If you grew up or have lived in North America for several decades, you probably remember the Monarch butterfly with its bold orange background, the black outline and stripes, and the white speckles. Sadly, the Monarch population is dwindling drastically due to loss of habitat and this year, their situation appears to be even more dire.
My friend Vineeta and many others are trying to bring back the Monarchs by creating Monarch Waystations (restoring their habitat) and caterpillar nurseries.
Vineeta has been tracking the Monarchs since 2009, thanks to a neighbor who got her interested in planting Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) to attract the Monarchs and give them a habitat for laying eggs. Milkweed is the only plant they lay their eggs on. You can plant several varieties of Milkweed.
Vineeta’s neighbor gave her and other neighbors the Milkweed plants in the spring of 2009 and she was delighted to find eggs on them in the late summer. She’s now taken up the cause of “bringing back the Monarchs” in earnest, working with her friend Mona Miller, a naturalist and butterfly expert, who leads a Monarch Waystation project through the Loudon Wildlife Conservancy, and keeping tabs on the official Monarch Watch organization. Mona and Vineeta grow starts in their gardens to give away.
Apart from attracting the adult caterpillars and giving the Monarchs a host plant, Vineeta also protects the caterpillars from predators like the Catbird by creating butterfly nurseries.
Read more about how you can create a Monarch Waystation and caterpillar nurseries as well as how to pick plants that provide nectar in the full story on DIY Del Ray.