Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Fall is coming, and so are the monarch butterflies. Two upcoming Lawrence events will provide hands-on opportunities to learn about monarchs and contribute to their conservation efforts.
Butterfly enthusiasts in the eastern half of North America will have to look harder this spring and summer to spot monarchs, which have become an international symbol of insect conservation.
Monarch Watch is still chasing butterflies — now under a new leader, Kristen Baum.
Contributed photo
Supporters of Monarch Watch celebrated the organization’s 30-year anniversary in September. Now founder Orley “Chip” Taylor and his wife, Toni, have their sights set on the conservation program’s future.
Monarch butterflies arrive in Kansas mid-September each year, but the renowned species has recently been deemed endangered. Some events scheduled for this weekend in Lawrence will both celebrate and raise awareness of local monarch conservation efforts.
Monarch Watch has enlisted help from thousands of community scientists all over the world to fulfill its mission: Bring back the monarchs. Those dedicated to that goal will celebrate three decades of conservation work in September as the organization announces its next steps.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Call it a pollinator’s delight, a butterfly haven, a nectar buffet. This Monarch Waystation is the pride of longtime Lawrence gardeners Dena Podrebarac and Heidi Rios.
Christy Huntington
As reported in Monday’s Kaw Valley Almanac, monarch butterflies have recolonized well in this region. A flutter of the happy pollinators in North Lawrence on Sunday supports that statement.
