“Hello Sun! Hello Earth! Hello Rain! Hello Wind! Hello Ocean! Hello Wind! Hello Rain! Hello Earth! Hello Sun!”

There are lots of very cool things to learn about the monarch butterfly and we’ll try to talk about most of them during our Earth Kids Club meeting, Wednesday, May 1, 2019. Monarch butterflies are the most beautiful of all butterflies and are considered the “king” of the butterflies, hence the name “monarch”.

Monarch butterflies are known for the incredible mass migration that brings millions of them to California and Mexico each winter.

Monarch butterflies need milkweed plants to lay their eggs. More than beautiful, monarch butterflies contribute to the health of our planet. While feeding on nectar, they pollinate many types of wildflowers. Monarch butterflies are also an important food source for birds, small animals, and other insects.

Although monarchs feed on the nectar of many flowers, they lay their eggs only on certain types of milkweed plants. Unfortunately, milkweeds are often eradicated as noxious weeds. This week, the Earth Kids will plant milkweed near the entrance to the nature trail in order to preserve the monarch butterfly, which is completely dependent on milkweed for its survival!

Watch the video below for a microcosmic safari through a field of milkweed and discover a whole world of life, from bees to wasps to hummingbirds to butterflies.