CREATE A WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARD

HOW TO USE THIS SITE

2011-12-19T11:02:00.001-08:00

ABOUT US

This site is for all those who enjoy nature. You may be a professional biologist, environmental activist, or one who simply enjoys nature as a recreational pursuit. With our 25 million acres of lawn, this site is dedicated to encouraging people to create wildlife-friendly spaces in their yards. We welcome you to send in photos, personal stories, articles...even meetings or events. We'll publish them here free-of-charge, for the good of the order! To do so, contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

Read how this site came into being -if you want to cut right to the articles, read on below.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S.

HOW TO USE THIS SITE

Find your article of interest in 3 quick ways:

(1) Go to the Table of Contents below, find an article of iterest, then click "(click HERE)" and the article appears at the top of the site.
(2) In the upper right margin, go to "ARTICLE ARCHIVES" and press an article of interest; it will appear at the top of this site.
(3) In the upper right margin, type in your topic in "TOPIC SEARCH" and a related article will appear at the top of this site.

Note: A portion of Ad revenues from this site will be donated to the Monarch Waystation program of Monarch Watch.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VICEROY BUTTERFLY NOT A MIMIC OF MONARCH (click HERE)
WONDERFUL CHILDREN'S BOOKS ON MONARCH BUTTERFLIES! (click HERE)
(A-74) MONARCH SEASON OVER AT WAYSTATION #613 (click HERE)
(A-73) MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ON EXUMA ISLAND, BAHAMAS (click HERE)
(A-72) SAVE A CHILD FROM NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER (click HERE)
(A-71) COMMUNITY WILDLIFE HABITAT IN LAKE NORMAN (click HERE)
(A-70) MY LAST MONARCH BUTTERFLY AT WAYSTATION #613 (click HERE)
(A-69) MONARCH WAYSTATIONS AMPLIFY BIODIVERSITY & COUNTER URBAN SPRAWL (click HERE)
(A-68) THE WOMAN WHO RAISES MONARCH BUTTERFLIES (click HERE)

(A-67) ENTIRE TOWN BECOMING WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY! (click HERE)
(A-66) MONARCH WAYSTATION #613- PHOTO OF MONARCH LARVA EATING OWN EGG (click HERE)
(A-65) MONARCH BUTTERFLY POPULATION DECREASE SIGNIFICANT (click HERE)
(A-64) MONARCH BUTTERFLY- IN RAPID DECLINE OR NOT? (click HERE)
(A-63) BACKYARD NATURE KITS FOR KIDS (click HERE)
(A-62) EXCITING MONARCH BUTTERFLY RESEARCH (click HERE)
(A-61) SCENES FROM MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 (click HERE)

VISIT THE MONARCH MANIA MALL!

(A-60) CREATE A SIMPLE BUTTERFLY GARDEN (click HERE)
(A-59) ATTENTION DEFICIT NATURE DISORDER IN CHILDREN (click HERE)
(A-58) HORNED LARKS GALORE! (click HERE)

100 BIRD FEEDERS & FEEDER ACCESSORIES

(A-57) MONARCHS VACANT AT CREEKBEND FARM PRAIRIE IN NW OHIO (click HERE)
(A-56) MONARCHS LAYING EGGS GALORE IN NW OHIO! (click HERE)
(A-55) CEDAR WAXWING MALES FEED FEMALES (click HERE)
(A-53) MONARCH POPULATION OVERWINTERING IN MEXICO REMAINS LOW (click HERE)
(A-52) BIRDS PREFER OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MATURE TREES (click HERE)
(A-51) BACKYARD GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE (click HERE)
(A-50) BIRD SONG SURVEY- WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TWO FAVORITE BIRD SONGS? (click HERE)
(A-49) IDENTIFY BIRDS ONLINE- 6 GREAT WEBSITES (click HERE)

BUTTERFLY GARDEN SHOP!

(A-48) BENEFICIAL INSECTS SUFFER CATASTROPHIC HABITAT LOSS (click HERE)
(A-47) MONARCH WAYSTATION #613 IN NW OHIO (click HERE)
(A-46) DR. RYAN NORRIS OF MONARCH MIGRATION RESEARCH (click HERE)
(A-44) MONARCHS CROSS APPALACHIANS FROM WEST TO POPULATE N. AMERICAN EAST COAST (click HERE)
(A-43) CRITICAL TOXINS EMISSIONS OHIO EPA HEARING THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11th IN COLUMBUS, OHIO (click HERE)
(A-42) BACK TO THE WILD! SAVES THOUSANDS OF BIRDS (click HERE)
(A-41) ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS HARM OUR CHILDREN (click HERE)
(A-40) CREATE WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY SPACES IN YOUR YARD (click HERE)
(A-39) INJURED HUMMINGBIRD BABY NURTURED BACK TO GOOD HEALTH (click HERE)

(A-38) NATURE JOURNAL: CAVITY TREES PROVIDE MINI-SANCTUARIES TO WILDLIFE (click HERE)
(A-37) ARE SHREWS KILLING BIRDS VISITING YOUR FEEDERS? (click HERE)
(A-36) BALD EAGLES & WINTER BIRDS SURVIVE (click HERE)

(A-35) COOPER'S HAWK KILLS AT BIRD FEEDERS (click HERE)
(A-34) BIRD & BUTTERFLIES ADD EXCITEMENT TO YOUR YARD (click HERE)
(A-33) BACKYARD WILDLIFE PROVIDE WINTER ENTERTAINMENT IN NW OHIO (click HERE)
(A-32) BIODIVERSITY ENHANCED WITH NATURE PRESERVES (click HERE)
(A-30) GOD SPEAKS ABOUT WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARDS (click HERE)
(A-29) BUTTERFLY HUNT! SPONSORED BY ERIE METROPARKS AT STEINEN WILDLIFE AREA (click HERE)
(A-28) STALKING THE LAKESIDE DAISY- OHIO'S RAREST NATIVE PLANT (click HERE)

BUTTERFLY GARDEN SHOP!

(A-27) MONARCH BUTTERFLY AWARENESS HAPPENS WITH DANA BOLIN AT MAUMEE BAY STATE PARK (click HERE)
(A-26) MONARCH WAYSTATION # 613- MONARCH OBSERVATIONS WAY DOWN IN NW OHIO FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR (click HERE)
(A-25) STARLINGS PERFORM INCREDIBLE AERODYNAMICS! (click HERE)
(A-24) HUMMINGBIRD BABY NURSED BACK TO HEALTH (click HERE)
(A-23) VIBURNUM, WISTERIA & HONEYSUCKLE HEDGE FOR WILDLIFE (click HERE)
(A-22) CREATE A MONARCH WAYSTATION IN YOUR YARD! (click HERE)
(A-21) ALDO LEOPOLD: A LEGENDARY CONSERVATIONIST (click HERE)
(A-20) BIODIVERSITY FLOURISHES IN MY WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARD (click HERE)
(A-19) A VIDEO FOR RED-SHOULDERED HAWK LOVERS (click HERE)
(A-18) SHARP-SHINNED HAWK DEVOURS STARLING (click HERE)
(A-17) WINNERS OF MYSTERY BIRD CONTEST NO. 2! (click HERE)
(A-16) VIDEO ON BASICS IN CREATING A WILDLIFE FRIENDLY YARD. IF YOU BUILD IT...THEY WILL COME! (click HERE)
(A-15) HAWK, KITE & EAGLE CLOSE-UPS (click HERE)
(A-14) MYSTERY BIRD CONTEST NO. 2- WHAT IS IT? (click HERE)
(A-13) ANNE MURRAY SINGS ABOUT SNOW BUNTINGS! (click HERE)
(A-12) PEREGRINE FALCON ATTACKS RED-TAIL HAWK VIDEO (click HERE)

