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Milkweed, Monarch Butterflies, Migrations "Monarch Madness" at Medina River Natural Area PDF Print E-mail
Written by Business Wire   
Saturday, 11 April 2009
San Antonio, Texas - Monarch butterflies and their amazing adventures will be the topic of a talk at 9 a.m. April 11 at the Medina River Natural Area. Local butterfly lover and seasoned Monarch Butterfly tagger Monika Maeckle will present a slideshow and discussion of the storied butterflies, who have captured the imaginations of nature lovers for millennia.

Maeckle will share fun Monarch Butterfly facts, discuss the Monarch Butterfly life cycle - from egg to larva to chrysalis to butterfly - and explore the mysteries of the Monarch Migration, which takes the tiny creatures over several generations from Mexico to Canada and back.

"We are so fortunate to be on the Monarch Butterfly flyway," says Maeckle, adding that San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country's many streams and rivers are "perfect nectar stations for Monarchs."

The talk will also touch on butterfly gardening and especially milkweed propagation. Examples of milkweed seed and seedballs will be on hand, and Maeckle hopes to showcase live eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises, which she cultivates in her garden and dining room. How to tag a Monarch Butterfly will be demonstrated she says, "if we can get one in the net that morning."

Monarch Butterflies are on the move right now, making their way from their roosting spot in Angangueo, Mexico through Texas, and beyond, on their journey north. San Antonio area residents can lure Monarchs to their yards relatively easily by planting milkweed, also known as "butterfly bush," and other butterfly-friendly plants like cut-leaf daisy, pentas, frostweed, lantana and others.

Monarch Madness

     

When:

 

Saturday, April 11, 2009 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

     

Where:

 

Medina River Natural Area

     

Description:

 

Learn about growing milkweed, raising caterpillars, hatching chrysalises, and tagging Monarch butterflies as they make their way from Mexico to Canada and back.

     

Cost:

 

$3.00 suggested donation or $5.00 per family

     

The Mission of the San Antonio Natural Areas is to preserve and manage City of San Antonio Natural Areas to protect natural ecosystems and to promote inclusive and transformative relationships between people and natural systems.

 
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