By Lynn Capuano

Thanksgiving is around the corner and winter is right next door. Monarch butterfly and tree conservation may feel out of place in conversation as the temperatures drop below freezing and the days darken earlier, and we find ourselves spending more time indoors than out. But how we handle nature’s hibernation affects spring’s reawakening and summer’s blooming.

Since 2018, the Town of North Hempstead has taken the monarch butterfly pledge. This involves committing to perform several specific actions to help the monarch butterfly survive. According to the Town, the monarch butterfly population is declining in the wild due to loss of habitat, agricultural practices, development and cropland conversion and eradication of milkweed.

Climate change is increasing the monarch butterfly’s decline by disrupting their migration timing, which is carefully attuned to temperature changes and wind patterns. Extreme and intense weather events like drought, hurricanes, and flooding destroy their habitat. Town residents are encouraged to help save the monarch butterfly by building welcoming gardens for monarchs at their homes.

Central to the garden should be the milkweed plant, the sole host plant for the monarch. In the fall, the best thing to do to care for the milkweed in your garden, and prepare it for the monarch’s arrival in the spring, is nothing. While it may appear the plants have died and are no longer lovely to observe, they are still working, preparing for their regrowth. In the fall, their pods explode and send their seeds floating to the ground where they find rest in the soil. They should be left there, undisturbed by raking and clearing of leaves. They need to experience the cold and cover of snow to get ready to germinate and grow in the spring and blossom in the summer to host the next generation of monarch butterflies returning from their winter homes.

The Town also recommends planting native nectar plants like Joe-Pye weed and goldenrod in addition to milkweed and provides a list of other native plants available at https://www.northhempsteadny.gov/filestorage/16255/18642/Native_Plant_list-_Updated.pdf. Another recommendation is to avoid use of pesticides, which will harm the monarch butterfly as well as every other living thing in the area. For more ideas on how to welcome monarch butterflies to your yard, see the Town’s list of recommendations at https://www.northhempsteadny.gov/monarchs.

Tree conservation is also highlighted by the Town of North Hempstead through its sustainability programs and another effort that requires our attention as fall approaches winter. The Town has been recognized as a “Tree City USA” since 2011 and informs its residents of the human and environmental benefits of trees. These include, air quality, human health, stormwater absorption and cleansing, wildlife habitat, protection, roosting, food, and storage, cooling and saving energy, absorption of greenhouse gases, higher property values and beauty. The Town has committed to planting more trees, especially native trees, and has a “tree code” detailing the importance of preserving existing trees.

As the trees shed their leaves, we may not realize that those leaves can be put to good use, caring for the tree through the winter. Pile the leaves around the base of the tree, leaving a few inches of space between the trunk and the leaves. The leaves serve as a blanket for the tree roots, protecting them from winter weather. They also provide excellent habitat to all sorts of small animals and insects that will help the leaves decompose and provide the tree with additional nutrition. Leaving the leaves can help hold moisture in the ground for the tree, which can be more susceptible to damage after dry conditions like the ones we experienced this year. Moister soil stays warmer longer, further helping your tree roots survive the winter.

Lest you think there is little you can do for the environment in the colder months, the Town offers tips for sustainable living that are not seasonal. For example, under the heading of reducing waste, the Town suggests finding a creative way to repurpose something before throwing it away or recycling it. Other suggestions include donating old items, composting and stopping junk mail. For more information, see the list at https://northhempsteadny.gov/reducewaste.

Under saving and protecting water, some of the suggestions include:
• Don’t leave the faucet running while brushing your teeth or washing the dishes
• Take quick showers instead of baths
• Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet until water is cold
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a basin and use a brush instead of letting the faucet run
• Thaw foods in the refrigerator overnight instead of running them under water
• Scrape dishes, instead of rinsing, before putting them in the dishwasher
• Repair leaks in faucets, toilets and outdoor hoses and irrigation systems
• Don’t flush chemicals or medications down the drain or toilet
• Don’t put anything down storm drains except water

There are also tips for saving energy by walking instead of driving, installing LED lightbulbs, turning off lights, unplugging electronics, and only doing full loads of wash.
I hope we’ll all follow the Town’s lead and take our own sustainability pledges and follow the Town’s recommendations for sustainable living. After this week’s reporting on COP 27 (Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), it seems the least we can do.