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More than Monarchs Documenting Local Stories in the Disappearing Monarch Forests of Mexico Jan 31, 2007
To Whom it May Concern: I have spent my summers raising Monarch Butterflies here in Michigan for the last 6 years. The first year I had about 50. In 2005 it was 252. In 2006 I released 960 Monarchs! I bring in all of the eggs that I find, as well as all of the caterpillars. I keep them in boxes of up to 15. I bring in the Common Milk weed leaves every morning and evening. I had a few weekends with 150 adults that eat 24 hours a day for a few days. I spent the entire time feeding them. I also clean the containers. When they are ready to hatch, I put them all outside. They are such a majestic sight. The migration is amazing as well. Their habitat must be protected so these butterflies will no longer decline and will be around for future generations to nurture and enjoy. They also serve an important purpose in pollinating the plants they nectar on. I plan to continue to raise as many as possible in the years to come and hope there will be some to find my yard. My neighbor also collects all of the eggs she can find and caterpillars on the Common Milkweed she has in her yard. This is a very time consuming commitment to me which I really enjoy. I hope the Monarchs have a protected winter home so they will flourish. Please do everything you can to protect this habitat. I hope to someday to visit their wintering grounds. These butterflies endure a lot. This year the last one I released was October 28th. I had released about four the prior week.
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