Education and action are words we live by. Being certified in Florida Friendly Landscapes and Best Management Practices carries a responsibility we are willing to share.
We cannot expect our clients to understand their role in properly caring for their landscape if they are not educated in the 9 Principles of being Florida Friendly.
With clients, it is amazing to me to see the transformation from eradicating any “pest” in a yard to understanding the difference between “good” and “bad”–and making that “good” happen in their own yard.
If we educate one person and inspire them to take action, we can create a chain reaction that will make Florida thrive-it only takes one person to make a difference.
I’ve had echo moths hatch into their larval stage and all I see are these orange and green banded caterpillars munching their way through my coontie palms. Now, the coonties don’t look that pretty now, but they will come back.
There are 375 moth species in Florida and caterpillars are one of the most important things moths offer in the ecosystem-they’re food for everything else. Our food crops depend on moths as well as other insects to ensure a good harvest.
Moths also play just as important a role in pollinating as any butterfly. New research suggests they play a vital role as overnight pollinators of a wide range of flowers and plants. It has been fascinating to watch these echo moth caterpillars grow, and I can’t wait until they enter their cocoon stage and finally emerge as a beautiful white moth with brown striped wings.
“Each on of use can make a difference. Together we make change.” Barbara Mikulski
