Page 14 - The Friday Flyer ● AUGUST 03, 2018

A-14 THE FRIDAY FLYER AUGUST 3, 2018

Don’t fall for phony firefighter fundraisers

According to the City of Canyon Lake, another What should you do when you get a call asking for a victim of fraud:
phone scam is circulating the area, this time it involves donation to a cause you care about? Don’t ever agree to • Know who you are dealing with.
firefighters. Residents have been receiving calls that give out any of your information over the phone. If the • Pay the safest way.
may appear to sound worthy but are scams. caller is pressuring you, don’t give in. Instead, find out • Guard your personal information.
With the recent fires in California, phone scammers the caller’s name and the name of the organization they • Stay safe online.
are calling residents and asking them to support their represent. Hang up and call the organization directly. • Be cautious about unsolicited emails.
local volunteer firefighters with a donation. That way, you know all the money is going to local • Resist pressure.
That well-intentioned donation appears to be a scam firefighters and not the scammer. • Don’t believe promises of easy money.
from an organization called “Volunteer Firefighters of The National Consumers League’s National Fraud • Fully understand the offer.
America,” an organization that is non-existent. More Information Center says beware of organizations with • Get off credit marketing lists.
than likely, the donation will end up in the caller’s names that are similar to legitimate groups. • Check your credit report regularly.
pocket rather than helping those responsible for public Fraud.org, a project of the National Consumers • Be cautious about offers for credit monitoring
safety. League, offers the following tips to help avoid being a services.

Helping reverse decline of monarch butterflies...

ttFROM PAGE A1 the monarch butterflies. formerly available Milkweed. The gen- Lake Golf Course to accompany purple
Pacific flyway. Audubon International discovered eral population of citizens also removed and yellow flowering plants that are at-
Monarch butterflies are not the only that golf courses represent a wonderful Milkweed in their own yards because it tractive food sources for butterflies.
insects that Ted has had a desire to cre- opportunity to plant Milkweed and other doesn’t smell very good or they view it When asked how Canyon Lake resi-
ate healthy habitats for growth. His ear- wildflowers to provide everything mon- as a weed. But what is not realized is dents could join in the process, Ted
archs need to survive. With this thought that monarch butterflies need Milkweed
liest experience was at the Pebble Beach in mind, “Monarchs in the Rough” was in order to survive. suggests a possible long-term project:
Company where he and his colleagues established. In this program, informa- Ted is making his own plans to help “Together we can develop patches of
devoted a great deal of effort to establish tion will be available which will guide create a butterfly-friendly habitat in his appropriate habitat, flowering plants for
indigenous plants that created habitat to land managers through pesticide reduc- own backyard and urges other Canyon nectar and Milkweed for egg hatching
a number of troubled species of animals tion, site preparation, and planting and Lake residents to do the same. At this sites. We can work together to manage
and insects. One of the most success- long-term maintenance of habitat for time, only a couple of species of Milk- larger, open space habitat that could be
ful programs was devoted to support- pollinators using designated areas in weed are acclimated to Southern Cali- adapted to appropriate plantings for the
ing habitat for the legless lizard, a small golf courses across our nation. fornia weather. Fortunately, they can be Monarch butterfly and other pollina-
gecko/worm-like lizard. Perhaps the most prevalent reason ordered from various nurseries in five- tors.”
Ted is currently on the Board of for the decline of the monarch butter- inch potted plants. The plants require Until this can be put into place, Ted
Audubon International (auduboninter- fly population in any area is the dwin- well-prepared garden soils. does have a suggestion for immedi-
national.org), the newest partner of the dling supply of the Milkweed plant. For the hardy gardeners, and for larg- ate participation by singles, couples
Monarch Joint Venture: the largest col- Monarch butterflies only lay their eggs er areas, seed can be used to establish and families of Canyon Lake. “Plant a
laborative established to arrest the de- on Milkweed, and caterpillars only eat the plants, but often require two to three few Milkweed plants in your garden to
cline of monarch butterflies. The project Milkweed; however, the plant is be- years of tedious and patient gardening see what happens. I wonder how many
has devoted recent attention to guidance ing cut down to build houses, buildings to flourish. Ted will be placing some plants it will take to make a tiny differ-
of large corporate, public lands and golf and streets. In recent years, numerous of these potted plants in his garden and ence. Imagine if we all had just a few
courses in particular to create habitat for wildfires have destroyed much of the even perhaps in the rough of the Canyon plants, would it add up?”