Monarch Butterfly Crusade - By Deb Cox A little more than a year ago, there was one North                      American Monarch Butterfly for each person in the                             United States.  But chances are, your family hasn't                              seen one lately.  We are seeing fewer of these                             beautiful butterflies because cities are becoming                              larger, pesticides, drought and disease.  To make                         matters worse, last year a freak weather pattern                             froze to death 75 % of the wintering Monarchs in                          Mexico as a result of three days of rain and sub                                   freezing conditions.  This tragedy destroyed millions                               of helpless Monarchs. The Monarch is an endangered butterfly.  The Milkweed plant is the sole food source for the Monarch caterpillar and the female Monarch will only lay her eggs on milkweed.  I contacted The Live Monarch Society, www.LiveMonarch.com  and for a "Donation" they sent me 2,000 milkweed seeds.  I researched at the library and went to my local gardening nursery to find out about nectar-rich plants and long blooming wildflowers that would attract butterflies from springtime to the late fall season.  I purchased wildflower seeds and packaged them up with the milkweed (so you won't think you are just planting weeds!).   I took them to my child's school and distributed them to the students.  At our Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Meeting, I had a booth called the Pampered Gardener where we showed different kinds of plants, trees and shrubs that attract butterflies.   I gave the women the package of seeds to go along with a Family Home Evening Lesson called "Showing Love and Protection to God's Creatures". The package of seeds I put together contains milkweed and a mixture of the best nectaring wildflowers for all butterflies.  (The wildflower mixture consists of: Blue Flax, Bachelor Button, Baby's Breath, Evening Primrose, Chinese Forget Me Not, Annual Lupine, Calendula, Siberian Wallflower, Dame's Rocket, Love in a Mist, California Poppy, Baby Blue Eyes, Scarlet Flax, California Bluebells, Sweet Alyssum, Black-eyed Susan, White Yarrow, Corn Poppy.)  One seed packet will cover 15 sq. ft. (You can receive a free pkg. of seeds from LiveMonarch but it only contains 1 or 2 milkweed and 10-12 wildflower seeds.   I put about 30-40 seeds in my packet.)  They say that the Monarch can smell milkweed 20 miles away so that is my goal...to get all children to plant weeds every 20 miles.   A Milkweed in Every Yard!!   Parents will love me....right??? Along with my "Donation" to LiveMonarch, I was sent four baby Monarch caterpillars.  My children were so excited.  We made homes for them..in the house, of course, and watched them as they ate every milkweed leaf we could find.  On May 15, 2003, two of our babies, Fusion & Sparky (the children named them) cocooned and on May 27, 2003, a beautiful butterfly made "HER" appearance.  (If you go to the LiveMonarch website you can learn many fun facts...like is it a boy or a girl!)  That evening, for Family Home Evening, my family and I talked about God's creations and how it is our responsibility to take care of them and to be grateful to a loving Father in Heaven who made such beautiful creatures.  Then, we let our Monarch Butterfly take flight.  She fluttered all over the backyard and then she went exploring down the street.  Click here to purchase Milkweed/Wildflower Mixture Seeds packaged by Lilies Lane.  Your support in our Monarch Crusade will provide funds to purchase MORE seeds, take this message to school children and to purchase caterpillars to bring joy to young women living in a Utah care center for the mentally challenged.  We thank you for your support. Click here to view the Family Home Evening - "Showing Love and Protection to God's Creatures" and to order supplies for this fun Family Night Activity.   On the Monarch Foundations website, www.LiveMonarch.com , you will find all different, fun information to share with your family.  There are also ideas on the site for school science projects, growing instructions for Milkweed, how to safely get rid of aphids from your Milkweed, and items to purchase, such as Mesh Enclosures for your caterpillars or butterflies.    Back to Articles Directory