Where Have all the Monarchs Gone?

I just enjoy sitting on my patio, surrounded by the beautiful native plants that grow all along the patio.  It is a wonder to me to watch the bees, moths and butterflies along with the birds that visit the plants.  If I am quiet enough and don’t move, it is very common to have a goldfinch or other birds that are hungry and want to eat, fly and land on a stalk from the flower that is no more than 6 feet away from me.  The birds will stay there as long as I don’t make any quick motions, or my dog doesn’t disturb them.  There is nothing better than to see all this life around me.  It renews in me a sense of being.  

 

I planted Indian Grass, Zig Zag Goldenrod, Orange Milkweed, Sky Blue Asters, Bergamot, Evening Primrose and others that bloom from Spring to Fall.  I am so glad I chose to do this.  I am not a faithful waterer, so these types of plants are perfect for me.  Since they are native to Wisconsin and I bought them from a local grower of native plants, I know that they will flourish on their own and there is nothing that I need to do to nurture them.  They find their own location in the flower bed after a few years and that is fine with me as well.

 

The sad thing is that I remember my first year with the Orange Milkweed.  I planted them because I understood that Monarchs needed them to survive for their long trip back to Mexico.  The first year blooming I saw about 3 caterpillars and even watched a chrysalis change from a type of capsule to an empty shell.  I was so proud when I saw the chrysalis empty knowing that the butterfly had emerged and was going to be embarking on its long journey to the South.

 

This year I saw only one caterpillar and the number of Monarchs flying around was also less than other years.  I also saw less bees and pollinators in general.  I did see a strange phenomenon though.  A number of times, I’d be sitting on the patio watching the activity surrounding me and then I’d notice a bee crawling around on the patio floor.  The bee usually acted out of sorts.    I saw a few bees, at various times, that would walk in circles and even flip onto their backs and then struggle to get back onto their legs.  I’m not sure if these bees were poisoned by the other neighbors’ yards that sprayed pesticides and sought my yard for refuge and then were overcome or exactly what their situation was.  I’d usually see them later and they would have expired.  This was such a sad sight to see and made me feel very helpless.  As Pete Seeger’s song goes “When will we ever learn?

Sue Vande Hei

Environmental Justice-Joshua-Green Bay