The Diana Project is working!
As of June 1st The Diana Project appears to be successful with many thanks to all of you who are doing the leg work. I wanted to post this update to let you know our efforts to create pollinator awareness and encourage citizen science to increase The Diana's chance of survival during our first year are working. Here are some statistics to prove it:
✓ Over 800 people on the Facebook page and 87 on instagram.
✓ 187 members in The Diana Project here on iNaturalist
✓ This year to date we have 236 observations of Diana's. This is almost twice as many as the last 10 years of observations combined.
✓ 100 observers this year have seen Diana's and posted to iNaturalist which is 44 more than the last 10 years combined.
✓ 2392 visits to the website we published in June 2023 - Insights indicate 462 of those visitors went to the native plant list and 370 came to check out our project here on iNaturalist. There were 374 looking into "How to become an Arkansas Master Naturalist" with the remaining divided between social media, events, contact info and the resources list.
In one year The Diana Project has been very well received by other entities and we have had several cooperative opportunities.
• Fayetteville Public Library green roof - Native Plant and Pollinator Education Garden installation of The Diana Patch #1
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC) at Logan Springs Preserve - 500 plants donated by TNC and installed with the help of volunteers - The Diana Patch #2
• JB and Johnelle Hunt Ozark Highlands Nature Center (ONHC) - The Diana Patch #3 installation
• NW Arkansas Master Naturalist Native Plant Project - donated plants for ONHC and the Library as well as advice in plant selection for the green roof.
• The Ozark Society - provided cases of Lori Spencer's books to distribute for a discounted donation as a fundraiser
• Ozark Wild Ones - much appreciated native plant advice and research for the entire project
• Many of the local native plant nurseries understand the value, to their bottom line and to The Diana, of offering both violets and the special nectar plants to their customers. We have been working to try to coordinate both the selection, seed collections and marketing for them to be more successful.
• Pollinator Project & Bee Friendly Gardening - providing a resource list for us to use and spreading the word in their newsletter
• Arkansas Game and Fish (Nick Goforth) - For fact checking me as we go and answering a bazillion questions from me via email without ever once complaining.
I am constantly reminded by friends, volunteers and family that I can't save an entire species by myself. My answer to that is, "I can damn sure try!" But it is much more sustainable and likely to prove successful to have you all aiming for the same goal. All I can say is Thank-You! Thank-You! Thank-You!
Be sure to check out the updates on the website. There is a new link to the events coming up, a resource page with tons of ideas from prescribed burns to native plant nurseries and the updated research based nectar plant list for our specialist, The Diana.
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