The National Pollinator Garden Network (NPGN) was originally founded by nine organizations including the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). In June 2015 the NPGN launched the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge (MPGC) and just recently surpassed its original goal.
“We wanted to get a million gardens planted with pollinator-friendly flowers and different crops that were friendly to pollinators especially for butterflies and others and we’ve just surpassed that last month,” said Andy LaVigne, ASTA President and CEO. “So, we’re really excited about that milestone.”
The MPGC has helped to develop approximately five million acres of enhanced or new pollinator habitat, which has included an estimated eight million people participating in the program. Over the past several years, strengthening pollinator health has become a major focal point for the agriculture industry as pollinators are responsible for approximately one out of every three bites of food taken.
“Those gardens may be somebody’s front yard on a ranch operation or a farming operation where they put out pollinator seeds and growing a wildflower garden or somebody’s backyard in the city, or on their porch in a high-rise in San Francisco,” said LaVigne. “Those are the things that show that people care about pollinators and they want to do their part.”
Image credit: By Georg Schober from Pixabay
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