(A-11) REDPOLL FRENZY! (click HERE)
(A-10) WINNERS OF THE MYSTERY BIRD CONTEST (click HERE)
(A-9) SQUIRRLES- A PAIN IN THE ARSE OR ENTERTAINING CLOWNS? YOU DECIDE (click HERE)
(A-8) MYSTERY BIRD CONTEST- WHAT IS IT? (click HERE)
(A-6) NATURE NOTE 11/2/03- TRUMPETER SWANS! (click HERE)
(A-4) "Fluctuations in the numbers of the Monarch Butterfly in North America" by F.A. Urquhart, Professor, Un. of Toronto, Canada, Dezember 1970 (click HERE)
(A-3) IOWA COUPLE CREATED THE ULTIMATE IN MONARCH WAYSTATIONS (click HERE)
(A-2) HAPPENINGS AT WAYSTATION NO. 613 (AN ONGOING DIARY) (click HERE)
(A-1) HELP RESEARCHERS STUDY OE PARASITE HARMING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES-letter from Sonia Altizer (click HERE)
B) GOING NATIVE: URBAN LANDSCAPING FOR WILDLIFE WITH NATIVE PLANTS (click HERE)
(C) CLOCKS, CRYPTOCHROMES & MONARCH MIGRATIONS (click HERE)
(D) WATCH NOVA'S "THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF THE BUTTERFLIES...HERE IT IS! (click HERE)
(E) RELAX...AND WATCH THIS SLIDE SHOW WITH MUSIC...RELAX...AND APPRECIATE NATURE (click HERE)
(F) PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS IS FUN! LOVE THE MUSIC TOO (click HERE)
(G) CREATE A WILDLIFE FRIENDLY YARD & HAPPENINGS AT MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 (click HERE)

VICEROY BUTTERFLY NOT A MIMIC OF MONARCH

2011-12-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

Just received an interesting e-mail from Dr. Eugene Morton, head of the Hemlock Hill Biological Research Station outside Cambridge Springs, Pa. He recently read that the viceroy is NOT a mimic of the monarch, as he so believed for decades!

The Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a member of a Müllerian complex with the Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) in shared coloration patterns and display behavior. A bit about Müllerian mimicry- what is it? According to Wikipedia, it describes a situation where two or more species have very similar warning signals and both share the common anti-predation attribute- they're unpalatable. A scientists named Dr. Henry Bates questioned how or why this mimicry existed. If both butterfly species were harmful, then why did one need to mimic another? The German naturalist Fritz Müller put forward the first explanation for this phenomenon: If two species were confused with one another by a common predator, individuals in both would be more likely to survive.

This type of mimicry is unique in several respects. Firstly, both the mimic and the model benefit from the interaction, which could thus be classified as mutualism in this respect. The signal receiver is also advantaged by this system, despite being deceived regarding species identity, as it avoids potentially harmful encounters. The usually clear identity of mimic and model are also blurred. In cases where one species is scarce and another abundant, the rare species can be said to be the mimic. But, when both are present in similar numbers, it is more realistic to speak of each as co-mimics than of a distinct 'mimic' and 'model' species, as their warning signals tend to converge toward something intermediate between the two.

Also, the two species may exist on a continuum from harmless to highly noxious, so Batesian mimicry grades smoothly into Müllerian convergence.

The Viceroy has subspecies with somewhat different coloration, each one very closely matching the local Danaus species. E.g., in Florida, the pairing is of the Viceroy and the Queen Butterfly, and in Mexico, the Viceroy resembles the Soldier Butterfly. Therefore, the Viceroy is a single species involved in three different Müllerian pairs. This example was long believed to be a case of Batesian mimicry, with the Viceroy being the mimic and the Monarch the model, but it was more recently determined that the Viceroy is actually the more unpalatable species, though there is considerable individual variation. While L. archippus is really bad-tasting, Danaus species tend to be toxic rather than just repugnant, due to their different food plants.

We must continue to learn, and to discard the untruth...

WONDERFUL CHILDREN'S BOOK ON MONARCH BUTTERFLIES!

2011-12-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

Click photo & order

Create A Wildlife-Friendly Yard recommends the ingenious children's book, "With Airplanes in the Garden: Monarch Butterflies Take Flight" (Order above). A delightful story with splendid illustrations, sure to delight and intrigue all young monarch lovers. --Dr. Robert Michael Pyle, author of "Chasing Monarchs: Migrating with the Butterflies of Passage" (Order below).

Order "Chasing Monarchs"

"With Airplanes in the Garden" is a story that will entertain while it educates children about the magic and mysterious world of monarch butterflies. Creating awareness and empathy at an early age is our best bet for the protection of these fragile wonders of nature. --Nick de Pencier, Director, PBS's NOVA: The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies.

The discovery of a monarch butterfly egg on a milkweed plant teaches a young girl about metamorphosis. "With Airplanes in the Garden: Monarch Butterflies Take Flight", readers discover a unique children's nonfiction picture book, containing vibrant watercolor not typically found in a children's book. Correct terminology explains metamorphosis (egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly) in a fun to read story. The book includes an informative section with migration maps, helpful tips to grow your own butterfly-friendly garden, and a butterfly song, which can be downloaded from the web. The book also contains web addresses to learn more about monarch butterflies.

A passion for Monarch butterflies led her to write this nonfiction children's picture book to educate and excite children about the wonders of nature. She grew up learning about gardening on a dairy farm in Cato, Wisconsin. After receiving a B.A. in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin, she held a variety of jobs, from recreation director for the U.S. Dept of the Army in Vietnam, to travel agent, to marketing assistant in a high tech company. In 1997 she returned to school to follow her passion; earning an A.S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it! Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-74) MONARCH SEASON OVER AT WAYSTATION #613

2011-12-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

The last Monarch hatched from the egg laid on the Milkweed at Waystation #613

It pumped the body fluid into its wings

I released the last Monarch on my front porch flower. I hope it makes it to Mexico!

Well, the "Monarch Season" is over, a special season of the year I nicknamed. My last Monarch egg hatched and I released it (Above photos) It's marked around Monarch Waystation #613 (My yard) by empty chrysalis shells, wilted milkweed leaves lying on the floor of the Monarch rearing cage, and recollections of the entertainment my Monarch afforded me. I've always been fascinated by the orange and black coloration of the Monarch butterfly Since my childhood days in the Rocky River, Westlake, Bay Village and Avon suburbs of Cleveland. Back then, literally millions of Monarchs would migrate through the vast meadow lands in these suburbs. Now, endless strip malls and pavement replaces the natural landscape I was knew, with a new manscape.

The sections of my grassy yard I turned into wildlife-friendly spaces stemmed from this depressing transformation of natural areas to manscapes. My tiny microcosm of a natural landscape was fun! I collected eggs of the Common and Swamp milkweed planted in my side and backyard, watched them hatch in 3 days, marvel at how the Monarch caterpillars ate the remaining egg shell they came from, observe their tremendous increase in size until transforming into a beautiful Luna-moth green chrysalis with gold dots, then, coming out of a complete metamorphis as a orange and black. Egg, larva, pupa and adult.

I see them now flitter through my yard, stopping to nectar on the ripening Sedum and other fall flowers planted. They no longer tarry as they used to, searching for a tender leaf to lay an egg underneath. Now, they seem to be on a mission and gravitate to the southwest when they leave Monarch Waystation# 613. The Monarch migration through my small yard marks the decrease in daylight and temperature. I band them, hoping that one will be identified 2,800 miles away on a forested hilltop somewhere in Mexico. So far, I haven't gotten such feedback, which would be thrilling. Some of the other local Monarch enthusiasts, like Tom Kashmer of the Green Creek Wildlife Society, have had their tagged Monarchs spotted in Mexico. Amazing how they fly in a huge mass migration to the exact same trees thousand of miles to the southwest, in Mexico. Does the Monarch think it's a whale or migratory bird, instead of a fragile, seemingly vulnerable and helpless...butterfly?

