Each seed ball has it’s own little substrate packet, so they don’t need to be dug into the earth.
5. Keep in mind that some seeds need a winter’s cold weather to germinate, so you may not see any growth until future seasons, but it’s a fun project to do year round and watch the native plants come back to your community.

Wildflower Seed Paper

Similarly to seed balls, this seed paper can be used, then composted or planted to grow native plants! This paper is perfect for invitations, art projects, or as scrap paper that can be thrown out later (in the soil!).

Methods:

1. Gather LOTS of recycled paper, old cardboard or compressed paper egg cartons, old newspapers, old scrap paper, or old construction paper.
2. Rip the paper products to shreds, and place into a blender. The smaller the better!
3. Fill a blender ½ way with the torn paper and add water to the top line. Blend into a very fine pulp.
4. Pour the pulp into a large bowl and add a native plant seed packet into the bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a spoon. 
5. Pour into a strainer or coffee filter to remove excess water. You can reuse the drained off water to water the garden!
6. Cover a large board (cutting boards work) with a towel and layer the pulp on the top of the towel. You can use a rolling pin to make the pulp as even as possible. Cover with another towel.
7. Set aside to dry, then when dry, cut or tear into shapes and use!

Looking for Pre-Made Nature Art? A portion of all proceeds from my shop benefits wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts.