Monarch butterflies are currently at risk for extinction due to the loss of milkweed plants that the monarch needs to lay its eggs and for its caterpillars to eat. The Monarch numbers have decreased significantly in the last 20 years. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is determining whether the monarch butterfly warrants Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection. The Service will continue efforts to collect data and analyze the monarch’s status and threats until December 15, 2020.
Individuals can get involved by planting milkweed and nectar plants that are native to the area
The Gardens at Felician Village is doing their part for one of the most recognizable species in North America by hosting, “Saving the Monarch Butterfly,” on Monday, June 10, at 2 p.m. Caterpillar caregiver Mary L. Thorne will discuss the life cycle of the monarch butterfly and offer ways to help increase its numbers.
“My goal is to instill enough confidence in others so they can raise a caterpillar and witness the phenomena of metamorphosis themselves,” Thorne says. “Watching a caterpillar turn into a chrysalis, or observing a butterfly emerge from a chrysalis, is an extraordinary experience and for many can be very therapeutic.”
Thorne is a member of the North American Butterfly Association and the Xerces Society. She completed the Disease in Lepidoptera course through the Association for Butterflies and won a business plan grant for the Urban Hope Entrepreneur Center in Green Bay.
To register for this event please call (920) 684-7171, ext. 402 or email, ldaun@felicianvillage.org. The Gardens is located at 1700 S. 18th St., Manitowoc.