I encourage everyone, even those who don't have a registered Monarch Waystation, to plant in their residential yards butterfly-attracting plants such as milkweed, asters, yarrow, goldenrod, sedum, butterfly bush, lilac, phlox, zinnias, marigolds and petunias...the Monarch butterfly will thank you.

(A-73) MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ON EXUMA ISLAND, BAHAMAS

2011-11-23T06:09:00.000-08:00

I'm on Exuma, and out-island in the southern Bahamas, and was amazed to see 6 Monarch butterflies (so far) in and around Georgetown, its capital. The Tropic of Cancer runs through the middle of Georgetown and the weather is sunny and in the 80's. I contacted Mona Miller in the Monarchwatch Forum, inquiring about these sitings. The photo below is of a male Monarch I took on 11/21/11 in downtown Georgetown.

Mona Miller stated that, yes, they do sometimes migrate down through Florida and across the gulf of Mexico. They are known to island-hop, land on ships, and make their way through the Caribbean Islands. Dr. Urquhart confirmed one by tag that was from the U.S. that went to Cuba. http://www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/urq1.htm

She also mentioned that the four maps (click on the thumbnail images to view maps) show the significant recaptures (304) in the United States that were reported in Urquhart's "Insect Migration Studies" newsletter from 1964-1994. Most interesting among these recaptures are the instances of Monarchs in Florida crossing the Gulf of Mexico to Texas and Louisiana and one Monarch recovery in Havana, Cuba!

Male Monarch on Exuma Island, Bahamas

Mona Miller recommended the book "Monarch Butterfly, International Traveler" by Dr. Urquhart has some more details. She also wondered if I took any photos, since there are Monarch Latin American cousins that look a lot like them. You can also find information about these cousins of the U.S. Monarch in Dr. Urquhart's book. Please contact me about the photo; I'd like to know if it could be a Latin American cousin to the U.S. Monarchs.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it! Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-72) SAVE A CHILD FROM NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER

2011-10-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

Nature Deficit Disorder! Children need to get out and experience nature- to see, hear, smell, feel and touch the flora and fauna that envelops the earth. It can be done in the yard as well. A three-year old is more spellbound by a tiny, green worm inching it’s way aross the front sidewalk than by a $600 swing set set up in the backyard.

We support US environmentalist and author Richard Louv and several other nature authors (above slide show) who offer ways to combat NDD. Louv says in his book Last Child in the Woods (above slide show), that returning to nature would be a decisive step towards promoting our children's healthy development. Experiencing nature helps strengthen their self-confidence and their ability to learn, he says.

The book, first published in 2005 and now reaching the international market, has provided food for thought in support of more ecological education. The book is aimed at parents, teachers, city planners, architects, politicians and business owners. Louv argues that the bond between children and nature has been severed.

He subtitled his book Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder, arguing that a number of physical and mental problems that children have are rooted in their lack of contact with nature.

Louv used studies and conducted interviews with educators and scientists to reach his conclusions. He links the high number of overweight children in the US and the frequency of attention deficit/hyperactivity syndrome to the lack of contact with nature. Louv places a lot of faith in the healing power of nature through experiencing it with all one's senses under an open sky.

Direct contact with the wilderness and its abundance strengthens a child's self-esteem, his personality and his learning aptitudes such as reading ability. According to the author, only people who have strong contact with nature from an early age can be respectful and protective of it as adults.

Based on his own experience, Louv has placed the bar high. He recommends children build tree houses, stay in cabins and find ways to observe wild animals in their environment. These ideas are hard to fulfill in a city, but the author suggest a number of possibilities for city children to have contact with nature.

For little children, a few trees make up a forest and a puddle can offer a window into a natural habitat. Lift a stone to find the ground teeming with bugs or observe the life of squirrels in city parks, Louv suggests. He also recommends that parents have their children work in the garden, go on hikes to places that are seldom visited or go on hikes at night. Children should have fun discovering nature and allow themselves to be amazed by it and respect it.

Related Posts:
Nature Deficit Disorder and Wildlife Friendly Yards
Backyard Nature Kits for Kids!
Create a Simple Butterfly Garden

From Jeanne Hamming of Scientific American Magazine:
"Unstructured outdoor play was standard for me as a hyperactive child growing up in the rural Midwest. I fondly recall digging forts, climbing trees and catching frogs without concern for kidnappers or West Nile virus. According to newspaper columnist and child advocate Richard Louv, such carefree days are gone for America’s youth. Boys and girls now live a "denatured childhood," Louv writes in Last Child in the Woods. He cites multiple causes for why children spend less time outdoors and why they have less access to nature: our growing addiction to electronic media, the relinquishment of green spaces to development, parents’ exaggerated fears of natural and human predators, and the threat of lawsuits and vandalism that has prompted community officials to forbid access to their land. Drawing on personal experience and the perspectives of urban planners, educators, naturalists and psychologists, Louv links children’s alienation from nature to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, stress, depression and anxiety disorders, not to mention childhood obesity. The connections seem tenuous at times, but it is hard not to agree with him based on the acres of anecdotal evidence that he presents. According to Louv, the replacement of open meadows, woods and wetlands by manicured lawns, golf courses and housing developments has led children away from the natural world. What little time they spend outside is on designer playgrounds or fenced yards and is structured, safe and isolating. Such antiseptic spaces provide little opportunity for exploration, imagination or peaceful contemplation. Louv’s idea is not new.

Theodore Roosevelt saw a prophylactic dose of nature as a counter to mounting urban malaise in the early 20th century, and others since have expanded on the theme. What Louv adds is a focus on the restorative qualities of nature for children. He recommends that we reacquaint our children and ourselves with nature through hiking, fishing, bird-watching and disorganized, creative play. By doing so, he argues, we may lessen the frequency and severity of emotional and mental ailments and come to recognize the importance of preserving nature. At times Louv seems to conflate physical activity (a game of freeze tag) with nature play (building a tree fort), and it is hard to know which benefits children most. This confusion may be caused by a deficiency in our larger understanding of the role nature plays in a child’s development. At Louv’s prompting, perhaps we will see further inquiry into this matter. In the meantime, parents, educators, therapists and city officials can benefit from taking seriously Louv’s call for a "nature-child reunion."

(A-71) COMMUNITY WILDLIFE HABITATS IN LAKE NORMAN

2011-09-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Create A Wildlife-Friendly Yard uncovered this article and, quite frankly...we have to share it! The writer is Meghan Sprague of the Moorseville Tribune. It's a tribute to all those who want to create wildlife-friendly spaces in their yards. Thanks Meghan!!

Lake Norman is now the third Community Wildlife Habitat in the state and Duke Energy is celebrating the designation by hosting the first “Wild Over Lake Norman Backyard Wildlife Fair” on Oct. 1.

It’s from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the EnergyExplorium at McGuire Nuclear Station on Lake Norman, and admission is free. “We wanted to do a kid-friendly event that gets children outside and encourages families to make their backyard a wildlife-friendly habitat,” said Hailey Wilson, spokesperson for Duke Energy. “We’re using this event to celebrate and commemorate that we are a Community Wildlife Habitat but we still want even more families to take part and get certified.”

She said community partners and vendors in the area have joined Duke to target the event for all ages. “We’ll have face painting, Zootastic Park will be here letting children meet exotic animals while offering pony rides and local experts will tell the kids about native birds, plants, wildlife and the lake,” she said.

