This is a HUGE problem in my area!!!

[keithpetrosky]

The local park by me used to be full of common milkweed and wildflowers, I used to see so many monarchs and other butterfly species that tagging was easy. The Church next to the park also had a field that was mowed twice a year, meaning in Summer it was able to grow various species of wildflowers too.

But in the past 2-3 years, the Park removed ALL milkweed and empty lots where milkweed grew, so i'm lucky if I see 4 to 5 common milkweed plants in my area per year!Imagine a huge parking lot sized area full of milkweed some almost 6 foot high, that's what I used to see! They replaced the park area where the milkweed grew with grass, yes grass, so kids can play their soccer tournaments. And the Church field now has a mini-football field for kids football and lacrosse practice. They mow twice a month, so any seeds left never grew. In 2003 I was able to tag monarchs, but after that year the milkweed slowly vanished until now it's all but gone. That was the only place for miles that had that vast concentration of milkweed. Except for highways where the occasional plant grows, I dont see any milkweed. I am steaming because this was a majorly bad thing for the monarchs and unless I raised monarchs cant even tag anymore. And long island (part of NY) if you look at the map, that's almost on the completely opposite end of the map from Mexico, no wonder so few tagged from long island ever are found in Mexico it almost the farthest point of the migration! I sent multiple letters to the town and suggested to plant milkweed at the park where they planted flowers for decor, they had a few years and never did the totally shot down my idea.

If I was able to get some info on way stations to them that may work or at least educate them what they had done was very bad, but I wont be able to explain it to them in person i'd have to mail this to the Town Hall. If anyone lives in the town West Babylon that's where I live.

[Mona Miller]

http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/
Waystations

If you click on downloads, you can download and print a brochure which explains the importance of milkweed to Monarchs.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/download.html

Do you have a native plant society near you? They'd be interested in saving milkweed, it is a native plant.

[Mona Miller]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/butterflies/
Also, check out the "Incredible Journey of the Butterflies", a PBS, NOVA documentary. At the top of the webpage you can check to see when it will air in your area.

[Paul Cherubini]

Here in California the State Legislature, in 2005, proposed and ultimately passed a law requiring home and other building owners living adjacent to open fields to mow or spray a 100 foot swath of land around their homes and roadsides http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/m ... ch/prc.jpg
to improve wildfire safety even though such mowing kills countless butterflies, caterpillars and their host plants like milkweed.

So, for example, open fields with milkweed like this one:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/m ... h/mowf.jpg
are now being mowed on a vast scale like this:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/m ... h/mowa.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/m ... h/mowe.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/m ... h/mowb.jpg

I think it's strange the USA insists that Mexico follow "sustainable" practices in regard to overwintering habitat while we don't impose this same requirement upon ourselves in regards to summer breeding habitat.

[keithpetrosky]

I emailed a Long Island plant society and the Town that deals with Parks and landscaping and planting trees/flowers. I sent them an email with lots of info from Monarch Watch about tagging and the way stations, if that doesnt change there mind nothing will.

[Mona Miller]

Sometimes it changing one persons mind at a time. Don't give up.

[NickiM]

Here in California the State Legislature, in 2005, proposed and ultimately passed a law requiring home and other building owners living adjacent to open fields to mow or spray a 100 foot swath of land around their homes and roadsides http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/m ... ch/prc.jpg
to improve wildfire safety even though such mowing kills countless butterflies, caterpillars and their host plants like milkweed.

If they truly want to reduce the wildfires it would make a lot more sense to ban cedar shake roofs. And, quit letting people build houses on windy, narrow roads in dry canyon land where fire trucks can barely manuever. Not to mention heavily fining anyone caught tossing out cigarette butts. I used to spend summers in Colorado and there was a pretty large forest fire one year that was traced back to some fool throwing a cig butt out his car window.