I saw a Monarch Butterfly!

[Catherine]

The thing is, I only saw one Monarch Butterfly. It is the only one I have seen this year.

When I was a child there were hundreds of Monarch Butterflies. With work planting the right shrubs and flowers I have seem as many a six butterflies at a time in my garden.

If you look closely you can see a butterfly in flight.

Up close and beautiful.

So beautiful

Two together.

I love their colours.

It was summer of the butterfly in 2013.



This year I have seen no butterflies in my garden. I have put out a feast for them and no one has come.

With the staggering losses of Monarchs in recent years there is a desperate struggle to save them. Many of us planted milkweed so they would have somewhere for them to lay their eggs. I have seen no eggs or caterpillars on any of the milkweed I have encountered. I check every plant I come across.

What if that one lone Monarch is the last one I ever see.
Extinction is forever. Let us hope we are not too late.

[Tobi]

Hey Catherine! That is lovely news!
You have mentioned that many Toronto residents have been planting Milkweed to encourage the Monarch, so maybe all that care and effort is paying off?

Maybe that one just dropped into your garden to show you, and give you a sign? They are obviously around, and they are very beautiful.

[Catherine]

The butterfly I saw was nowhere near my place. All the pictures are from 2013. This year I have seen nothing in my own garden or the ones around me. I have seen no butterflies at the shelter garden either. The milkweed supply is even better there. There are large plants and flowers and even seed pods, but no butterflies.

If even a few lay eggs and they hatch then there is a chance. I only saw one butterfly. I didn't see two.

The situation is very serious.
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/media/news/20...butterfly/

I think we have to try to save the Monarchs. I think they symbolize everything we have been doing wrong with nature. We have been poisoning our environment and we wonder why it is dying.

I hope for the monarch it is not too late.

Quick update: someone who was closer to the lake today saw about 6 monarchs at once.

[Catherine]

I saw another butterfly over by the shelter garden. There are not many monarchs around, but at least there are some.