Families can hike along the EnergyExplorium’s mile-long nature trail, and vendors from Mooresville, Cornelius, Huntersville and Davidson will be showing them how to attract wildlife to their backyard.

Added Wilson, “We’re also going to give some gardening tips to make your yard look its best.” Some people might be wondering why they need to worry about their garden in October, but Wilson said it’s the perfect time of year to work in the yard. Speakers will discuss organic gardening and composting.

“It’s a great time to start planning your spring garden, get the soil ready and plant bulbs,” she explained.

Wilson called the event “something different.” “We’re bringing all the experts to you, and you can’t just go anywhere to get all of your outdoor questions answered in one place,” she said. “It’s a great way to get the kids out of the house and enjoy nature while learning more about the area around you.”

(A-70) MY LAST MONARCH BUTTERFLY AT WAYSTATION #613

2011-09-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, the "Monarch Season" is over, a special season of the year I nicknamed. The last chrysalis to hatch (photo left) was a sad moment for me. As I stared at 60 other empty chrysalis shell casings lining the Monarch rearing cage, I thought about the fun and entertainment having a Monarch Waystation provided me...and my neighbors...throughout the spring and summer. The last Monarch grasped onto the empty chrysalis where it came from, pumped the liquid from its fat body into its wings, pumping them up like a car tire being inflated. I watched in awe. Will it make the 3,000 mile journey to the mountain top in Mexico, whih it is pre-progammed to venture to? Will this fragile creature survive the journey through the Texas corridor, with millions of others, which is plagued by wildfires and drought? I'll never know, since I didn't tag this one. After all, it's special, No. 60...released from my yard in Fremont, Ohio.

My last Monarch- Waystation #613

Its wings were inflated eventually, but still wet. I watched as they dried out in the slight breeze. I didn't check this one for OE virus or tagged it. Don't disturb it! my mind whispered to me. After an hour, I allowed it to gently crawl upon my finger, then I placed it underneath a yellow Goldenrod flower in the side yard. I saw it nectaring on the yellow flowers. Its wings still hung down to complete the drying. A half hour later, it fluttered away, towards the southwest.

My last Monarch at Waystation#613- released upon a Goldenrod flower

Yes, the end of the Monarch season is upon us. It's marked around Monarch Waystation #613 (My yard) by empty chrysalis shells, wilted milkweed leaves lying on the floor of the Monarch rearing cage, and recollections of the entertainment the Monarchs afforded me... and my neighbors. I've always been fascinated by the orange and black coloration of the Monarch butterfly. Since my childhood days in the Rocky River, Westlake, Bay Village and Avon suburbs of Cleveland. Back then, literally millions of Monarchs would migrate through the vast meadow lands in these suburbs. Now, endless strip malls and pavement replaces the natural landscape I was knew, with a new manscape.

I guess the sections of my grassy yard I turned into wildlife-friendly spaces stemmed from this depressing transformation of natural areas to manscapes. My tiny microcosm of a natural landscape was fun! I collected eggs of the Common and Swamp milkweed planted in my side and backyard, watched them hatch in 3 days, marvel at how the Monarch caterpillars ate the remaining egg shell they came from, observe their tremendous increase in size until transforming into a beautiful Luna-moth green chrysalis with gold dots, then, presto...complete metamorphism into an orange and black beauty. Egg, larva, pupa and adult.

I see them now flutter through my yard, stopping to nectar on the ripening sedum and other fall flowers planted. They no longer tarry as they used to, searching for a tender leaf to lay an egg underneath. Now, they seem to be on a mission and gravitate to the southwest when they leave Monarch Waystation# 613. The Monarch migration through my small yard marks the decrease in daylight and temperature. I band them, hoping that one will be identified 2,800 miles away on a forested hilltop somewhere in Mexico. So far, I haven't gotten such feedback, which would be thrilling. Some of the other Monarch enthusiasts, like Tom Kashmer of the Green Creek Wildlife Society, have had their tagged Monarchs spotted in Mexico. Amazing how they fly in a huge mass migration to the exact same trees thousand of miles to the southwest, in Mexico. Does the Monarch think it's a whale or migratory bird, instead of a fragile, seemingly vulnerable and helpless...butterfly?

I encourage everyone, even those who don't have a registered Monarch Waystation, to plant in their residential yards butterfly-attracting plants such as milkweed, asters, yarrow, goldenrod, sedum, butterfly bush, lilac, phlox, zinnias, marigolds and petunias...the Monarch butterfly and many other lepidoptera...will thank you.

(A-69) MONARCH WAYSTATIONS AMPLIFY BIODIVERSITY, COUNTER URBAN SPRAWL!

2011-08-15T09:44:00.001-07:00

Monarch Waystaion #613 was created from a sterile, chemically-treated lawn. There's still plenty of grass, but wildlife-friendly spaces were planted in the treelawn, in the sideyard bordering the house, and in the backyard bordering the neighbor's fence. Milkweed and indigenous nectaring plants now abound! The insects came, then the butterflies and songbirds. You can counter urban sprawl and the mass destruction of wildlife habitat...one yard at a time. Enjoy the slide show!

VISIT THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN STORE!

(A-68) THE WOMAN WHO RAISES MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

2011-08-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

I was so moved by this article that I contacted the Toronto Star and asked the author, columnist Catherine Porter, if I could share it with other Monarch enthusiasts. She agreed, so here it is, an excellent article by Catherine Porter: The woman who raises monarch butterflies in Riverdale, published On Tue Jun 28 2011. It's about Colleen Brzezicki and the photo shows her tending to her Monarch catterpillars and pupae in her Riverdale home.

VISIT THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN STORE!

Colleen Brzezicki stands outside her Riverdale home in her bare feet, flipping over the leaves of her milkweed plants. She is hunting for monarch butterfly eggs.

Eight years ago, she watched in horror as a wasp “carved up” a baby caterpillar on the weed that had blown into her yard. Since then, she’s become a summer monarch keeper. What does that mean? Well, she tends the milkweed now lining her front yard, together with her heirloom tomatoes and zucchini. Milkweed is a monarch’s nursery. It is the only plant the delicate butterflies use for laying their eggs — “They hang off the end of the leaf, swing their abdomen around and up and, boink, stick on an egg,” says Brzezicki — and later the only food source for the hatching caterpillars.

Once she finds the eggs, she shepherds them inside to the sanctuary of her “House of Champions.” You should know Brzezicki is an artist. She didn’t just make any old hutch for the nursing caterpillars. She fashioned a screen box with scrap wood, affixed the spindles of an old chair on top and below, painted them turquoise and added the flourish of two plastic trophies — one a woman’s body, the other a leaf — she’d fished from the side of the road and merged together. So, as the caterpillars climb the screen to the box’s ceiling to begin their metamorphosis, they are mirrored above by Daphne, the Greek nymph who becomes a tree to escapes a lusty god.

Hanging from the roof today are two thumb-sized chrysalises, the colour of jade. When Brzezicki shines a flashlight onto one, I can make out the lines of a wing folded inside. I always thought caterpillars built cocoons. Not monarchs. Once they anchor their tails to the roof of Brzezicki’s box, they hang down like bats, and then their skin splits open and “they have wild gyrations to make it drop off,” says Brzezicki, 58. “It looks like they’re taking off a sweater.”

Monarchs are not the only wild creatures Brzezicki tends to. She’s a naturalist in the middle of the city: a baby raccoon howls for its mother in her shed (she found it wet and limping this morning); a family of squirrels sometimes sets up shop in the box she hung up; and a few bees have burrowed into the nest she built. Her backyard feels like a little slice of the country — the milkweeds and fringed loosestrife and butterfly bushes the adult monarchs suck from, all fighting for sun in a verdant tangle. Step outside and you feel your pulse slow.

