Thank you Leslie, for a very helpful article. I agree with both you and Vicki - Monarchs need help, and the best ways to help are to protect native habitat in the wild, and to plant natives in yards. Native plants are the foundation of so many complex food webs - they support Monarchs, but also the myriad of other bugs and birds and animals that make up our world. Raising hundreds of Monarchs in captivity may feel good, but it's better for the Monarchs - and all the other creatures - to have more native habitat so they can live out their lives in the wild.
Thanks! A conversation that has to be had more frequently these days. As a monarch festival exhibitor alongside Leslie, I concur on the continuing rise of well-meaning people home rearing monarchs and large numbers at that. Raising a few, under the conditions as given in the Monarch Watch link, may be inspirational and informative, helping one become more knowledgeable about monarch biology and their unique needs. But as Leslie wrote, to impact a positive future for the monarchs, creating and advocating more native plant habitat, is absolutely essential. Growing milkweed and nectar plants in one own yards is the best - up close to nature and providing a place for monarchs plus many other beneficial species to thrive is gratifying. In fact it's awesome. Monarchs are what conservation biologists call a flagship species, take care of them with habitat, a myriad of other creatures benefit too. The monarch link to milkweed is more common knowledge these days than 15 years ago when I first became involved in Grow Monarch Habitat projects. People who rear monarchs have to supply this essential caterpillar food. Yet, too often they opt for the easier to grow non-native tropical milkweed and that is another concern. Monarch Joint Venture has a number of fliers related to these topics too.
I enjoyed this article, very interesting. I get monarchs in my garden each summer. They are introduced but not an invasive species in New Zealand. This reminds me to pick up a couple of swan plants (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) for them (that's the species of milkweed that New Zealanders usually grow for monarchs).
Thank you Leslie, for a very helpful article. I agree with both you and Vicki - Monarchs need help, and the best ways to help are to protect native habitat in the wild, and to plant natives in yards. Native plants are the foundation of so many complex food webs - they support Monarchs, but also the myriad of other bugs and birds and animals that make up our world. Raising hundreds of Monarchs in captivity may feel good, but it's better for the Monarchs - and all the other creatures - to have more native habitat so they can live out their lives in the wild.
Thanks! A conversation that has to be had more frequently these days. As a monarch festival exhibitor alongside Leslie, I concur on the continuing rise of well-meaning people home rearing monarchs and large numbers at that. Raising a few, under the conditions as given in the Monarch Watch link, may be inspirational and informative, helping one become more knowledgeable about monarch biology and their unique needs. But as Leslie wrote, to impact a positive future for the monarchs, creating and advocating more native plant habitat, is absolutely essential. Growing milkweed and nectar plants in one own yards is the best - up close to nature and providing a place for monarchs plus many other beneficial species to thrive is gratifying. In fact it's awesome. Monarchs are what conservation biologists call a flagship species, take care of them with habitat, a myriad of other creatures benefit too. The monarch link to milkweed is more common knowledge these days than 15 years ago when I first became involved in Grow Monarch Habitat projects. People who rear monarchs have to supply this essential caterpillar food. Yet, too often they opt for the easier to grow non-native tropical milkweed and that is another concern. Monarch Joint Venture has a number of fliers related to these topics too.
I enjoyed this article, very interesting. I get monarchs in my garden each summer. They are introduced but not an invasive species in New Zealand. This reminds me to pick up a couple of swan plants (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) for them (that's the species of milkweed that New Zealanders usually grow for monarchs).