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10 Reasons to Celebrate Bats, Bees, Birds, and Butterflies

Author Bio

Emma Gallagher is a Brit living in North Carolina. She grows organic gardens and... Read More

A garden devoid of bats, bees, birds, and butterflies would be a sad place indeed. Not only do they add to the biodiversity of a space, but they are also fascinating, beautiful, and downright essential.

If you want to learn a little more about these key creatures and maybe find out how you can encourage them to your garden, check out this collection of OGP articles that celebrate all there is to love about them.

1. Love Bats

Source: USFWS Headquarters/Flickr

Before starting to address the how to get bats to visit your garden aspect of this article, it might be useful to get into why that might be a good thing. And, before we get into why bats in the garden are a good thing, we might need to get into why it isn’t a bad thing. To learn more about how great bats are, check out this article on How to Get Bats to Visit Your Garden and Why You Want Them There.

2. Don’t Fear Bats

Source: USFWS Headquarters/Flickr

Bats have a reputation that precedes them, and unfortunately, it isn’t a very good one. They’ve been linked to several zoonotic illnesses: Ebola, COVID, rabies… They are associated with one of the great villains of the monster world: vampires. Linguistically, they have been lumped with mental instability: “batty”, “bat shit crazy”, and “bats in the belfry”. But, bats are extraordinarily important to the environment. They are instrumental in keeping insects in check, pollinating certain plants, and spreading seeds to keep biodiversity expanding. Take a look at these 7 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Bats.

3. Owls

Source: Alan Tunnicliffe/Shutterstock

Owls are one of the more iconic bird species. They have for centuries been used as a symbol of wisdom. More recently, they have become a familiar, cartoonish image on home décor items ranging from wallpaper to pillowcases to figurines. And, ever the crafty, silent assassin of night, owls are renowned for their ability to hunt. Check out all of these other reasons Why Owls Are Important for The Ecosystem.

4. Birds

Source: Jim Roberts Gallery/www.jimroberts.co.uk/Flickr

Besides being beautiful to look at and listen to, birds are valuable allies in our vegetable plots, fruit orchards, berry patches, and flower beds. They play important ecological roles that ultimately benefit us, so for the following reasons, we should perhaps do what we can to benefit them. Read on to more about Why Birds Are So Good for the Garden.

5. Bird Feeders

Source: Tony Alter/Flickr

While it’s easy to go out and buy one at the local big box, there are many ways to make a bird feeder right at home. A DIY birdfeeder can help with saving a few bucks, add a touch of homeowner personality, and make valuable use of what otherwise might find its way to the landfill. There are plenty of options for the crafty homeowner, and even some simple constructs, that the kids could do. Take a look at these 5 DIY Bird Feeders for the Home and Garden.

6. Hummingbirds

Source: gardener41/Flickr

Hummingbirds are amazing creatures. They are tiny little packages with bright feathers and wings flapping some 80 times per second, so fast that they create a buzzing — humming, some would say — sound as they dart between spots of interest. They can fly in any direction, including backward, which helps them to use their thin, elongated beaks to probe the deeper reaches of tubular flowers. Read on to learn more about How (and Why) to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden.

7. Beautiful Birds

Source: Janet M Kessler/Shutterstock

Spotting birds can be great fun, particularly when we know which birds we are seeing. There’s something about being able to say, That’s a ______, that makes all the difference. Luckily, several stunning birds are found throughout the United States or, in a pinch, half of the United States. Often, different species will be residents of either east or west of the Rockies. Take a look at this list of 13 Beautiful Birds to Spot This Spring.

8. Pollinator Gardens

Source: Tambako The Jaguar/Flickr

Pollinator gardens are great for all sorts of insects and even birds, a few of which are pollinators as well. All bees and several other insects—wasps, flies, moths, butterflies—love a good selection of fresh flowers to visit. And, hummingbirds! Rather than that dyed sugar water in the feeders, pollinator gardens are giving hummingbirds the real stuff: nectar. Read on to learn How Pollinator Gardens Work.

9. Milkweed

Source: Catherine Avilez/Shutterstock

Anyone in tune with the importance of pollinators and their plight will likely have heard about the value of milkweed (Asclepias spp). Land development and the use of certain pesticides have resulted in habitat loss for several significant pollinators, not least the noble monarch butterfly. With milkweed being the sole plant that monarch butterflies will lay their eggs on, its decline is proving to be problematic for this species of butterfly. If you want to help, read on to learn How to Grow Milkweed and Why You Should.

10. Save the Bees

Source: MattX27/Flickr

By now, the majority of the population knows that something is up with bees. We know that we need to be saving them … leading most to understand that bees are in some sort of danger. That guess, of course, is correct, and indeed, the honeybees in the USA, as they have in other countries, are disappearing in mass quantities. Read about these 4 Easy Ways to Help Bees From Home.