Category Archives: Wildflowers

Red-spotted Purple and the Brilliant Blue Iridescence Found in Butterfly Wings

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Little flashes of blue iridescence flitting through the garden quickly caught my attention.

A number of black butterflies sport blue iridescence in their wing scales, including the Pipevine Swallowtail, female Eastern Black Swallowtail, Red-spotted Purple, and the Spicebush Swallowtail. Which one was gracing our garden today?

The newly emerged beauty was a Red-spotted Purple, which I had not seen for several years! The much tastier (to birds) Red-spotted Purple Butterflies are thought to have evolved to mimic the foul tasting and toxic Pipevine Swallowtail. Red-spotted Purple caterpillars eat non-toxic leaves of Serviceberry, oaks, Black Cherry, aspens, birches, Eastern Cottonwood, and hawthorns, which would make both the caterpillars and adults appetizing to birds. By mimicking the Pipevine Swallowtail, which eats toxic foliage of plants in the genus Aristolochia, the mimics–Red-spotted Purple, Spicebush Swallowtail, and female Eastern Black Swallowtail–find some protection, to a certain degree.

Under wing, or ventral wing pattern

Upper wing, or dorsal, wing pattern

The beautiful blue iridescence in butterfly wings is created from the microscopic ridges, cross-ribs, and other structural layers of the individual scales, which play with light waves to reflect brilliant blues and speckles.

We had just watered the garden and I think the Red-spotted Purple was drinking up droplets of water. Perhaps there was salt or some necessary nutrients in the droplets when mixed with the foliage.

A Mutant Lilliputian Lobster Flying in My Garden?

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Saturday mid-morning I returned home from filming shorebirds at dawn to find an extravaganza of winged wonders in our garden. The weather was gloriously warm and sunny, filming the birds had been a great success, and seeing all these creatures flying around our front dooryard garden was the best kind of morning greeting!

Mama and Papa Carolina Wrens were zipping to and from the nest feeding their hungry hatchlings every kind of insect imaginable, a nearly whole Canadian Tiger Swallowtail was pausing to drink nectar from the butterfly bushes, our resident pair of fledgling Ruby-throated  Hummingbirds were whirring about the Rose of Sharon, half a dozen male Monarchs were patrolling the milkweed patches, and two visitors I hadn’t seen in our garden for some time–a  newly emerged Red-spotted Purple Butterfly and a Hummingbird Clearing Moth (Hemaris thysbe)

Hummingbird Moths have been described as resembling a tiny flying lobster or an enormous furry bee and are often confused with Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Not only do Hummingbird Clearwing Moths share similar coloring to that of RTHumminbirds, perhaps the confusion stems from a characteristic behavior of the clearwing moths, which is a technique for drinking nectar called ‘swing hovering.’  Only certain bats, hummingbirds, and the clearwing moths have the ability to swing from side to side while hovering over a flower to drink nectar.

The Hummingbird Clearwing Moth only visited for a few brief moments, but i was glad to have camera in hand when stepping out of the car. To attract these beauties to your garden plant native honeysuckle, viburnums, and Snowberry bushes for their caterpillar’s food plants and native Phlox ‘david,’ Monarda didyma, and butterfly bushes for the adults to nectar from.

You can read more about the wonderfully unique Clearwing Moths in an article I wrote nearly a dozen and a half years ago, which was eventually picked up by the New England Wild Flower Society publications.

How to Grow Fresh Flowers All Season! (with a take-home plantng guide)

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Message from my friend Elise at Cedar Rock Gardens –

Planting a cut flower garden: How to have fresh blooms all season with a take home planting guide.

Hello!

As the season winds down on the seedling side of our business – the field and greenhouse crops really start to ramp up. We are currently harvesting cucumbers, eggplant, kale, chard, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, many greens, onions, herbs and flowers among other things. I am hoping you are all having success with your gardens also despite the blistering heat we have had lately. Heres to hoping this next forecasted rain will actually amount to something??

Most of you know this already but Tucker and I started Cedar Rock Gardens initially as a cut flower farm back in 2014. We had success in that venture but it slowly turned into what it is today which is a robust seedling operation alongside a diversified vegetable, herb and flower farm. The flowers have not been lost on us though. I still find my creative outlet each week lies happily with the small amount of bouquets I get to make for our wholesale accounts and for my own kitchen table. We were selling cut flowers to the Boston Flower exchange as well as to many florists locally and even dabbled in wedding arrangements for a short time. It was a labor of love for a while and then we decided to move in a different direction to focus on edible crops.

