The Island Inn Commons Garden project has registered with the NC Wildlife Federation and is now a member of the Butterfly Highway.
The Butterfly Highway is a statewide conservation restoration initiative that aims to restore native pollinator habitats to areas impacted by urbanization, land use change and agriculture across North Carolina,” according to the NCWF. “From backyard pollinator pitstops to large-scale roadside habitat restoration, the project is creating a network of native flowering plants to support butterflies, bees, birds and other pollen and nectar dependent wildlife.”
“When we first began talking about and planning the IIC Garden we talked at length about how important it was to us to incorporate native plants to help support pollinators,” said Heather Johnson, one of the principals of the project, in a Facebook post. “We have intentionally picked and planted native species plants: milkweed, coral honeysuckle, Joe Bells, echinacea, black-eyed Susans, to name a few.”
An entire bed of wildflowers and more native species have been planted.
“A little over a year ago, when we first began installing the garden, there was very little wildlife activity on the site,” Johnson said. “Now there is a constant chatter of birds and bees buzzing about and all sorts of critters making a home. It’s been so fun to watch life spring up around the site. We are very much looking forward to continuing our efforts in creating a beautiful space for people & wildlife to enjoy.”
The Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum front garden and the British Cemetery also have been registered in the Butterfly Highway.
To learn more about The Butterfly Highway, you can visit the NCWF site here:
To learn more about the Garden project or to make a donation, visit http://www.Ocracoke PreservationSociety.org.
The Island Inn building also is seeing progress as siding was installed in August. Eventually, it will house a visitor center and office space for some of the island non-profit groups.
The garden and grounds will eventually host events, both public and private, but that is still some time off.
