Malta Dirt Daubers Garden Club for July 27, 2016

SAVING THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY

What is all the hullaballoo about Monarch butterflies? Why should we care if their numbers are declining? To put it bluntly, if the small creatures of the world are in trouble, humankind can't be far behind.

After decades of dousing everything (soil, plants, insect, small and large animals) with poison, the effects are becoming more evident. On top of spraying everything, we are tearing down trees and covering arable farmland with pavement, houses and nonproductive lawns. We simply cannot continue like this if we want to survive as a species.

Roundup Ready soybeans and corn make it possible for farmers to spray fence to fence. They no longer need to leave some unsprayed foliage next to their crops.

Therefore there are fewer and fewer patches of native prairie left in fence corners or along ditches.

This means there is less habitat for Monarch butterflies to feed on and to lay their eggs on, on their long journey. It takes four generations to complete one year of migration.

We Montanans have taken care of our land – one reason why so many other people and organizations are trying to take it away. We are a haven for wildlife and proud of it. As the Midwest farmers destroy their habitat, let us build more habitat.

So can we truly make a difference? Yes! We can make a difference by planting native milkweeds and nectar flowers.

There are 26 clubs in the Montana Federation of Garden Clubs with 700 members.

If every one of us plants even a small corner for Monarch butterflies, that will be 700 more corners or gardens, or even fields, of habitat that didn't exist before. And if you register with http://www.monarchwatch.org your site will be included in the International Monarch Waystation Registry, an online listing of Monarch Waystations. You will be awarded a certificate bearing your name and your site's unique Monarch Waystation ID number. You will then be eligible to purchase a weatherproof sign that identifies your monarch habitat as an official "Monarch Waystation".

The display of Monarch Waystation signs helps convey the conservation message to those who visit your garden and may encourage them to create their own monarch habitat.

Montana may not have the biggest membership but we do have the biggest opportunity to improve our habitat. We live in the proverbial "wide open spaces" that most people can only dream about.

There is not enough space here to list all the plants that Monarch butterflies need. You can go online and find many, many ideas for what works well in your area.

Our National Garden Club President, Sandra Robinson, has outlined three steps to actively create the attitudes, environments and habitats that will nurture healthy populations and return them to a strong footing.

The First Step: creating awareness is critical – be aware of issues challenging amphibians and pollinator species and talk about them.

The Second step: understanding what we can do, what our options are and how we can best use these options in our community to reverse the negative effects caused by man.

The Third step: service in action – guiding our communities by thoughtful choices, new actions and improved results.