Alas, flowers still have my heart and I am very excited to share my knowledge with you. Join me this Thursday evening at Cedar Rock Gardens for a cut flower course sponsored by Gloucester SaLT. We will cover some tried and true varieties from seed to bouquet visiting on succession planting and planting layout. This course is specifically designed for home gardeners who want to make the most out of limited space. You will be able to take home a plating guide and I will do my best to answer any questions you have. The course is free and I am happily donating my time – if you get something out of it or just feel generous you can donate to SaLT Here.

Please respond to this email if you do plan to attend so I can have a better idea on how much I need to psych myself up to speak to a crowd. I also need a general count for hand-outs.

Currently we are open:
Thursday to Saturday 8 am to 4 pm

Hope you are having a wonderful summer!

We will continue to be set up at the Farmer’s Market at Burnhams Field in Gloucester every Wednesday from 2:30 to 6:30 selling our produce.

All the best,

Elise Smith
CedarRockGardens@gmail.com

Mama Monarchs!

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Have you noticed how lush our gardens are this year? Perhaps it’s because we never had a sudden deep, deep freeze this past winter but whatever the reason, the blossoms and growth of flowering and fruiting trees, hydrangeas, roses, lilacs, milkweed, and butterfly bushes (to name a few) haven’t looked this grand in a number of years. And our wildflower meadows are also simply spectacular with blossoms. For the past month while looking after the Plovers, we have been delighted with the rich honey-hay smell wafting down to the beach from the Common Milkweed blooming widely across the dunes.

We’ve had a bunch of Mama Monarchs flitting through our milkweed patches and ovipositing a treasure trove of golden drops over the past several weeks. She gently curls her abdomen, ovipositing one egg at a time, while simultaneously, each egg attaches with a quick drying sticky glue. I was showing a friend how to look for the eggs and she was amazed at how teeny they are. Only about the size of a pinhead, we most often find them on the tender new growth emerging in the center of the plant or on the leaves more towards the top of the plant. Wild Monarchs deposit one egg at a time. You can see in the pairs of photos the egg she deposited after carefully inspecting each leaf.

Monarchs held in captivity in breeding cages and tents are observed dumping quantities of eggs in large clusters (not one at a time) on milkweed plants as they are not free to travel around to investigate foliage. This is one reason why Monarch diseases are on the rise. Captive reared Lepidoptera also diminish genetic diversity, weakening a species. If you would like to raise Monarchs, it is highly recommended by organizations such as Monarch Watch and The Xerces Society to raise in small batches, only ten or so at a time, from eggs collected in your garden, not purchased over the internet and from butterfly farms.

Beautiful Black Swallowtails!

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These newly emerged Black Swallowtail Butterflies in our garden are both females. You can easily see the difference between Black Swallowtail males and females.

The females have a great deal more of the sparkly blue iridescent wing scales, while the males have many more yellow spots.

 

Female Black Swallowtails

Male Black Swallowtail

Charlotte discovered the caterpillars on fennel plants at Cedar Rock Gardens. Black Swallowtail females deposit their eggs on members of the Carrot Family including dill, fennel, parsley, Queen Anne’s Lace, and parsnips.

MONARCH ALERT! #plantandtheywillcome

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This past week, Monarchs have been spotted at my friend Patti’s garden in East Gloucester, at Wolf Hill Garden Center, and in our garden. I was overjoyed to see she was a female, depositing eggs on the tender new foliage of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).

Please write and let us know when you see your first Monarch. Thank you!

Wolf Hill is carrying a fabulous array of native plants, including both A. syriaca and Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa).

Monarch egg – a miniature golden dome, the size of a pinhead

Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly at the Essex Greenbelt Film Series!

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Please join me for a FREE screening and Q and A of Beauty on the Wing as part of the Essex County Greenbelt Film and Lecture Series, tomorrow evening from 6:30 to 8:30.

Beauty on the Wing – Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly Mar, 14

WHEN: Thurs., March 14, 6:30-8:30 pm WHERE: HC MEDIA, Studio 101 2 Merrimack St., Haverhill WHAT: Experience the magical migration that happens in our midst, unfolding in backyards, farms, meadows, fields, and along the shoreline, wherever milkweed and wildflowers grow. Stay after the film for a Q&A with Director Kim Smith. Photo: Kim Smith

More from the Industrious Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Time to Hang Your Hummingbird Feeders!

