On September 6 2015, our facebook group for people from Eastern Iowa got together in person for an event. At this event, attended by around 180 enthusiasts of all ages, we tagged and did a mass release of these beautiful and unique butterflies to send them on their way to Mexico. We had a special guest – a “Facebook Stories” camera crew recorded the event and produced the below video.
Monarchs in Eastern Iowa encourages people in other regions to form their own Facebook Groups, programs and projects to educate, involve more people and get more boots on the ground to benefit Monarch butterflies. It is particularly important to PLANT MILKWEED and butterfly friendly wildflowers, in areas that are protected from chemical use or herbicide/pesticide drift. Despite what you may have heard, the decline of the Monarch population is not due to the weather, it is primarily due to the loss of Milkweed, mainly in the Midwest. This plant is the ONLY plant on which Monarchs will lay their eggs and feed their caterpillars, so it is crucial to Monarchs’ population increase to Grow Milkweed native to your region. “If you plant it…they will come!”
Save the Monarchs
Every year, the iconic Monarch butterflies migrate 3,000 miles from Canada to Mexico and back, passing through and laying eggs in Eastern Iowa. Monarchs only lay their eggs on milkweed, but herbicides have taken their toll on the plant and has sent the Monarch population into a drastic decline. See how the Monarchs in Eastern Iowa Facebook group has saved more than 4,000 Monarch butterflies by teaching hundreds of people to grow milkweed.
Posted by Facebook Stories on Wednesday, October 28, 2015
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