Brzezicki has spent hours watching with wonder as the monarchs transformed. Blow on the caterpillars and they raise their rear ends. They have gold spots on their green larva shells. Under a magnifying glass, you can see their wings are ridged, like fingerprints.

Reports show the monarch colonies bounced back from last year’s collapse in their winter grounds high in the fir forests of central Mexico. But a dry spring in Texas and a wet one here has butterfly experts concerned. In her banner year, Brzezicki tended to 30 — opening the box outside to watch each flutter away. She normally finds her first eggs in May. This summer, they didn’t appear till mid-June.

Soon, the jade green of their chrysalises will turn transparent, and she’ll see their black bodies and orange wings. Then, the film will break and they’ll emerge in all their glory, pumping their wings up with their abdomen. These two will live for around 30 days, laying as many as 300 eggs each (if they are female), for which Brzezicki will scour barefoot in the mornings.

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Then those children will have children, and those will likely begin the long descent back to Mexico for the winter. If all goes well, their grandchildren will return next spring.

The “House of Champions” might be little, but the perspective it gives is big. We should all have little boxes like this, to remind us of a greater life beyond our webs of concrete and crowded schedules. “It’s restorative,” says Brzezicki of her monarch-tending hobby. “It all sounds so corny — the circle of life — but it’s sacred. I walk into my backyard and look at an insect and think, ‘It’s a bloody miracle.’ ”

Catherine Porter’s column usually appears on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. She can be reached at cporter@thestar.ca

(A-67) ENTIRE TOWN BECOMING WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY!

2011-08-07T14:20:00.001-07:00

Janet Carroll, a member of the Mukilteo, WA has set the goal for the city to become a totally wildlife-friendly zone, one yard at a time. Carroll is a member of the Mukilteo, Washington Wildlife Habitat Project. She reports that since she last wrote about this venture, 27 more homes have been certified as wildlife habitat in Mukilteo. Currently, 110 homes are certified with only 40 more to go before Mukilteo becomes a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat.

Five schools have been certified. Carroll writes about the true reason to create a wildlife-friendly yard: “It is so much fun to watch backyard wildlife, that those of you who do not have wildlife in your yard are missing out.”

Carroll believes this spring in Mukilteo, WA was hard on animals. Birds nested late, but now her feeders empty quickly and the suet is gone in one day. She enjoys the little Douglas tree squirrels that line up to get into their caged sunflower seed feeders. They are fun to watch as they try to figure out how to get into the feeder often trying to bite their way through the wire.

Unfortunately, the “UNWANTED” are attracted to her yard. Just like in my yard, Monarch Waystation No. 613 in NW Ohio, starlings come to my feeders. They drove a pair of Red-bellied woodpeckers to abandon a neat cavity high up in my neighbors oak tree. Carroll was afraid the starling would bring its friends.

She also reports that all the woodpeckers that are around have come to the suet she puts out. The woodpeckers visit with their young: flickers, downy and hairy woodpeckers and pileated woodpeckers.

Joining in at the suet to feed their food-begging young are the black-capped and chestnut backed chickadees, nuthatches and crows. Carroll describes the crows that come as "insatiable." Despite beaks filled to overflowing with suet, the crows keep trying to pick up more. Then they take the mouthful over to the birdbath to wash it off and half of it ends up in the water.

Band-tailed pigeons descend onto her feeders every day and feed until the seeds are gone. About 16 pigeons hang out in her trees. Her favorite visitor is the Black-headed grosbeak. Two pair come to her feeders and she is entertained by their beauty.

She was surprised to see a male western tanager spend a short time in her wildlife-friendly yard. She was amazed by its red head, black wings and bright yellow body.

Carroll said she was “scooped” at her feeder by a friend who had evening grosbeaks and red crossbills in addition to her long list of other feeder visiting birds. Her friend diligently records her bird visitors and reports her findings to Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology as a citizen scientist.

Carroll hopes that those with certified backyards enjoy the animals as much as she does, and those Mukilteoians whose yards aren’t yet certified send in their certification forms. Yes, she offers certification forms on the Website. Once a resident of Mukilte, WA is certified, they get a year’s membership to National Wildlife Federation and a subscription to their informative magazine, a backyard wildlife sign from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and a newsletter from the Woodland Park Zoo.

Wow! What a great job the Mukilteo Wildlife Habitat Team is doing! A community-wide effort!

(A-66) MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 BUTTERFLY LARVA EATS OWN EGG

2011-08-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm turning into a kid again! There's been a big upswing in Monarchs spotted here in NW Ohio at Waystation No. 613. As I look out my window, there is a steady flow of female Monarchs laying eggs in the Swamp and Common Milkweed in the side and back yards. Same around Sandusky County, where my hometown of Fremont lies. I just witnessed a collecte egg hatch on my front porch and took some pics. The photo sequence shows the larva initially walking away from the egg it just emerged from, then it turns around and begins eating the shell. I love it! My goal is to collect eggs from my Waystation No. 613, keeps stats on success rates, and release the adult Monarch butterflies, after checking them for OE virus and tagging them.

What a great activity to involve your children, nephew, and nieces in! It can be done in your own yard and helps battle nature deficit disorder! At the top are great nature kits for children. Enjoy the pics.

This is why I separate the newborn larva from the other eggs. They'll eat 'em up!!

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(A-65) MONARCH BUTTERFLY POPULATION DECREASE SIGNIFICANT

2011-08-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I received a Monarch Population Update from Jim Lovett of MONARCH-WATCH. He pretty well summed up the status of the Monarch butterfly population trend. And, it demonstrates another reason why creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 household yards is a good idea!

According to Lovett, the overwintering population in Mexico increased each year from 1994 to 1996, only to crash inexplicably in 1997. He states the ups and downs in overwintering numbers - but the population trend has been mostly "downs" since 2003. In fact, the population has been below the long-term average for the last seven years. The downward trend is now statistically significant (Brower, et al. 2011) and it is clear that we have entered a new era of monarch numbers.

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Lovett states, "The great migrations of the 90s are a thing of the past. In the future, we can expect overwintering populations in Mexico of 2-6 hectares. The main reason for the decline is loss of habitat. Monarch habitat has been reduced by at least 140 million acres in the last 10 years - about a fifth of the total breeding area available to monarchs has been lost. At least 100 million acres of habitat has been lost due to the adoption of herbicide resistant corn and soybeans."

This is why I firmly believe in creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 yards, not only for human enjoyment, but for the survival of the Monarch butterfly and hundreds of other species of insects, birds, butterflies, amphibians, mammals, etc. Just if a mere 1% of America's lawn owners decided to plant milkweed plants and create a beautiful buttefly garden in their yard, and produced 80 Monarch adult butterflies (like I did)...that would create 20,000,000 Monarch butterflies each year!

Lovett predicts a low year for monarchs, perhaps not as low as 2009 (1.92 hectares) or 2004 (2.19 hectares) but close to those numbers. He said the migration in New England will be particularly low and Cape May's will be low as well. The central region (Ontario, MI, OH, IN, IL) will see a modest migration and could produce more monarchs than the area defined by the eastern Dakotas, MN, WI, and IA.
See also:
Monarch Butterfly Population: In decline or holding its own? Take the Poll
Monarch Population Overwintering in Mexico Remains Low
Monarch Butterflies Cross Over Appalachians From West To Colonize East Coast

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it! Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-64) MONARCH BUTTERFLY- IN RAPID DECLINE OR NOT? TAKE THE MONARCH POLL

2011-07-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

An article in Wired Science magazine disturbed me. Two Monarch butterfly researchers arrived at two different world views on the status of Danaus plexippus. Here's a synopsis, with some additional findings and personal opinions added in.

VISIT THE MONARCH MANIA MALL!

