A healthy garden has a wide range of bees, birds, and butterflies. The Birds and Wildlife committee of the Garden Club of Long Beach island, chaired by Bonnie Brodman of Barnegat Light, works toward healthy gardens through a variety of preservation projects and public education.

One of those is the butterfly garden in Barnegat Light. According to the club, the monarch butterfly population is down 53 percent and has been designated as requiring protection. As a result, the committee has concentrated on improving its habitat in our area.

At the start, the committee filled large planters with milkweed and nectar plants for caterpillars and butterflies and…