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Despite that our little woodpecker friend has an injury under her right wing, the extraordinarily industrious Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has, for the past five days, worked on, and dined from, her sapwells. She arrives each morning at sunrise, departing around noontime. The timelapse video shows only one hour of her morning, compressed into one minute.

Dubbed Miss Featherton by Charlotte, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker arrived bedraggled and injured but I think is becoming rejuvenated from the sap. Insects, too, are beginning to appear at the wells. I read that Ruby-throated Hummingbirds often follow the migration of sapsuckers as they too will imbibe on the sap and insects attracted. We usually hang our Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeders out at the end of March, but with all the sap flowing, we hung our feeders a few days ago.Notice the red wound under her right wing from the still taken from the video

Happy World Wildlife Day! #WWD2024

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Every year on March 3rd, United Nations World Wildlife Day (WWD) is celebrated  The purpose of the celebration is to recognize the unique roles and contributions of wildlife to people and the planet.  Read more here.

A special event for World Wildlife day is being held at the UN tomorrow, March 4th, that anyone is welcome to tune into. Here is the link and more information:

https://www.linkedin.com/events/worldwildlifeday2024uncelebrati7163493005688041473/comments/

#SaveTheDate 📅 🌱 Tune in online to watch the hashtag#WorldWildlifeDay 2024 UN Celebration!

When: 4 March (10AM-1PM EST)
Where: webtv.un.org

This year, we are exploring digital innovation and highlighting how digital conservation technologies and services can drive wildlife conservation, sustainable and legal wildlife trade and human-wildlife coexistence, now and for future generations in an increasingly connected world. 📱💻🐟🐯🌳

Meet our organizing partners: UNDP, ifaw, Jackson Wild, and WILDLABS Community

hashtag#WWD2024 hashtag#ConnectingPeopleAndPlanet hashtag#DigitalInnovation hashtag#TechForWildlife

 

WONDERFUL WILD CREATURES 2023 YEAR IN REVIEW!

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Saying goodbye to 2023 with a look back at just some of the magnificent creatures and scenes we see all around our beautiful North Shore.

The slide show begins with January and runs through December. When clicking through, you can see the photos are captioned and dated. If you would like more information, all the photos are from posts written throughout the year, and most of the posts have short videos featuring the animal.

Some of the highlights were a Northern Lapwing blown far off course, Barred Owls, flocks of Snow Buntings, successful Gray Seal rescue by Seacoast Science Center, the return of handicapped Super Mom and Super Dad to Good Harbor Beach, Great Blue Herons nesting, Rick Roth from Cape Ann Vernal Pond team helping me find frog’s eggs for my pond ecology film, Bald Eagle pair mating, Earth Day Good Harbor Beach clean-up, Osprey nesting,Creative Commons Collective native plantings at Blackburn Circle, mesmerizing encounter with a Fisher, Mama Dross Humpback and her calf, Beth Swan creating PiPl logo, PiPl chicks and Least Terns hatching, Pipevine Swallowtail pupa, PiPl t-shirts and decals selling at Alexandra’s Bread, rare Nighthawk, Spring Peepers, chicks fledging, trips to Felix’ Family Farm with Charlotte, Monarchs in the garden, Merlin, juvenile Glossy Ibis, and a  flock of Horned Larks.

Perhaps the very most memorable moment was a wonderfully close (and extended) encounter with a Fisher. Read more about that here: Lightning in a Bottle

 

Happy New Year Friends. We’ll see what 2024 brings our way <3

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS AND POKEBERRIES IS WHY WE RELISH OUR WONDERFULLY MESSY GARDEN!

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Oh my goodness, what was that fleeting and larger-than-usual red-headed woodpecker doing in our garden? We get lots of Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers but even though the sighting was merely a flash of red, black, and white, the visitor seemed like neither of these two.

The following morning when returning from an early walk, I crept down the garden path in hopes of catching a glimpse and to see what he was up to. Sure enough, the woodpecker was there, perched between the branches of the lilacs and plucking ripe juicy purple fruits from the Pokeberry plant. A male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and what a handsome fellow he is! The sapsucker stayed for a few minutes, long enough to capture some footage.

