After dinner, last night, my 25-year-old son and I decided to take a hike today. Ordinarily, he would not be home and available to do such a thing, but in times of COVID, one must improvise. I felt the hike would do us both some good and suggested the Prairie’s Edge Loop Trail at the…
My involvement in monarch conservation has spanned for almost two decades! Some, in our local community, might even refer to me as the butterfly lady! Teaching first my garden club students (over 500 hundred during the lifetime of the club) and then, neighbors, community members from other organizations such as Lion’s Club, church groups, and…
Last week, Journey North, an organization that monitors migrational species and phenological changes posted that several citizen scientists had reported Monarch Butterflies in Wisconsin! Already?! Really?! My milkweed is not even up! This is the very reason I am suspicious of these reports. None of the observers made the report with a photo, but some…
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Today is Poetry Friday and since I spent much of my week educating school children about Monarchs and their habitat, I thought I would write a poem about this wonderfully unique creature. Poetry Friday is sponsored by the Teacher Dance Blog this week. Thank you for hosting this wonderful community of writers. Meaningful Monarchs Meaningful…
Last Tuesday I did something I have never done before. I went on a field trip with the Master Gardener group to which I have belonged since 2004. Their trip was to a place in Decorah Iowa called Seed Savers Exchange. I’ve always been interested in the process of saving seeds, and here we got…
Today, I provide another monarch update for you. My current counts are as follows: Releases: 5 – 3 female, 1 male, 1 unknown sex Chrysalises: 2 Larva – 5th instar -1, 4th instar – 1, 2nd-3rd instar – 6 Eggs – 3 Deaths: 4 (all failed to pupate). This year I have decided to share…
What’s going on with monarchs in my yard right now? Summer is speeding by at its usual quick pace. Far behind my monarch raising efforts of last year, I am truly enjoying this slower place and the special moments to be savored in the care and process this special species. This is still a special…
Monarchs are mid-season for breeding here in the mid-west. As usual, I have been checking the milkweed patches in my yard for signs of visitors. So far, it has been slow! Today, I released my first monarch of the season. It’s late. The butterfly was a female and she is still sitting on some phlox…