Butterflies and milkweeds

Twenty-two guests enjoyed the Monarch butterfly and milkweed program last Saturday evening at Keyhole State Park.

The program educated attendees on the vital part the lowly milkweed plays in the survival of the Monarch butterfly as the only plant on which the butterfly lays its eggs.

The milkweed contains a toxin animals and birds will not eat, thus, when the caterpillars do enjoy munching on this select meal, they are not on any one’s menu. The loss of the milkweed through loss of habitat directly impacts the Monarch, which, in turn has experienced an estimated 90% decline in the last few decades.

The group discussed possible efforts to reintroduce this environmentally important plant via the seeds provided by park rangers and the pollinator garden on which the park has been working to help integral species.