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.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Community members were invited to learn about and experience monarch butterflies, caterpillars and more Saturday during Monarch Watch’s Fall Open House.
”By engaging students in hands-on activities and fostering a sense of responsibility towards their community and the natural world, Lawrence High School is empowering the next generation of environmental advocates,” Allie Lippe-Mackey writes in this column.
Across the Midwest, some city codes threaten people with fines for having milkweed on their property. But experts say many places have dropped those rules to support monarchs with urban and suburban butterfly gardens.
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.
Mitch Quaney
For the second year in a row, Monarch Watch is holding its annual spring plant sale online. The sale, offering a variety of butterfly-friendly plants, is taking place this weekend.
