It’s official! Whitnall Knoll Gathering Circle is now a registered Monarch Waystation. Our little patch of Milwaukee milkweed, asters, bee balm, and native grasses is part of a growing network of urban habitats providing monarchs with the food & shelter they need. Small garden. Big migration. Pretty amazing!
Late-summer monarchs are different. These remarkable travelers can live for months, postponing reproduction while migrating south to their wintering grounds in Mexico. They’re called the super generation. Thousands of miles. Tiny wings. One extraordinary journey. And, perhaps one of the monarchs passing through Milwaukee right now will make it all the way there!
Afer measuring, recording data and tagging, came my favorite part: release. For just a moment, this monarch rested on an open palm before taking flight. Where will those wings take it? It’s incredible to imagine that a butterfly leaving Wisconsin could be beginning an epic journey all the way to Mexico…
What happens after you catch a monarch? Citizen science! We measured, determined the sex, then carefully placed a numbered Monarch Watch tag on the discal cell of its wing. If a tagged butterfly is recovered somewhere along its migration, researchers can learn a little more about its remarkable journey. Next step? Release!
Butterfly net in hand, I joined a group at Havenwoods State Forest to learn about monarch tagging and migration. First rule: don’t chase a butterfly in flight. Wait until it’s nectaring, approach carefully, and pause. When a monarch landed on a blazing star spire, I gave it a try…one quick scoop & swoop, and success!
Where the sidewalk ends…there used to be an overgrown strip of land. With the help of a Community Connections Small Grant, this cul du sac turnaround is now Whitnall Knoll Gathering Circle—a bench built around an old elm, two raised pollinator beds, and a hand-painted oak sign, named for Charles B. Whitnall, founder of Milwaukee’s … More Whitnall Knoll Gathering Circle
Walking through a prairie examining milkweed plants for butterfly eggs, I learned about the monarch’s life cycle, what to look for on the leaves, and how citizen science observations contribute to a bigger picture. Now, when I see monarchs fluttering in my own neighborhood pollinator garden, I wonder…could one of those butterflies be preparing for … More Milkweed & Monarchs
Yesterday, I would have walked right past it. Today, I went looking for future butterflies! I joined the Urban Ecology Center’s monitoring project, whre I learned how to search milkweed leaves for monarch eggs. Look close…a tiny white dot becomes a future butterfly, and suddenly an ordinary milkweed leaf holds the beginning of an extraordinary … More Future Butterfly
Giant tortoises of the Galápagos Islands! 97% of the land that make up this archipelago off the Western coast of Ecuador is protected as part of the national park system to protect the unique wildlife species living there.
Sign me up! I didn’t need to look at the research to know that the morning spent surrounded by baby goats was boosting my happy hormones. Sun salutation, downward dog, or table. All the poses spark joy when yoga is practiced amidst frolicking animals…get ready to grin, giggle and move!
