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Ashley So
Carly Starke
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Statement of the
Situation
◦ Identification of the
Problem
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Proposed Solution
Background
Ethical Issues
Objectives
Rationale
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Materials
Methods
Data Analysis
Implications
Taking Action
Conclusion
Lack of biodiversity in animal species
 Unused space and empty land
 Development and construction
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◦ Decreases amount of plants
 Food source and habitat
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Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden
◦ Wildflowers
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Local species to central NJ
◦ Hummingbirds
 Arrive mid-April and stay until early September
 Ruby-throated and Rufous
◦ Butterflies
 Migrate from south during spring
 Monarch and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
◦ Habitat: warm and dry, protection
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Massed planting of one type
Caterpillar food plant
Weedy plants host to species
Heights
◦ Food source: nectar
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Contribution to the
ecosystem
◦ Biodiversity
 Lost due to alteration of habitat,
species in surrounding area, and
climate change
Ruby-throated
Rufous
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Monarch
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Wildflowers
◦ Attract both hummingbirds and butterflies
◦ Source of food and protection
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NJ climate
◦ Growing season
◦ Warm and dry
◦ Warm days, cools nights
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Responsibility to care for environment
Need resources, but also need to give back
◦ Give protection to species
◦ Conserve
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Purpose: bring butterflies and hummingbirds to
BTHS
◦ Observe and record species
 Flowers, hummingbirds, butterflies
◦ Observe what plants species are attracted to
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Effects of solution
◦ Advantages
 Habitat for species
 Biodiversity
 Observing nature
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Landscape designs to conserve species
Sites with greater diversity of habitat types and more
varied terrain tend to have butterfly populations that
are more stable over time
◦ Woodland, grassland, heathland
◦ Become adaptable
◦ Change in climate
◦ (Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, 2010)
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Evolution of columbine flowers in
North America
◦ Red, white, yellow
◦ Plant population shift
 Hummingbird-pollinated red
flowers
 Hawkmoth-pollinated white or
yellow flowers
 Natural selection to change flower
color
◦ (University of California - Santa
Barbara, 2009)
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Evaluate impact deer grazing can have on nest
quality and food resources of birds
Decline of forest birds
◦ Disease, loss of habitat and increase in number of animals
that prey on bird nests
◦ (Staedter, 2005)
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Area
Moisture
◦ Water-accessible
◦ Drainage
 Percolation tests
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Sunlight
◦ Warm days, cool nights
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Practicality
◦ Away from sports
◦ Visible from basketball court
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pH
Composition
◦ Minerals (Chlorine, zinc)
◦ Clay, sand
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Moisture, drainage
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Based on proportions of silt, sand, and clay
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Meter sticks, accurate to the nearest 0.1 m
Shovels
Rakes
American Meadows™ Butterfly & Hummingbird
Seed Mixture, 1 lb. ($24.95)
Buckets
Sand
Hose (water)
Scarecrow (optional)
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Wildflowers – extremely adaptable
Mix of perennial + annual blooms
◦ First year
 Sprout: ~2 weeks (8 days – months)
 Bloom: 3-4 weeks after sprouting
 Annual blooms
◦ Following years:
 Heavy perennial bloom + reseeded
annual bloom
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Store in cool, dry place (5 years)
Botanical Name
Common Name
Cynoglossum amabile
Chinese Forget me Not
Cosmos bipinnatus
Wild Cosmos
Echinacea purpurea
Purple Coneflower
Gypsophila elegans
Baby's Breath
Hesperis matronalis
Dame's Rocket
Ipomoea purpurea
Morning Glory
Lavatera trimestris
Rose Mallow
Linaria maroccana
Baby Snapdragon
Lupinus succulentus
Wild Annual Lupine
Monarda citriadora
Lemon Mint
Papaver rhoeas
Red Poppy
Rudbeckia hirta
Black Eyed Susan
Salvia coccinea
Scarlet Sage
Silene armeria
None-So-Pretty
Trifolium incarnata
Crimson Clover
Tropaeoleum nanum
Nasturtium
Select the seed mixture.
Pick
your planting location.
Plant
your seeds.
Water
the seeds.
Enjoy
your flowers. The color, variety and beauty will
astound you. Pick a bouquet and enjoy them in your
home as well.
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Spring
Clear area of all
existing growth
◦ Particularly old roots competition
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Till ground
◦ Turn soil, rake area flat
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Next day
◦ Windless
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Amount
◦ 1 lb. for 2,000 - 3,000
square feet
◦ Up to 3x minimum coverage
rates
◦ Too dense inhibits growth
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Divide seed mixture in half
Add 10 parts sand
Hand-sow
Repeat
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Advantages
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◦ “Dilute seed”
◦ Avoid missing areas
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DO NOT rake or cover with soil
Compress seeds into soil
◦ “Seed to soil” contact
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Scare birds (optional)
Keep soil moist for 2-4 weeks
Weed by “clumping”
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(American Meadows™, 2010)
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Annual responsibilities:
◦ Late fall: leave garden as is
 Allows for any butterflies in egg,
caterpillar, or chrysalis to survive
winter
◦ Reseed annual blooms (optional)
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Observe and record types of plant growth and animal
species
◦ Photograph
◦ Identify and classify species
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Randomly select 10 plants of each type to measure
average heights
◦ Plot scatterplot of number of butterflies or hummingbirds
attracted to specific flowers
 To plan for future – which plants to reseed
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Monday, March 8
◦ Place order (5 business days)
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Tuesday, March 16
◦ Till land
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Wednesday, March 17 (after school)
◦ Sow seeds
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Thursday, March 18 – Thursday, April 1
◦ Water area, weed
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Thursday, April 1 – Thursday, April 29
◦ Record types of flowers, plants, animal species
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Drawbacks
◦ Requires maintenance
◦ May decrease insect populations
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Cost
◦ $24.95 for seeds
◦ Fundraising to decrease cost
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Education
◦ Raise awareness
◦ Asbury Park Press for publicity article
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“Construction”
◦ Organize ordering of and gathering of materials
◦ Coordinate maintenance of meadow
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Fundraising
◦ Contact American Meadows™
◦ Write to PSFA
◦ Write to local botanists or NJ planting agencies
◦ Host fundraiser
 Sell plantable paper
Fundraising
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Eco-Calendar
◦ Plant pages
Benefit outweigh costs/effort
 Garden will:
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◦ Increase biodiversity of flora and fauna
◦ Increase aesthetic appeal of area
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Costs:
◦ Work
◦ $30.00
Any questions?
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American Meadows™. (2010). How to create your own wildflower meadow.
Retrieved February 24, 2010 from
http://www.americanmeadows.com/QuickGuideToWildflowers/WildflowerHo
wTo/WildflowerSeedPlantingInstructions.aspx.
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (2010). Conservation from space:
Landscape diversity helps to conserve insects. ScienceDaily. Retrieved
February 26, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100207214126.htm.
Sutton, P. (2009). How to create a butterfly and hummingbird garden. New
Jersey Audubon. Retrieved February 28, 2010 from
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionBackyardHabitat/CreateaGarden.aspx.
Staedter, T. (2005). Deer decreasing forest bird population. ScienceDaily.
Retrieved February 26, 2010 from
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=deer-decreasing-forest-bi.
University of California - Santa Barbara (2009). Study of flower color shows
evolution in action. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/06/090629165110.htm.