Everybody loves butterflies, I would wager, especially monarchs. We hear about the threats to their survival and wonder how we can help. Putting plants in our gardens that will support both caterpillars and adults is one important way. Raising them is another. Chicago resident Loretta Downs (seen below) has sometimes released as many as 300.



And here’s one more. Tagging.

No, I’m not talking about learning to spray graffiti on your neighbor’s garage door. Rather, this is a valuable way of identifying and tracking monarchs as they make their way to (and hopefully from) Mexico each year.  It’s a specialized skill, to be sure, but one that anyone with a deft (and steady) hand can learn.



If you’d like to learn more, Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve in Niles, Michigan, is offering a class in Monarch Tagging on Sunday September 12 from 2 to 3 pm. $10. Local expert Kim Pozivilko will discuss the monarch life cycle, butterfly nets, creating a Monarch Waystation (something else you can do) and the Monarch Watch tagging program. Class size is limited. Call 269-695-6491 to register.

—Carolyn Ulrich