Rosalynn Carter 

Butterfly Trail

2024

Spring Symposium

A Tribute to

Rosalynn Carter

May 3, 2024

Plains, Georgia 

The Program for this event which My Bride and I attended:

We were Greeted to this event by

Annette Wise

Willie Maxwell Welcomed 

us on behalf of the

Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.

Ms. Amy Heidt of the Coastal Plains Native Plant Society presented a talk on Native Plants for your Garden.  First of all Native plants give us beauty and produce topsoil.  For example the Tulip Poplar tree is attracts 368 insects.  

She listed Spring bloom Native Plants:

Blue False Indigo

Columbine

Robin's Plantain

Red Buckeye

Summer Blooms:

Swamp Rose Mallow

Swamp Dogwood

Fall Blooms:

Georgia Aster

White Wood Aster

All Seasons:

False Sunflower

Ms. Lauren Goble of the Georgia Farm Bureau discussed Planting Seeds for Growth.  Highlights from her discussion were:

• Georgia has over 500 different species of Wild Bees
• Georgia has over 160 species of Butterflies
• Georgia has over 3600 species of Native Plants
• Over 1200 of our food items depend on pollinators
• We certainly need pollinators
• Georgia has over 42,000 farms which are our Number 1 Industry
• We must educate our Youth, our Future Citizens about the impact that Pollinators have on our way of life.
• Do not Forget and also participate in the 2024 Annual Great Southeast Pollinator Census which will be 23- 24 August 2024
• Several examples of resources and activities were also presented for use in the Education of our Young Citizens 

Dr. Jaap de Roote of Emory University discussed Monarch Butterflies Migration, Parasites, Butterfly Releases and Ways to Help Protect Monarchs.  He discussed the lifecycle of Monarchs and how they are tagged so that information can be gathered.

Dr. Jaap de Roote along with his assistant, a Graduate Student

 informed us of these facts:

• During the period from 1996 to 2014 the population of Monarch Butterflies decreased by 84%
• At this time the population has stabalized
• We must protect Nature
• Monarch's are great ambassadors to remind us all that we must preserve Nature
• We must provide habitat for these Ambassadors by increasing the number of Native Plants we employ in our Landscapes
• Native Milkweed is an essential Native Plant for the Butterfly Habitat.

Mr. Tom Johnson  discussed Creating a Romantic Garden.  He showed us an example of his retirement home which was very plain when he purchased it and what it looked like after three years of Gardening.  His remarks included these reminders:

• Use Nature as much as possible
• Make everything look as natural as possible.  One example he displayed was using rocks to out line a bed of flowers, but keep the border curved instead of straight
• Trees are most important in the landscape
• Consider the area where you are planting flowers.  If they need plenty of water have the water source quickly available.  

During her opening comments to the Symposium, Ms. Annette Wise who worked with the Carter Family we learned of Ms. Rosalynn's great love for Flowers and Butterflies.  Her Legacy is preserved in Plains, Georgia.