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Monarch
Butterflies in Carlisle
Monarch
Butterflies at Carlisle Middle School
The
Carlisle Middle School Campus is registered as a Monarch Way
Station with the University of Kansas. A new monarch
garden was added in June and will increase support for monarchs in
the area.
Love
and understanding of a threatened species is the first step in
helping them survive. The
monarch has a unique and fascinating story and its dependence on the
milkweed plant is part of it.
The campus at landscape includes a rain garden
next to the front entrance. The use of prairie plants and grasses to catch rainwater runoff is a
way to solve a wet area in the landscape.
The prairie plants will not only help slow runoff, but
their deep-reaching roots will improve soil by opening up better
water penetration. Rain gardens slow storm water runoff, help prevent erosion,
and remove pollutants in the process.
Additionally, the new garden will add interest and color to
the entry. Phlox,
blazing star and coneflowers attract butterflies and humming
birds. Little bluestem will provide food for goldfinch and other
seed-eating birds. As
the plants fill in the space, invertebrates will have habitat
providing them with cover. What
fun to bring wildlife right up to the front door.
Students will use the teaching garden for classes and the
garden will show visitors our school is on the cutting edge of
landscape design.
Monarch
Butterflies at Scotch
Ridge Center
(Provided
by Rand Richardson - Scotch Ridge Center)
The
Monarch Trail leading from the main gate at Scotch Ridge
Center’s entrance
on Highway has been signed and flagged with orange and yellow to
represent the
Royal Butterfly Society.
The best known of all North American butterflies the Monarch
(Danaus plexippus)
is a swamp milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae), in the family
Nymphalidae. Named the Monarch because it is one of the largest of our
butterflies, and rules
a vast domain. The Monarch habitat is just an easy half a mile
hike from the main gate.
The
migrating adult Monarchs were seen two weeks ago at the habitat,
eggs hatch (after 4 days), The caterpillar stage lasts around 2
weeks. The mature butterfly emerges after about two pupal weeks and
hangs from the split chrysalis for several hours until its wings are
dry (often in the morning). Meanwhile fluids are pumped into the
crinkled wings until they become full and stiff. Some of this
orangey fluid (called meconium) drips from the wings. Finally
(usually in the afternoon) the monarch spreads its wings, quivers
them to be sure they are stiff, and then flies away, to feed on a
variety of flowers.
In
2007 hundreds if not thousands of butterflies emerged from their
chrysalis at the same time. They fluttered around the habitat for
several days. Visitors had dozens of butterflies land on them as the
Monarchs explored their new domain.
Please
come and visit the Monarch Habitat at Scotch Ridge Center and enjoy
the wonder of nature’s most fascinating phenomenon.
The For more info about the migration of the Monarch butterfly go
to:
Monarch
Butterfly Migration Over Central Iowa 2006
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