The songbirds (and we) are relishing in the messy disarray of of our cold weather garden. Fallen leaves provide shelter for birds, insects, and small mammals; the seed heads on the expired stalks of asters offer sustenance; and the fruits of the winterberry, holly, crabapple, and American Pokeweed  are filling the little bellies of many.

American Pokeweed, also known as Pokeberry, Pigeonweed, Inkberry, and Poke, is a North American native perennial herb that can grow as tall as 20 feet, although we are more likely to see a four to five foot plant. The stems of the Pokeberry are a striking shade of magenta, but otherwise, it is a rather ungainly plant.

We didn’t plant our Pokeberry. Perhaps the seed of the first plant to colonize our garde was deposited by a bird. Each berry contains 10 seeds. The seeds have an extraordinarily hard shell that allows them to remain viable for up to 40 years.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds reportedly drink nectar from the Pokeberry’s tiny white/pinkish/greenish flowers and the leaves are also the caterpillar food plant for the Giant Leopard Moth.

According to Cornell, “the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the only woodpecker in eastern North America that is completely migratory. Although a few individuals remain throughout much of the winter in the southern part of the breeding range, most head farther south, going as far south as Panama. Females tend to migrate farther south than do males.”

Okay, well let’s get going Mr. Sapsucker!

 

YELLOW-ORANGE RAINBOW HOUSE FINCH!

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What is that beautiful and unusually feathered friend eyeing me from the distant safety of a tree limb. He looks identical to a House Finch but rather than a bright pinkish red head, this boy’s feathers are shaded in hues of yellow, orange, coral, and pink.

He foraged along with the other House Finches, took a brief nap, and then departed. I couldn’t wait to get home and learn more about why this House Finch was so striking in plumage.

According to several online sites, the color of the male House Finch feathers results from 3 carotenoid pigments: ß-carotene, which produces yellow to orange color in feathers; isocryptoxanthin, which produces orange color in feathers; and echinenone, which produces red color in feathers. Yellow House Finches are frequently seen in the southwest and Hawaii where natural foods are low in some of these carotenoids. In the east, birds often feed on the high-carotenoid fruits of ornamental plants. For comparison sake, you can see in the first clip the more typical color of a male House Finch at this time of year.

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD NOT SHARING GARDEN WITH MIGRATING MONARCHS!

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Our summer resident Ruby-throated Hummingbirds stayed at our Cape Ann garden well into the fall. Daily, and frequently throughout the day, they made their rounds from the back borders to the front borders, making brief stops at each nectar station. But the backyard was clearly their personal fiefdom. Here they spent a great deal of time splashing in the bird bath and preening while perched in the ancient pear trees.

The Monarchs and other late summer butterflies mostly stay in the sunnier front border however, whenever a Monarch ventured to the New England Aster patch round back, a hummingbird was sure to harass. The attacks were seemingly not vicious; the RTH would simply fly to and from the butterfly until it departed. I wondered if this was a juvenile RTHummingbird checking out a never-before-seen-butterfly-equal-to-its-size, or a more experienced female defending her territory.

Despite repeated attempts on my part, this was extremely hard to capture on film. I was looking at footage from this past season and was delighted to find a very few brief seconds of both beauties together.

LAST MONARCH FROM THE GARDEN

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Last of the season’s Monarchs from our garden eclosed, despite being so late in the year and the big dent in her chrysalis. Happily, Charlotte was home when she emerged. The butterfly attached itself to Charlotte’s hair, and to her great joy, stayed there while she skipped around the garden collecting flowers and food for her fairies.

Monarchs that emerge late in the year, when some are already arriving to Mexico, migrate nonetheless and have a good chance of reaching their destination.

Fairy Tree House

BLUET DAMSELFLIES MATING IN THE CATTAILS

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“Get a room,” my friend Lauren laughed when we arrived at the Pond, noticing within moments dozens upon dozens of bluet damselflies readying to mate. The little pond is surrounded by a magnificent variety of vegetation however, the damselflies were only interested in perching on the cattail blades, in some instances three pairs per blade!

During mating, the male clasps the female by the neck while she bends her body around to his reproductive organs, forming a “mating wheel.” The damselfly photos here show the damselflies in the initial stages of mating.

