Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1477162
16 | OHCC LIVING | SEPTEMBER 2022 | Save The Monarch Butterfly July was a fun month. We finished planting the Sanctuary Garden, a bench has been installed, the site has 20-25 Monarchs cavorting around each day, new butterfly species are finding homes there, and many, many residents are making it a "go to" place. Just as important are the continuous reports from residents who say they have more butterflies in their yards every day because of their own milkweed gardens and because there is an overall increased population in OHCC this year. Does all that mean "mission accomplished"? Not yet! As gratifying as all this is, we received a sobering reminder this month that the work must go on when the Union for Conservation of Nature (the world's most comprehensive authority on the status of species) put Monarch butterflies on the endangered list — including our Western Monarchs. Even though statewide efforts (large and small like ours) caused the numbers in California to rise from a shocking 1,800 in 2015 to 250,000 last year, the Western Monarchs are still in a deep decline. Our officially recognized Pollinator Habitat is one effort to help. But more must be done. The UCN has determined that climate change is disrupting the ancient cycles of nature – for example, when plants begin to sprout. A mismatch is developing between the time insects are ready to emerge and when plants are growing. And the continuous use of destructive pesticides like Roundup on vast acreage of farms, golf courses, and other locations is dramatically reducing the availability of native milkweed, the Monarchs' only food source and habitat for reproduction. When we first started this project, we recall wondering what a couple of people could do to contribute to this massive dilemma. Less than a year later, the Sanctuary represents a first step. But much more needs to be done. Here are some ways that you, as individuals, can help meet the urgency of this issue. • Visit the Sanctuary and see for yourselves. We have been told that many residents do not yet know where it is. A map is below. It is accessible by foot, cart, or car. • If you can, plant native milkweed, even if it is in pots. • Don't kill caterpillars that appear on your plants. They may eat a few leaves, but they are part of the butterfly cycle that we are trying to protect. • If you can't plant milkweed, plant other flowers that attract butterflies and bees. It is well known that if you provide for one species, others will follow. • Do not use pesticides in or around your gardens. There are multiple solutions for maintaining a healthy garden without them. • Don't plant tropical milkweed. While its blossoms are pretty and butterflies are drawn to them, it leads to serious problems. According to the Xerces Society (which monitors Monarchs very closely), in warm climates like ours, tropical milkweed does not die back in the winter, and it is prone to a parasite that gets deposited on the plant. But this parasite is absorbed by the caterpillar, and causes lower migration, reductions in body mass, lifespan, mating success and flight ability. When native milkweed goes dormant, parasites die. The SMB Club can help you accomplish any of these suggestions.