Considerable debate is going on between two experts regarding the status of the Monarch butterfly population. In my humble observations in NW Ohio, I have witnessed a steady decline of Monarch butterfly sitings overall, as well as a reduced number of Monarch eggs collected from my Waystation No. 613 and from roadsides and milkweed patches around the county I live in.

Like most Monarch butterfly enthusiasts, I have witnessed the destruction of Monarch eggs and larva by roadside mowing. Example: I counted 23 eggs on 33 Common Milkweed plants in a "waste area" behind a local business in downtown Fremont, Ohio. I returned the following morning to collect them, only to find the 80 x 12 foot area was mowed the evening before. From my notes, I see from this particular "waste area" that I collected 18 eggs one day…and over 30 eggs the next day! All these eggs hatched and were raised successfully at my home- 48 Monarchs were ultimately released into the wild from the two searches of this one "waste area". However, that was 5 years ago. I have seen fewer Monarch presence in this one "waste station" the last several years.

Aside from the mass annihilation of Monarchs "up North", Lincoln Brower, a household name among Monarch enthusiasts, believes the population is in peril due to logging activities in the Monarch's winter haven in Mexico. Contrarily, Andy Davis believes there is no clear indications that the Monarch population is endangered. Davis uses two U.S. monitoring stations and stated, “I wrote my paper because I wanted people to see a different side of the story. I think the situation is not as simple as Dr. Brower and his colleagues make it out to be.”

Brower has studied Monarchs for 55 years and worries that Dr. Andy Davis’ paper will give people a false sense of security. He stated, “He’s (Davis) generated a controversy here that could be detrimental to the conservation of monarchs in Mexico,” Brower said.

In Mexico, the Monarchs survive in an oyamel fir tree forest no larger than the city of Chicago, clustering against the trees for shelter from winter storms. However, illegal logging, which Brower describes as “absolutely ferocious”, continues. Brower has monitored monarch populations within these trees for several decades. He worries that logging will devastate the Monarch, particularly because the butterflies seem unable to use any sites other than historic ones. “There are 12 known sites,” said Brower. “We’ve flown over the forest, we’ve searched with satellites to look for new sites, and these are it.”

Brower’s paper summarizes how much area overwintering monarchs have occupied over the past 17 years, of which the last 15 have seen steady diminishment. During the 2009-10 winter season, the butterflies covered less than five acres, an all-time low. Last season, they rebounded to cover roughly 10 acres, an area still only half of the 15-year average.

“What is going on on the ground down there is a disaster,” Brower said. But, while Davis believes Brower’s methods and analyses are valid, he thinks the overall picture is more complicated.

"By presenting only those numbers, in that one stage of the monarch’s life cycle, you’re seeing only one part,” said Davis. “Look at a different state in the life cycle, and you get the numbers that I showed.”

Analyzing counts from fall monitoring stations in Cape May, New Jersey and Peninsula Point, Michigan, he found populations remaining steady. These fall counts capture the butterflies after a summer of reproducing: The average female monarch lays 700 eggs during her lifetime. Davis believes the monarch’s reproductive prowess outweighs the trend seen in overwintering populations in Mexico.

Most of the butterflies traveling through Cape May and Peninsula Point don’t travel to the overwintering grounds in Mexico, but Davis believes they still give important numbers. “These sites are far apart and they still show the same steady trend,” said Davis. “Even if you say these sites are in the wrong place, their consistency tells me there are probably other sites in the United States where there are no significant drop in numbers.”

Brower disagrees, “There is no reason to expect a decline up there, and the sample size is small. They are a drop in the bucket compared to the population making it to Mexico.”

Both men agree a new monitoring site is sorely needed. Butterflies from all over the United States collect in Texas, funneling into a narrow chute to fly over the mountains into the forests of Mexico. A monitoring site here, say Brower and Davis, would give the best picture of the monarch’s overall health.

"Being at these migration sites is spectacular,” said Davis. “Catch it right and you can watch them whiz by every few seconds. It’s like being in an orange blizzard.”
See Also:
Exciting New Monarch Research
Monarch Population Overwintering in Mexico
Create a Monarch Waystation in Your Yard
Monarch Population Way Down From Last Year

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about transforming urban sprawl into wildlife-friendly spaces, one yard at a time! Click HERE to read his story. Please buy from us, since ten (10%) percent of income from ad sales is donated to MONARCH WATCH. Have you created a wildlife-friendly space in your yard? We'd enjoy sharing it! Contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-63) BACKYARD NATURE KITS FOR KIDS!

2011-07-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Nature Conservancy sites study after study that shows an increasing number of children who play outside are happier, healthier and smarter. So, why not have wildlife-friendly areas in your yard? Butterfly & hummingbird gardens, water ponds, compost areas, etc. attract birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians and increase the biodiversity of your yard.

You can help your kids connect with nature and put smiles on their faces. We offer these excellent discounted nature kits for kids (below) that can be used right in the yard. Neat nature treasure hunts are offered, and the activities are "kid-friendly". The begin with something kids do naturally--picking up leaves, collecting pine cones, stuffing their pockets with acorns--you can increase their awareness of nature and get them unplugged from their Ipod, computer, TV...whatever! Other kits teach them how to do leaf and tree projects all year round...so many adventures waiting in their own backyards.

Nature Kits for Kids

The nature kits (above) have leaf & tree guides, a Leaf Collecting Album, and a durable plastic leaf collecting envelope designed for kids. New material is added to the book, so that it covers more trees (over 100) and sends kids off on nature hunts--not only the Great Leaf Hunt, but challenges to find winged seeds, leaf galls, spiny husks, and more. Your children learn classification skills by categorizing leaves and needles into twenty recognizable shapes (smooth, toothed, hand-shaped, etc). The identification is extremely easy and intuitive, so children don't need to know the difference between a Hickory and a Tupelo before searching out the leaves--they just need to find a light-bulb shaped simple leaf (Tupelo) and the feather-shaped compound. You get the picture! Enjoy browsing through our slide show of Nature Kits for Kids!

Related Posts:
NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER AFFECTS OUR CHILDREN
CREATE A SIMPLE BUTTERFLY GARDEN
BACKYARD WATER GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE
CREATE WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY SPACES IN YOUR LAWN
IOWA COUPLE CREATED THE ULTIMATE WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARD

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about transforming urban sprawl into wildlife-friendly spaces, one yard at a time! Click HERE to read his story. A percentage of income from ad sales is donated to the Black Swamp Bird Observatory. Have you created a wildlife-friendly space in your yard? We'd enjoy posting it! Contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-62) EXCITING MONARCH BUTTERFLY RESEARCH!

2011-07-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

As a member of the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP), I received their July newsletter today. It contained exciting research news about the Monarch butterfly. In sum, they found that long migrations of Monarch butterflies rid them of parisites, particularly the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE). OE is very infectious to adult Monarchs and many accumulate large quantities of the freeloading sponger. According to the MLMP newsletter, OE increases rapidly as the Monarch breeding season progresses, due to the rising densities of larvae, which aid OE spore transmission.

Researchers Rebecca A. Bartel and Sonia Altizer of the University of Georgia, Jaap de Roode of Emory University, and Karen Oberhauser have recently used MLMP and MonarchHealth breeding season data to arrive at this phenomena of OE parasite population density vs. length of migration finding. In two out of three years examined, parasite prevalence dropped between its peak in the final summer breeding phase and the butterflies' wintering period in Mexico. As the monarchs migrated south, the proportion of insects carrying heavy parasite loads kiminished. Their conclusion is that migration provides an opportunity to escape from habitats that might build up levels of diseases, and also to cull out susceptible individuals. This research is published in the journal Ecology.