There are no fewer than twenty different species of bluet damselflies in Massachusetts. One quick way to tell the difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly when out in the field is to look at the eyes. Dragonfly eyes are large and spaced very close together, whereas the eyes of damselflies are smaller and separated.

Cattail flowers are not bright and showy because they do not need to attract pollinators. Multiple tiny florets grow on the cylindrical-shaped stalk and are pollinated by wind. After releasing pollen, the flowers fall off leaving behind the spikes. The spike falls apart eventually to release the fluffy seeds, which are also disseminated by the wind. Clearly, the blades of Cat-O’-Nine-tails are useful to damselflies. The fluff is also wonderfully beneficial to songbirds, such as Red-winged Blackbirds, for lining their nests.

A BIT OF MONARCH FAKERY – THE BEAUTIFUL VICEROY BUTTERFLY

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Over the course of past week, we on Cape Ann have been graced with a splendid mini Monarch migration across our shores, and many other species of butterflies too are on the wing. To my utter delight, yesterday while filming at what I like to think of as a butterfly hotspot, a pint-sized butterfly went zooming past. Wow, that is the smallest Monarch I have ever seen. But no, the butterfly traveled across the field, and when it paused for a few moments to warm its wings, I realized it was a Viceroy Butterfly! This was the first time I have observed a Viceroy on Cape Ann.

The Viceroy has a faster flight pattern than the Monarch and I was only able to get a few minutes of footage and only several photos before it disappeared over the horizon however; you can see from the photos how very similar the wing pattern is. To make a quick comparison when out in the field, the Viceroy does not have the mitten-shaped cell that the Monarch possesses and it has a prominent black line running along lower wings.

Monarch Butterfly

Viceroy Butterfly

To read more about Monarch and Viceroy fakery, read the following terrific article from New Jersey Audubon here: “Monarchs and Viceroys: A Tale of Mimicry”

The ‘royal’ butterflies –

 

BEE-UTIFUL!

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Filmed at my friend Paul Wegzyn’s sunflower field, at Felix’ Family Farm –

“Peter and the Wolf” by Sergei Prokofiev, performed by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra – downloaded from the Internet Archive of royalty free music.

PLEASE DO NO HARM! HOW AND WHY CAPTIVE BREEDING AND CAPTIVE REARING IS HURTING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

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Following mating, a female Monarch will be ready to begin ovipositing her eggs after only several hours. She travels from leaf to leaf and plant to plant, typically depositing no more than one egg per leaf and only one or two eggs per plant. It is thought that when the female lands on a leaf she is testing the plant for suitability with the sensors on her feet that are called tarsi. She curls her abdomen around, ovipositing a tiny golden drop that is no larger than a pinhead.

In the short video, in the second clip, you can she she ‘rejects,’ the leaf. She first tests it with her feet, then curls her abdomen, but does not leave an egg. In the third and last clip, success! She finds a leaf to her liking and leaves behind a single egg.

The female continues on her quest to find milkweed, possibly returning to the same plant, but more likely, she will go on to the next patch of milkweed. In the wild, female Monarchs deposit on average between 300 to 500 eggs during her lifetime.

It’s a very different story for Monarchs that are captive bred. The attendant will walk into the enclosure where the frantic males and females are kept, with a handful of milkweed leaves. The female is so desperate to oviposit her eggs, she will dump a whole load on one leaf, without even testing it with her feet. I have observed this behavior at breeding locations and it is really quite disturbing, knowing  how wholly unnatural it is for Monarchs to deposit eggs in large clusters.

Four reasons to stop mass breeding and rearing:

  1. Mass production of Monarchs makes it easy to transmit disease.
  2.  More virulent strains of pathogens are spreading to wild Monarchs.
  3. Reared Monarchs are smaller than wild Monarchs.
  4. A genetic consequence of breeding closely related individual Monarchs weakens the species.

The Xerces Society, Monarch Watch, Journey North, Monarch Joint Venture, and the petition to list Monarchs as an endangered species all recommend the following:

From the Xerces Society

Answers to a few frequently-asked-questions and answers about rearing

How can I rear Monarchs responsibly?

