“Through BASF’s pollinator garden and Kids’ Lab program we hope to further educate and empower the future leaders of our community,” said Jason Slinkard, Site Director for BASF in McIntosh. “Helping to ensure a healthy monarch butterfly population is also part of BASF’s commitment to sustainability and being responsible environmental stewards.” The pollinator garden stems from the biodiversity research initiative launched by our North American Agricultural Solutions division two years ago called Living Acres. While populations of the monarch butterflies have plummeted by approximately 90 percent in the last 20 years and continue to decline, this initiative is pushing forward to provide information to farmers about planting milkweed in non-crop areas in an economical and practical manner with the goal of increasing the monarch population.

Through the collaboration with Scotts Miracle-Gro, 200 bags of garden soil and 24 jugs of plant food were provided to nurture the many plants growing in the pollinator garden. Through its’ Pollinator Promise program, Scotts has helped over 100 communities and counting establish or expand a pollinator garden.