RELATED POSTS:
DR. RYAN NORRIS WITH MONARCH RESEARCH
MONARCHS CROSS APPALACHIANS TO POPULATE EAST COAST OF U.S.
MONARCH POPULATIONS WAY DOWN FROM LAST YEAR: WAYSTATION NO. 613
CREATE A MONARCH WAYSTATION IN YOUR YARD

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about transforming urban sprawl into wildlife-friendly spaces, one yard at a time! Click HERE to read his story. A percentage of income from ad sales is donated to the Black Swamp Bird Observatory. Have you created a wildlife-friendly space in your yard? We'd enjoy posting it! Contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-61) SCENES FROM MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613

2011-07-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

(A-60) CREATE A SIMPLE BUTTERFLY GARDEN

2011-07-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this video by Yoland Vandeen of http://www.vanveenbulbs.com/ She expertly describes why butterfly gardens are so beneficial to not only the lepidopteras, but to us, TOO! A genuine summer of entertainment. Also, because of Nature Deficit Disorder, which many children are suffering from, a butterfly garden outside the front door is critical. Monarchs are beginning to appear here in NW Ohio; I've seen one daily laying eggs on the milkweed plants in my yard. Plant indigenous plants, because butterflies and native flowering plants have co-evolved for thousands of years. Monarch butterflies can only survive with milkweed plants, which they use for egg-laying, caterpillar development, etc.

I plant milkweed for Monarchs, dill and parsely for Black Swallowtails, and snapdraggons for Ohio Buckeye butterflies. Many butterflies lay eggs on trees around the neighborhood, for their young caterpillars to feed on. We have plenty of Sycamore trees around and, not surprisingly, many adult Tiger Swallowtails visit my garden to nectar. In short: More Host FLOWERS + TREES = MORE BUTTERFLIES, and vice versa. How does your flower garden and your neighborhood trees size up as butterfly HOST PLANTS?

Make sure your native plants are of many colors, for butterflies are attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms that are flat-topped or clustered and have short flower tubes.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, plant good nectar sources in the sun: Your key butterfly nectar source plants should receive full sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Butterfly adults generally feed only in the sun. If sun is limited in your landscape, try adding butterfly nectar sources to the vegetable garden.

Enjoy the video by Yolanda Vanveen, and why not join MONARCH WATCH to learn how to attract butterflies in general and to help save the Monarch Butterfly in particular?

Related Post: CREATE WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY SPOTS IN YOUR YARD

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about transforming urban sprawl into wildlife-friendly spaces, one yard at a time! Click HERE to read his story. A percentage of income from ad sales is donated to MONARCH WATCH. Have you created a wildlife-friendly space in your yard? We'd enjoy posting it! Contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-59) NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER & WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARDS

2011-07-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

Note: Scroll down the right margin to CODE "(A-59) NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER" for free videos and free articles on this topic.

As more and more children spend time indoors near electrical sockets, there are a gathering number of people converting sections of their lawn into wildlife-friendly spaces. I just read a neat article about a couple in Oakdale, CA, who made their backyard into a wildlife haven. Glenn and Nancy Skuta also qualified for the National Wildlife Federation’s certified backyard program.

And talk about free entertainment at home! They have a path lined with purple and white irises where hummingbirds fly sorties over. Cardinals, sing from the trees and deer hoof prints can be found in the soft earth. They can escape to their at-home sanctuary and enjoy nature’s peace.

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) teaches how to create a wildlife-friendly garden. Click HERE to go directly to their certification site. Certification is quite easy and requires the habitat to include four things for the wildlife: food, water, cover and a place for young to be raised. And, one must use environmentally sustainable gardening practices. Then, a short description and a sketch of how the garden looks is needed for your property to become certified by NWF. The Skutas' backyard has been certified for 15 years and has a variety of plants growing and animals visiting throughout the year. According to the newspaper article in the Oakdale Patch, “many of the birds return every year to the backyard: the same cardinals have been returning for the past three years. Nancy Skuta noticed the hummingbirds not only stop at the feeders for food but also from the flowers in the backyard.”

The NWF’s Garden for Wildlife website lists ways to garden in an environmentally friendly way. Most yards contain a simple garden but not as extensive as the NWF requires. One of the Skuta’s neighbors positioned a chair in his home in order to sit and view the garden.

“It was a nice compliment,” Nancy Skuta said. “While it might be a little different in an urban setting, it is a source of enjoyment for us and neighbors.”

They observe birds flying and singing, deer eating from their crabapple tree, various wildlife eating and interacting in the yard, goldfinches bathing in the bird bath...hmm, could this be a way for parents to battle the growing Nature-Deprivation Disorder among our children?

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about transforming urban sprawl into wildlife-friendly spaces, one yard at a time! Click HERE to read his story. A percentage of income from ad sales is donated to the Black Swamp Bird Observatory. Have you created a wildlife-friendly space in your yard? We'd enjoy posting it! Contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-57) MONARCHS VACANT ON CREEK BEND FARM PRAIRIE IN NW OHIO

2011-07-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2011: Hiked around the "Warm Season Grasses" section of Creek Bend Farm. Yes, it was definately warm: upper 80's. This neat prairie borders Rt. 20 in Ohio, on the north, just before you get to Hessville. I searched for Monarchs flying and checked the Common Milkweed Plants for eggs and caterpillars. It was a disappointing day: saw no Monarch butterflies flying or eggs/caterpillars on the milkweed.

Still, it was nice to see the warm weather plants thriving.
For the past several weeks, few Monarchs have visited Monarch Waystation No. 163 (my yard). Zero eggs have been deposited on my milkweeds. So far, the season for Monarchs has been a let down; let's hope things change!

Why not join Monarch Watch & help save the Monarch Butterfly?

MONARCHS CROSS APALACHIANS FROM WEST TO POPULATE EAST COAST!

MONARCH HAPPENINGS BEGIN WITH DANA BOLIN AT MAUMEE BAY STATE PARK

CREATE A WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARD! HAPPEININGS AT MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 IN NW OHIO

For information on the Creek Bend Farm area, contact:
Sandusky County Park District
1970 Countryside Place
Fremont, OH 43420
(419) 334-4495 or (888) 200-5577
scpd@sanduskycountyparks.com

(A-56) MONARCHS LAYING EGGS GALORE IN NW OHIO!

2011-06-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Note: Scroll down right margin to CODE "(A-56) MONARCH EGGS for free videos and free articles on Monarch egg-laying.

Monarch Waystation #613 in Fremont, Ohio has attracted three other people to become "Monarch Landlords", as they say with Purple Martin enthusiasts. Sue Strohl, told me just yesterday that she has dozens of Milkweed Plants in her front yard and alongside her garage. She saw a Monarch depositing eggs on them and retrieved 10 eggs off her plants. An hour later, she saw the same or another female Monarch on her MW's and collected an additional 9 more. That's 19 eggs in an hours time.

After seveal weeks of zero eggs found on my Common and Swamp MW's, I found 10 eggs this morning. It all seems to hit at once, I've noticed. Sue Strohl has never seen Monarchs laying eggs in the early morning or evenings. Same here, when I witness Monarchs laying eggs on my MW's, it's mostly around Noon to 3pm, when it's the hottest temp.

Join MONARCH WATCH and help save the MONARCH!!

Visit the Monarch Mania Mall!

(A-55) CEDAR WAXWING MALES FEED FEMALES

2011-06-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Note: In the right margin Scroll down to CODE "( A-55) CEDAR WAXWING)" for free videos and free articles on this amazing bird.

At our farm, actually the Hemlock Hill Field Research Station outside Cambridge Springs, Pa., I witnessed Cedar Waxwings flocking to a large Service Berry bush (tree?). They were gorging themselves, as if it were an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet! My brother, Gene Morton, commented on the males feeding their mates. I thought they were feeding their fledglings, but no, on the receiving end were adult females.