  1. Rear no more than ten Monarchs per year (whether by a single individual or family). This is the same number recommended in the original petition to list the monarch under the Federal Endangered Species Act.
  2. Collect immature Monarchs locally from the wild, heeding collection policies on public lands; never buy or ship monarchs.
  3. Raise Monarchs individually and keep rearing containers clean between individuals by using a 20% bleach solution to avoid spreading diseases or mold.
  4. Provide sufficient milkweed including adding fresh milkweed daily.
  5. Keep rearing containers out of direct sunlight and provide a moist (not wet) paper towel or sponge to provide sufficient, not excessive, moisture.
  6. Release Monarchs where they were collected and at appropriate times of year for your area.
  7. Check out Monarch Joint Venture’s newly updated handout, Rearing Monarchs: Why or Why Not?
  8. Participate in community science, including testing the Monarchs you raise for OE, tracking parasitism rates, and/or tagging adults before release.

 

FELIX’S FAMILY FARM IS THE BEST SUNFLOWER FIELD EVER!

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Come see the latest magnificently beautiful and wonderfully immersive creation by farmer Paul Wegzyn and his Dad (also Paul) at Felix’s Family Farm. Formerly named School Street Sunflowers, the farm with the new name is the same beautiful field, same wonderful family owned operation, only with many new additions. Just to name a few – a healthy, growing and glowing pack of alpacas!, a herd of baby goats <3, live music, picnicking, and yoga classes in a Yoga Yurt!  

The field is at its peak this week and next and Paul says it is truly their best field ever. I agree one thousand percent. Row upon row of freshly opened and newly opening flowers will take your breath away. The Farm is utterly enchanting. Bring your family and take lots of photos or just wander through the fields. I hope you will be as enthralled as was I.

Felix’s Family Farm is located at 20 Lowe’s Lane, just off 1A/Rt. 133, in Ipswich. For tickets and more information, visit the Felix Family Farm website here.

In year’s past, the sunflower field has had a theme. One of my favorites from several years back was “Transcendentalism.” This year, the theme is “Family.” Quotes placed throughout the field leave you to stop and take a moment to reflect on our families and how dear they are to us.

Father and Son Paul Wegzyn and Paul Wegzyn

ALL CREATURES TINY AND SMALL – NEW SHORT FILM – THE SUMMER POLLINATOR GARDEN

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Come to our summer pollinator garden and see all the creatures, tiny and small, and the flowers that are planted to attract these beautiful winged wonders.

Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Internet Archive of Royalty Free Music 

Featuring all manner of bees, including Honey, Bumble, and Sugar; Cedar Waxwing building a nest; Catbird fledgling and adult; Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Pipevine caterpillars and chrysalis; Cecropia Moth caterpillar, Pandora Sphinx Moth caterpillars; Clouded Sulphur; male Goldfinch;  Monarchs; teeny only 1/2 inch in length male Spring Peeper; Ruby-throated Hummingbirds male, female, and juveniles; and my favorite creature in our garden, nature girl Charlotte <3

KEEP MONARCHS WILD: WHY CAPTIVE REARING ISN’T THE WAY TO HELP MONARCHS

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Although seemingly counterintuitive, the reasons why captive raising Monarchs in the hundreds, and in some cases thousands, is not the way to help the butterflies. The following is a fantastic article recently published by one of the foremost authorities on Monarchs, the Xerces Society.

The gist of the article is that rearing no more than ten at a time is educational and worthwhile, if the guidelines provided below are followed to a tee. If you are one of the well meaning folks that are rearing hundreds/thousands of Monarchs, please read the following –

Keep Monarchs Wild: Why Captive Rearing Isn’t The Way To Help Monarchs

By Emma Pelton on 15. June 2023

Instead of rearing—which is risky and unproven in helping monarchs—we should focus on more effective ways to conserve these glorious wild animals.

Many of us have been there: Finding a monarch caterpillar, collecting it in a jar, raising it on milkweed, and then waiting patiently for a butterfly to emerge and take flight. Helping a child (or an adult) learn about this captivating, up-close example of metamorphosis can be incredibly rewarding. Unlike many wild animals, monarchs are easily reared, so it is no wonder that bringing caterpillars into the classroom or home has been used by teachers and parents for decades as an educational tool—or just for the pure enjoyment of it. Rearing monarchs also has been a part of monarch research: From the tagging efforts started by the Urquharts in the 1960s to the multiple tagging programs of today. These programs, as well as other community science projects, have greatly expanded our understanding of migration paths.

