The Hammocks at Southport June 2026
You may have noticed some of your neighbors planting native wildflowers, adding pollinator gardens to their yards, or putting up small green-and-yellow signs that read "Pollinator Pitstop." Those aren't just decorative choices — they're part of a statewide conservation movement called the Butterfly Highway, and The Hammocks at Southport is right in the middle of it.
What Is the Butterfly Highway?
The Butterfly Highway is a conservation initiative launched by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) to restore native pollinator habitats across the state. The project grew out of a simple but urgent concern: Monarch butterfly populations have declined dramatically in recent decades due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and the disappearance of the native plants they depend on for food and reproduction.
Doctoral student Angel Hjarding first launched the concept in Charlotte neighborhoods as part of her university research. The idea was so compelling that the NC Wildlife Federation adopted it as a statewide program and hired Hjarding to lead it. Today, it has grown into one of the most successful grassroots conservation efforts in North Carolina.
The concept is straightforward: create a connected network of native flowering plants — from backyards to roadsides to parks — that provides safe "pitstops" for butterflies, bees, birds, and other pollinators as they travel through the state. Think of it like a series of rest stops along a highway, except the travelers have wings and the fuel is nectar.
How Big Has It Grown?
The numbers are remarkable. To date, the Butterfly Highway has:
- Over 30,000 acres of pollinator habitat protected through partnerships with utility companies, land trusts, and private landowners
- 3,600+ Pollinator Pitstops registered by community members across North Carolina
- 5,000+ Certified Wildlife Habitats registered statewide
And it's still growing — one yard, one garden, one neighborhood at a time.
Where Does The Hammocks Fit In?
Our community sits in Brunswick County along the Cape Fear coast — prime territory for the Monarch butterfly's migration corridor along the Atlantic flyway. Every fall, Monarchs travel thousands of miles from their summer breeding grounds in the Northeast down to their wintering sites in central Mexico, and our coastal Carolina landscape is right along that route.
When residents of The Hammocks plant native flowering species — milkweed for Monarch caterpillars, coneflowers for bees, or wax myrtle for birds — they're adding links to a living chain of habitat that stretches the length of the state. A garden here in Southport connects, in a very real sense, to a garden in Raleigh, in Asheville, and beyond.
Some of our neighbors have already registered their yards as official Pollinator Pitstops with NCWF. It's free to register, and signs are available for purchase so you can proudly display your contribution to the highway.
How Can You Get Involved?
Getting started is easier than you might think:
- Plant a few natives. Butterfly Weed, Purple Coneflower, Goldenrod, and Black-eyed Susan are all excellent choices for our coastal climate and sandy soil. Even a small container garden counts.
- Reduce or eliminate pesticides in your yard, especially on flowering plants where pollinators feed.
- Register your yard as a Pollinator Pitstop at ncwf.org/habitat/butterfly-highway. It's free and takes just a few minutes.
- Spread the word. The more connected our neighborhood's gardens are, the more effective each individual yard becomes.
The Butterfly Highway isn't just about butterflies — it's about recognizing that our yards and gardens are part of a larger living landscape. Here at The Hammocks, we have a beautiful opportunity to contribute to something that matters, one flower at a time.
To learn more or register your yard, visit ncwf.org/habitat/butterfly-highway.