100 BIRD FEEDERS & FEEDER ACCESSORIES

Apparently, the male Cedar Waxwing does this to attract females, so they eventually pick the males that are the best feeders when they (the females) are on the nest. So, all you young single men out there, a lesson: end the date with you feeding your lady friend in a plush restaurant with plenty of food on the plate, or take them home and cook a gourmet meal for them. I recommend you allow them to sit there and you can spoon feed them. Uh...but...not at a plush restaurant...maybe McDonalds...at the back booth.

(A-54) MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 IN NW OHIO- GREETINGS!

2011-05-22T16:49:00.001-07:00

Although I haven't seen any Monarchs flying around my area yet, as of May 22, 2011, I just collected 3 eggs off my side yard milkweeds. Here's some photos:

Visit the MONARCH MANIA MALL!

Join MONARCH WATCH and help save the Monarch Butterfly!

(A-53) MONARCH POPULATION OVERWINTERING IN MEXICO REMAINS LOW

2011-04-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Note: Scroll down right margin to CODE "(A-53) MONARCH POPULATIONS" for free videos and free newspaper/journal articles on this topic.

SCIENCE SENDINGS!!
Dear Robert:

This paper has been written before but not by this grouping. The 2009-2010 results are new but the basic story is the same.

I have visited the major Monarch sites during the Boreal winter (N of 22 degrees) in Mexico and California (often forgotten). The sites in Mexico were visited in the 1960's and at various times up to around 10 years ago. Some years depending on the temperature the Mexican sites were a wonder to see. But in the 1980's there was bad weather and a great deal of tree cutting on the so-called protected sites. Dead Monarchs were piled up like dead leaves on the Boreal Autumn.

Migration routes are labile in evolutionary time. There are alternatives now visited by North American originating Monarchs in Mexico. The Californa sites are protected. Brower and Taylor should know that the "entire portion of eastern North American Monarchs" DO NOT use that site in Mexico. Have they never been in the state of Florida in the Boreal Autumn?

Dr. Eugene S. Morton

FORUM
Decline of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico: is the migratory phenomenon at risk?
LINCOLN P. BROWER,1 ORLEY R. TAYLOR,2 ERNEST H. WILLIAMS,3
DANIEL A. SLAYBACK,4 RAUL R. ZUBIETA5 and M. ISABEL
RAMI´REZ6 1Department of Biology, Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA, USA, 2Department of Ecology &
Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KA, USA, 3Department of Biology, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY,
USA, 4Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Biospheric Sciences Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,
MD, USA, 5Posgrado en Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Mexico D.F., Mexico and 6Centro de Investigaciones en Geografia Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Antigua Carretera a Patzcuaro, Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico

ABSTRACT:

1. During the 2009–2010 overwintering season and following a 15-year downward trend, the total area in Mexico occupied by the eastern North American population of overwintering monarch butterflies reached an all-time low. Despite an increase, it remained low in 2010–2011.

2. Although the data set is small, the decline in abundance is statistically significant
using both linear and exponential regression models.

3. Three factors appear to have contributed to reduce monarch abundance: degradation of the forest in the overwintering areas; the loss of breeding habitat in the United States due to the expansion ofGM herbicide-resistant crops, with consequent loss of milkweed host plants, as well as continued land development; and severe weather.

4. This decline calls into question the long-term survival of the monarchs’ migratory
phenomenon.

RESUMEN:
1. Durante la temporada invernal 2009–2010, y siguiendo una tendencia a la baja de 15 an˜ os, la superficie total ocupada por mariposas monarca en Me´xico, provenientes del este Ame´rica del Norte, llego´ a su punto ma´ s bajo. A pesar de su incremento, dicha superficie siguio´ siendo baja en 2010–2011.

2. Aunque que el conjunto de datos disponibles es au´n pequen˜ o, esta disminucio´n de la abundancia de mariposas es estadı´sticamente significativa, tanto si se usan modelos de regresio´n lineales como exponenciales.

3. Hay tres factores que parecen haber contribuido con esta tendencia de reduccio ´n del nu´mero de mariposas: la degradacio´n de bosque en las a´ reas de invernacio´n en Me´xico; la pe´rdida de ha´ bitat de reproduccio´n en los Estados Unidos, debido a la expansio´n de cultivos gene´ticamente modificados resistentes a herbicidas, con la
consiguiente pe´rdida de las plantas hospederas de algodoncillo, y por continuos cambios en el uso del suelo no favorables para ellas; y, las recientes condiciones clima ´ ticas severas.

4. Esta disminucio´n hace que nos cuestionemos sobre la posibilidad de supervivencia a largo plazo del feno´meno migratorio de las mariposas monarca. Key words. Conservation, endangered biological phenomenon, habitat, Lepidoptera, migration, monitoring.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about the natural world. Questions? Comments? Stories you'd like to publish here at no charge? Contact him at the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-52) BIRDS PREFER OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MATURE TREES

2011-03-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

Note: Scroll down right margin to CODE "(A-52) SUBURBAN BIRDS" for free videos and free article on this topic.

I was taken by this research because I live in a suburban "MT" area with large trees and old houses.The article demonstrates how important it is for people to transform parts of their lawns into wildlife-friendly spaces. Let me explain!

BIRD WATCHING DVD's

Researchers compared breeding bird prevalence in three different suburban environs. The first was a 70-year-old area of large houses along streets shaded by mature trees (MT), primarily oaks and elm (describes my neighborhood). The second suburban environment was a 15-year-old area built upon open agricultural land with young maple street trees (YT), and the third area was a 15-year-old area on which houses were built in small clearings within a second-growth oak-pine woodland (OP).
Bird censuses were taken in each of the three suburban environs yearly for 5 years. The results showed that the YT supported the lowest total avian density of the three suburbs; OP supported the greatest variety and total density of insectivores and the lowest number of ground-gleaning omnivores; and MT supported the highest total avian density, comprised primarily of ground-foraging seed eaters and omnivores.

As far as nesting sites went, OP had the fewest ground/herb and shrub nesters, while MT had the most. Tree cavity and twig nesters were significantly more numerous in OP, and tree branch nesters were the fewest in YT. Analyses of habitat structure revealed that shrub maturity is more important than numbers of shrubs, and that planted trees, no matter how mature or abundant, do not replace natural forest stands as habitat for most insectivorous species.

I enjoy walking around the block in my old, MT neighborhood, toting binoculars. The spring migration of warblers is astounding as they flitter high in the aging oak, maple, locust, sycamore, and ash trees. This suburban forest canopy has dead limbs and cavities that attract Red-bellied woodpeckers and even Wood ducks. In fact, it's a yearly tradition to gather up the poor Wood duck babies as they jump from a cavity 70 feet up in a aging oak tree in our neighbor's yard. Unfortunately, the neighborhood cats would get them if we didn't. The mother Wood duck is ferociously brave, and we trap her, too, in fishing nets. Moma and her brood are released several miles away in the Muddy Creek, a tributary of the Sandusky River.

Most of the old, victorian houses in the neighborhood have "old growth" shrubs planted years ago. We do have Goldfinches, House finches, catbirds, robins, Carolina wrens, and Ruby-throated hummingbirds that nest in them.

God Speaks About Wildlife-Friendly Yards!

Urban Landscaping For Wildlife With Native Plants

Create A Wildlife-Friendly Yard!

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. encourages others to transform part of their lawns into wildlife-friendly spaces. Please join the movement by contacting us at the secure Bpath Mail Form. Have a wildlife-friendly space in your yard! We'd enjoy featuring it on this site free-of-charge, for the good of the order! Any relevant meetings or events you'd like to post free-of-charge? Contact us on the Bpath Mail Form.

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