It’s been a really really long journey and I am so, so weary and exhausted. There’s a feeling in the air that keeps me going and a strong gale that keeps me aloft. Finally I reach a destination that I am happy to find. I sip the delicious nectar and feel the relief that my journey over thousands of miles over field and forest and city and country has finally come to an end.
I move from bloom to bloom and feel the warmth of the high sun.
I am so happy to found a delicious plant. I have traveled so far to find it!
But there’s a problem.
I can’t find what I need to rear my young. You see, my offspring can only be reared on one type of plant species. But it’s not here. I don’t know what will happen to the next generation. What a shame, if only there were some milkweed around, my life cycle would carry on. Instead, with only butterfly bush in sight, my caterpillar babies will not survive.
I need one type plant for our life cycle to continue, and without milkweed species, my caterpillars will die…
Sadly, the above story is not fiction. It is the story of the Monarch butterfly that so many people hear so much about. Many words are popping up in the news of late. Things like pollinator garden, pocket garden, keystone species, habitat restoration. And it is a lot to take in. But start small, and you will be so happy you started.
Just remember, if it’s possible (and completely successful!) to plant a native plant garden suspended above the New York City streets and monarchs can find it…then you can do it too!
[…] more here about the importance of native plants, as told from an butterfly’s perspective at Flutter By […]