{"title":"Monika Maeckle","description":"MONIKA MAECKLE, a longtime journalist and nature writer based in San Antonio, earned her master gardener certificate in 2004. She is the founder and director of the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival, which is now in its eighth year, and founded the Texas Butterfly Ranch website in 2010. She is also the author of The Monarch Butterfly Migration: Its Rise and Fall.","products":[{"product_id":"plants-with-purpose-twenty-five-ecosystem-multitaskers-paperback","title":"Plants with Purpose: Twenty-Five Ecosystem Multitaskers - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Many gardeners in the southwest are perfectly satisfied with beautiful, ornamental plants and cultivate lush lawns despite the environmental consequences of doing so. Other gardeners, however, have moved to embrace pollinator plants that provide resources to bees and butterflies. And some have embraced the xeriscape approach, which uses indigenous plant life to minimize the need for water. But this is just the beginning. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePlants with Purpose\u003c\/i\u003e speaks to gardeners who are mindful of the environmental impact of traditional ornamental plants and offers twenty-five alternative plantings that are beautiful, viable, and functional. Whether edible, therapeutic, medicinal, or attractive to pollinators, the plants in this collection provide a pathway to a more environmentally sustainable and functional garden and landscape. From agarita (for jelly and tarts) to wild garlic (edible greens), this selection of plants is curated specifically for warm climates and are beneficial to the larger ecosystem. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In addition to history and description, each plant entry provides basic information and care tips such as plant type, light\/water\/soil needs, size, bloom and time, fruit, and availability. Many entries contain recipes, tea ideas, and herbal remedies. This \"secret life of plants\" provides a counternarrative to the standard texts on gardening and landscaping. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Illustrated throughout with 200 beautiful color photographs of plants in their various stages of development and showcasing their multiple applications, \u003ci\u003ePlants with Purpose\u003c\/i\u003e will encourage readers to experiment with their gardening for a deeper engagement with plant life and the environment. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51362762686687,"sku":"9781648432446","price":37.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/tLWd-YB0dv9781648432446.webp?v=1789026765"},{"product_id":"the-monarch-butterfly-migration-its-rise-and-fall-hardcover","title":"The Monarch Butterfly Migration: Its Rise and Fall - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eEach fall, millions of monarch butterflies migrate from Canada to Mexico. Their incredible journey--nearly 3,000 miles long--takes them through Oklahoma, Texas, and other US states, where butterfly devotees eagerly await their arrival. The monarch migration is a brilliant demonstration of nature's ingenuity, but the delicate creatures face many perils, and the number of migrating monarchs is declining sharply. This compelling book weaves natural history, science, and personal experience to explore the rise and fall of one of nature's most spectacular phenomena. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e While monarch butterflies have been migrating for centuries, they seized public attention in 1976 when a \u003ci\u003eNational Geographic\u003c\/i\u003e magazine cover story featured the \"discovery\" of their roosting sites in Mexico. The article rocked the world of lepidoptery, solved a scientific mystery, and opened the door to human meddling. The new revelations put a spotlight on the insects, and inspired the creation of butterfly sanctuaries in Mexico as well as myriad efforts to protect them. Almost 40 years later, many believe that monarch butterflies are in danger of extinction. How real is that danger? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Journalist and butterfly advocate Monika Maeckle addresses this question and more as she delves into the rich history and current plight of the monarch butterfly. Through meticulous reporting, Maeckle offers unique insights on the butterflies as well as a nuanced portrait of the shifting and sometimes contentious community of scientists, enthusiasts, and \"flutterati\" who have emerged to support the monarchs' cause. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A highly engaging book, \u003ci\u003eThe Monarch Butterfly Migration\u003c\/i\u003e also focuses a wider lens on the effects of climate change and the tensions between advocacy and scientific accuracy. In addition to calling for environmental sustainability, this book reminds each of us to notice--and never take for granted--the natural wonders in our own backyards. \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51376937500895,"sku":"9780806194561","price":32.35,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/rogSo2eR359780806194561.webp?v=1789229006"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/monika-maeckle.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}