Because rearing a butterfly in captivity enables people to share in the amazing transformation from a caterpillar to winged adult, it deserves a place in the future of monarch education and research efforts. However, we need to approach it thoughtfully and responsibly. Like any wild animal, we have to make sure that our interest in rearing monarchs does not harm the butterfly’s populations. This is particularly important today, with monarch populations down by 80-97%. These levels are so low that the migratory phenomenon to Mexico and coastal California is at risk. In an attempt to help reverse the monarch’s population free-fall, many people are attempting to save the species by rearing and releasing monarchs on a large scale. There are, however, serious concerns about this approach.

READ MORE HERE

For more about how you can help the magnificent migrating Monarch, visit my documentary’s website here – Beauty on the Wing

From the Xerces Society

Answers to a few frequently-asked-questions and answers about rearing

How can I rear monarchs responsibly?

  1. Rear no more than ten monarchs per year (whether by a single individual or family). This is the same number recommended in the original petition to list the monarch under the Federal Endangered Species Act.
  2. Collect immature monarchs locally from the wild, heeding collection policies on public lands; never buy or ship monarchs.
  3. Raise monarchs individually and keep rearing containers clean between individuals by using a 20% bleach solution to avoid spreading diseases or mold.
  4. Provide sufficient milkweed including adding fresh milkweed daily.
  5. Keep rearing containers out of direct sunlight and provide a moist (not wet) paper towel or sponge to provide sufficient, not excessive, moisture.
  6. Release monarchs where they were collected and at appropriate times of year for your area.
  7. Check out Monarch Joint Venture’s newly updated handout, Rearing Monarchs: Why or Why Not?
  8. Participate in community science, including testing the monarchs you raise for OE, tracking parasitism rates, and/or tagging adults before release.

New Monarch Point Conservation Reserve Created in Prince Edward County

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The Monarch Butterfly’s important habitat in Prince Edward County’s South Shore is now permanently protected. South Shore Joint Initiative (SSJI) board and partners are delighted to share that the Ontario government has just announced a new conservation reserve in Prince Edward County!

Ostrander Point Crown Land Block and Point Petre Provincial Wildlife Area – nearly 4,000 acres along the South Shore of Prince Edward County, Canada’s last undeveloped Lake Ontario shoreline – are now designated as Ontario’s newest conservation reserve, Monarch Point.

The complete Environmental Registry of Ontario posting can be found here. It is understood that Hon. David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks will make a public announcement in The County in the near future.

“We’re thrilled that the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has moved forward with this important designation.” John Hirsch, president of South Shore Joint Initiative shares, “We’re proud to have participated in the consultation process and look forward to being involved in future land management planning.”

“The Monarch Point designation is deeply meaningful to thousands of community members as well as local, provincial and federal non-profit partners. We’re profoundly grateful for the active support of the Alliance to Protect Prince Edward County, Birds Canada, Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust, Kingston Field Naturalists, Nature Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Nature, Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, Quinte Field Naturalists, Point to Point Foundation, Consecon Foundation, Gosling Foundation and Schad Foundation and, of course, the Council of the County of Prince Edward.”

For more than five years, South Shore Joint Initiative has led local efforts for the permanent protection and preservation of South Shore lands and waters. The organization hosts regular South Shore Strolls and encourages enjoyment of these public lands through initiatives such as a new Eco-Footpath.

Cultural and built heritage is another focus of this volunteer-led environmental non-profit. Restoration of the heritage-designated Hudgin Log House is well underway. Once completed, it will become a unique Field Centre where students, scientists, researchers and the public will be able to deepen their understanding of the South Shore’s incredible biodiversity and history.

John notes, “South Shore Joint Initiative came together in 2018. Today, we celebrate this watershed moment in our County’s natural history. Monarch Point Conservation Reserve will ensure generations of people will continue to enjoy access to the rare and fragile lands of this remarkably biodiverse area. Most importantly, it will protect the habitat of at least 39 rare and at-risk species such as Blanding’s Turtles, dozens of migrating bird species as well as Monarch Butterflies.”

South Shore Joint Initiative will host an online screening of the award-winning film Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly on June 23 at 1:00 pm. Prince Edward County is home to one of only three International Monarch Reserves in Canada and this 56-min film captures the butterfly’s incredible migration story. To confirm free registration for a school group, send an email to katherine.rogalska@ssji.ca. General public tickets are also available for $10 online here.

About South Shore Joint Initiative: Our vision is a permanently protected Prince Edward County South Shore where together biodiversity and people thrive. Together, our mission is to educate and advocate for the protection, preservation and restoration of South Shore lands and waters.

