Special thanks to Mary Beth Breckenridge for her article in the Feb. 16 Telegram (“Gardeners in Maine, elsewhere can help monarch butterflies thrive”).
This comes in plenty of time for anyone who wants to help preserve our monarch population in Maine.
Even those of us with a tiny amount of dirt to work with can plant and encourage milkweed and other nectar plants the butterflies need to survive. Schools and other public areas are prime candidates for planting spaces and beautification.
Information and special supplies can be found through http://www.monarchwatch.org/. If you are unable or choose not to spend money on supplies, the best thing you can do is to find dried milkweed pods and cultivate the seeds.
Milkweed plants provide a place for the monarchs to lay their eggs and food for the resulting caterpillars. They are easy to raise and take very little soil or work to grow.
If you have a patch of dirt in your yard, please consider planting some milkweed or some nectar plants. They’ll beautify your yard and bring you some butterflies to lift your spirits.
Suzi Franklin
Wells
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