Ashland Residence Becomes a Monarch Waystation

Ashland Residence Becomes a Monarch Waystation

Pamela Hall

The Ashland Beacon

As the autumn season quickly approaches, there is much to do in our yards and gardens: harvesting, cleaning, raking, and getting our plants prepared to survive winter. We think of hayrides, fall festivals, apple butter, and all things pumpkin. But do we think of butterflies?

Why would we think of butterflies in the fall? Because the Monarch butterfly is hatching and in a feeding frenzy in preparation for its long journey southward. You see, it is a migratory species that flies south to Mexico for the winter.

The Monarch butterfly population is quickly declining not only in our area, but all over the United States and Canada. This is due in part to the reduction of the host plants needed for the larvae caterpillars to survive. One such host plant is milkweed, considered by many to be a nuisance plant. However, to the caterpillars that turn into Monarch butterflies, it is their gourmet meal, their necessary food staple. Once the butterflies evolve, flowers are needed to provide nectar for their growth and stability.

The Monarch Watch organization, based at the University of Kansas, provides education and research on the creation, conservation, and protection of Monarch habitats all across the country. The organization established the Monarch Waystation program in 2004. The program registers habitats that provide the conservation efforts and food resources needed for the reproduction and development of Monarch caterpillars and butterflies. Ashland resident Jerri Williams has recently been added to the Monarch Waystation Registry.

For several years, Jerri has maintained various plants in her backyard, such as strawberries, peppers, and tomato plants, as well as herbs like basil, sage, and oregano. Of course, she also planted flowers—zinnias, cosmos, dianthus, and marigolds, just to name a few—and she also planted the needed milkweed. This made her small backyard garden the perfect habitat for Monarchs, just as she intended.

This year she was delighted to find that, among the blooms and sticky leaves of the milkweed plant, there were tiny butterfly eggs which hatched into tiny caterpillars. Jerri and her granddaughter, Irelyn, collected the small creatures and provided a protective environment where they could develop free from predators such as wasps and birds. Having this protective environment was imperative to ensure the success of their development and growth. She and Irelyn continuously provided milkweed leaves to their enclosure for their meals. The caterpillars grew into maturity, becoming quite large and having distinct markings.

At this point, the caterpillars crawl to a chosen spot and spin a connector web which holds them securely in place. The chrysalis then begins to form until they are completely enclosed. It takes about 12–14 days for the butterfly to develop. The chrysalis turns black, then transparent.

“It is wonderfully amazing to watch the transformation,” Jerri commented, “and then to watch them break free of the chrysilis sack and begin their new life.”

They grab the empty sack of the chrysalis and hang around for several hours to let their wings dry and to pump life into their bodies. They flap about, then rest, then repeat. Gaining more strength with each cycle of flapping and resting, they eventually are strong enough to fly. Their colors are extremely vivid and beautiful. Upon release, these beauties need nourishment. Once again, the garden is their feeding ground.

"I may regret planting some of these prolific spreading plants in the future,” Jerri laughs, “but for now I'm enjoying the benefits they bring to the butterflies.”

Watching the joy and excitement take place in the little garden as each Monarch was released gave Jerri's daughter, Katie, an idea. As a teacher, she had read about the Monarch Waystations all across the country and submitted information regarding Jerri's garden to the application program. Jerri's garden met all qualifying standards and was accepted and declared Monarch Waystation #53279. Of course, there was much excitement when her certificate and garden sign arrived in the mail.

“It was a wonderful surprise!” Jerri said enthusiastically. “I consider it an honor to be accepted as part of this organization. I've always loved gardening and the butterflies are an added blessing. God's creation is so beautiful and His provision for each and all is equally amazing. To be able to provide a helping hand with the preservation of these beautiful creatures is such a small task with an immeasurable reward.”

Jerri and Irelyn released nine healthy Monarch butterflies this year and hope to increase that number next year.

“We've learned so much through this experiment,” Jerri said, “and we hope next season will bring even more butterflies. Their journey to Mexico is a long one, 2,500–3,000 miles. To think they started in my little garden in Ashland is amazing. We send them off with a blessing and look forward to their return."