As a Canadian registered charity, South Shore Joint Initiative relies on the generosity of donors and supporters to advance its mission. To learn more, become a member, attend an event, volunteer or donate, visit ssji.ca.

For more information:
Cheryl Anderson
613-849-7743 or cheryl.anderson@ssji.ca

 

OVERJOYED TO BE SCREENING MY MONARCH DOCUMENTARY AT A HOST OF SCHOOLS IN CANADA THIS AFTERNOON!

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A new experience for me, screening Beauty on the Wing for schools in Ontario, Canada. I am not foreseeing any, but with so many kids involved, just praying there are no technical issues.

Monarch Distribution in Canada

The southern regions of Ontario are a beautiful province in which to see Monarchs, especially during the the late summer migration. The Great Lakes act as a barrier on the Monarch’s southward journey. The butterflies gather at the southern most points of Canada to cross the lakes, including Point Pelee in Lake Erie, and Monarch Point Conservation Reserve in Lake Ontario, both on the Ontario side. Just as the Monarchs form overnight roosts at Eastern Point in Gloucester while waiting for the right conditions to cross Massachusetts Bay, they do the same at Point Pelee and Monarch Point in Ontario.

Monarch Butterfly overnight roost

20% OFF SALE AT CEDAR ROCK GARDENS!

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June Sale
20% off all plants in the nursery!

Hello from Elise,

Happy Summer! We are sure you all enjoyed the enormous amount of sunshine this week compared to what we have had this spring so far.

We are having a 20% off sale on all our plants in the nursery starting today and ending Thursday, June 29th. We have some really nice looking bedding flowers and a whole lot of basil along with a great selection of other herbs and veggies.

We have beautiful baskets and pots. Our native perennials selection is stocked up and attracting all the pollinators you can imagine – bring them home to your gardens!

Hope you are having a wonderful summer!

Sale week hours
Friday: 8 am to 4 pm
Saturday: 8 am to 4 pm
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 8 am to 4 pm
Tuesday: 8 am to 5 pm
Wednesday: 8 am to 4 pm
Thursday: 8 am to 4 pm

All the best,
Elise, Tucker and the Cedar Rock Gardens crew
CedarRockGardens@gmail.com
Products we have in stock
Coast of Maine Potting Soil
Coast of Maine Raised bed mix
Coast of Maine Lobster compost
Black Earth Compost
North Country Organics ProGrow
Neptunes Harvest Crab Shell
Neptunes Harvest Fish Emulsion
Neem Oil
Inseticidal Soap
Diatomaceous Earth
Row Cover
Seeds

Cedar Rock Gardens is located at 299 Concord Street, Gloucester

For more information, visit CEDAR ROCK GARDENS WEBSITE HERE

Images courtesy Cedar Rock Gardens

WILD BEE SWARM!

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What is a Honey Bee swarm?

After the spring population boom, Honey Bee swarms are a natural response to overcrowding in a hive. When a Honey Bee colony outgrows its hive, the bees will make a new queen. The new queen stays at the current hive, while the original queen departs to start a new hive in a new location. She takes most of the worker bees with her. The queen cannot fly very long distances. The swarm stops somewhere to rest while the scout bees go exploring for a suitable location to make their new hive. The traveling mass rests in open places such as a tree branch, picnic bench, wall, doorway, and even the ground.

You can tell a Honey Bee swarm because the bees aren’t laden with pollen. You will not see orange or yellow pollen evident on the pollen baskets on their hind legs. The bees are not aggressive as they are not protecting a brood and only sting if provoked.

What to do if you see a Honey Bee swarm?

The best thing to do is to leave the swarm alone. Within a few hours or up to a few days or so, the scout bees return and lead the swarm away to the new hive location.

You can find more information here – https://extension.arizona.edu/bee-informed-warming-swarming

The bee swarm seen here occurred at the children’s campus at Philip’s Academy, which is adjacent to the butterfly garden that I designed and take care of. There are a number of White Oaks on the campus that are a draw to myriad species of pollinators. I love how the teachers at the  school used the swarm as a wonderful teaching moment. They created a list with the children’s names and took small batches of kids over to the swarm to look at and to take a guess as to how many bees were held in the swarm. None appeared frightened, and all were curious 🙂