Monarch Waystation and Replanting for Butterflies
Paula Brooks 2021
In partnership, the Montgomery Village Garden Club and the Montgomery Village Foundation applied to make a section of the North Creek Lake an official Monarch Waystation. By becoming a registered habitat, our community is contributing to monarch conservation, an effort that will help assure the preservation of the species and the continuation of the monarch migration phenomenon.
The area is between the North Creek Nature Center and the “Diana Stasiewicz Butterfly Garden.” If you started at the Nature Center and walked the path to the right, it is just a few minute’s walk to a small peninsula to the left of the path. A park bench designates the area. Official “Monarch Waystation” signs will soon indicate the two areas (due to be placed in the next few weeks). In the meantime, plants that better support Monarch Butterflies are being added to the area.
As the program explains, “Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall. Similarly, without nectar from flowers these fall migratory monarch butterflies would be unable to make their long journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico.” You can find more details about the program here - https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations.
On July 8, 2021, the Montgomery Village Garden Club and the Montgomery Village Conservation Corps, led by John Balridge, worked together to restore the area on the left side of the North Creek Nature Center. This was well timed as last week’s storm had turned over the potted plants and crushed. Under the direction of Paula Brooks, a Montgomery County Master Gardener and member of the Montgomery Village Garden Club, the members of the Conservation Corps (D’angelo Poblete, Jessica Lennon, Darian Monrano, Obehi Eromosele and Angelique Roberts) planted native plants, pulled weeds and placed in the planter various herbs donated from garden club members. Nina Chace, another MV Garden Club member helped to make labels and provide identification for plants.
These native perennials will endure and spread within the area, providing a long-lasting habitat for the butterflies. By clustering the orange-colored milkweed in one area, it gives a better “signal” to Monarchs that are looking for their favorite plants. Common milkweed (pink color with large rounded leaf ends) is abundant around the lake. Swamp Milkweed (darker pink color with sharper pointed leaves) was planted at the nature center last fall by the garden club.
ID markers were placed on the various milkweed plants so people strolling by can see we have, at least, three different types of milkweeds (Common, Swamp and Butterfly milkweeds). Additionally, labels show other butterfly support plants, such as Joe-Pye Weed, Echinacea (Cone flower), Back-eyed Susan, Hyssop, Mint, Thyme, Yarrow, and Bee Balm.
We hope to add more native plants to the areas and remove invasive weeds throughout the summer. Individuals or groups wanting to donate butterfly milkweed (asclepias tuberosa) for planting should contact Paula Brooks ([email protected]). The herbs planted in the four raised containers at the North Creek Nature Center are maintained by the MV Garden Club. Feel free to take a clipping of the herbs (e.g. thyme, basil, oregano, fennel, mint...).
Visit the "Join Us" tab above more information about becoming a club member, membership is open to everyone!
If you are interested in reporting the sightings of Monarch Butterflies that appear at your home or around Montgomery Village, check out this website, Journey North
(hosted by UW-Madison Arboretum)
at: https://journeynorth.org/.
Paula Brooks 2021
In partnership, the Montgomery Village Garden Club and the Montgomery Village Foundation applied to make a section of the North Creek Lake an official Monarch Waystation. By becoming a registered habitat, our community is contributing to monarch conservation, an effort that will help assure the preservation of the species and the continuation of the monarch migration phenomenon.
The area is between the North Creek Nature Center and the “Diana Stasiewicz Butterfly Garden.” If you started at the Nature Center and walked the path to the right, it is just a few minute’s walk to a small peninsula to the left of the path. A park bench designates the area. Official “Monarch Waystation” signs will soon indicate the two areas (due to be placed in the next few weeks). In the meantime, plants that better support Monarch Butterflies are being added to the area.
As the program explains, “Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall. Similarly, without nectar from flowers these fall migratory monarch butterflies would be unable to make their long journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico.” You can find more details about the program here - https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations.
On July 8, 2021, the Montgomery Village Garden Club and the Montgomery Village Conservation Corps, led by John Balridge, worked together to restore the area on the left side of the North Creek Nature Center. This was well timed as last week’s storm had turned over the potted plants and crushed. Under the direction of Paula Brooks, a Montgomery County Master Gardener and member of the Montgomery Village Garden Club, the members of the Conservation Corps (D’angelo Poblete, Jessica Lennon, Darian Monrano, Obehi Eromosele and Angelique Roberts) planted native plants, pulled weeds and placed in the planter various herbs donated from garden club members. Nina Chace, another MV Garden Club member helped to make labels and provide identification for plants.
These native perennials will endure and spread within the area, providing a long-lasting habitat for the butterflies. By clustering the orange-colored milkweed in one area, it gives a better “signal” to Monarchs that are looking for their favorite plants. Common milkweed (pink color with large rounded leaf ends) is abundant around the lake. Swamp Milkweed (darker pink color with sharper pointed leaves) was planted at the nature center last fall by the garden club.
ID markers were placed on the various milkweed plants so people strolling by can see we have, at least, three different types of milkweeds (Common, Swamp and Butterfly milkweeds). Additionally, labels show other butterfly support plants, such as Joe-Pye Weed, Echinacea (Cone flower), Back-eyed Susan, Hyssop, Mint, Thyme, Yarrow, and Bee Balm.
We hope to add more native plants to the areas and remove invasive weeds throughout the summer. Individuals or groups wanting to donate butterfly milkweed (asclepias tuberosa) for planting should contact Paula Brooks ([email protected]). The herbs planted in the four raised containers at the North Creek Nature Center are maintained by the MV Garden Club. Feel free to take a clipping of the herbs (e.g. thyme, basil, oregano, fennel, mint...).
Visit the "Join Us" tab above more information about becoming a club member, membership is open to everyone!
If you are interested in reporting the sightings of Monarch Butterflies that appear at your home or around Montgomery Village, check out this website, Journey North
(hosted by UW-Madison Arboretum)
at: https://journeynorth.org/.