Weeds that aren't weeds

[Mona Miller]

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pb ... -1/OPINION
Weeds that aren't weeds
(Article on saving milkweed.)

http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/download.html
Monarch Waystation Program - Promotional Brochure
Scroll down a little to see the brochure. This could be handed out to people to let them know about the importance of milkweed and habitat.

[Paul Cherubini]

The article mentions that highway crews are mowing more frequently than they used to which is true.
But the problem with planting Waystations and butterfly gardens is that they are feeble and ineffective attempt to treat the symptom of a major problem instead of the root causes.

I believe the only effective way to curb the accelerating loss of milkweed is for conservation organizations to start telling the public they must make sacrifices in their comfort, safety and standard of living.

Example#1: I grew up in a 1000 square foot, 2 bedroom home on a 5000 square foot lot with a 1 car garage which was typical of homes built in the 50-'s - 70's. But most people in recent years, including conservationists, buy homes and lots that are twice as big which takes twice as big a toll on milkweed habitat, plus requires shopping centers that have to be much bigger in order to carry the materials to furnish todays big homes. Are todays conservationists willing to move back to 1000 square foot homes and 5000 square foot lots? I don't think so and that is why I don't think any conservation societies are asking the public to make sacrifices in their lifestyles.

Example: #2: Conservationists are typically politically liberal minded people that favor strong laws on issues pertaining to public safety; e.g. they favor all the expensive and heavy safety equipment that has been added to cars in recent years, they favor roadside widening for extra safety, they favor improving roadside storm run off water drainage and they favor heavy lawsuit damage awards for people injured by unsafe cars, roadsides and so forth. Are todays conservationists willing to turn back the clock to the 1960's and drive on less safe roads with weed choked road shoulders that have poor storm water runoff drainage? Are they willing to severely limit lawsuit damage awards to people injured by such roads? I don't think so and that is why I don't think any conservation societies are asking the public to make sacrifices in their safety.

I could list many other examples, but the bottom line is that ultimately monarch populations will deminish to the point where monarchs will not be visiting planted Waystations or butterfly gardens because regional monarch populations will have become so badly deminished by development. This had already happened in much of the western USA as the western population of monarchs has been so low this year that monarchs are virtually absent in northern California, the Pacific Northwest and
the Great Basin. So most of the people who planted Waystations have no monarchs visiting them.

[Mona Miller]

2,170 Waystations and more every day. They are not all tiny pockets. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens has a 3 acre meadow and is 90 acres large with milkweeds and nectar sources in 35 areas. It is #22. Not to mention other greening programs like the National Wildlife Federation Certifications. Why should any effort to create habitat be called feeble.

[Paul Cherubini]

By feeble I mean the amount of milkweed restored annually via Waystations is infitessimally small in relation to the amount destroyed by various human activities, hence eventually (as has already happened in the western USA) you reach a point where the regional monarch populations decline so much that monarchs won't often be seen visiting Waystations anymore. I feel the Waystation program may actually making the situation worse by distracting the public from immediately facing up to reality they must make sacrifices in their comfort, safety and lifestyle to have any hope of maintaining milkweed and monarch populations.

Here’s a 2007 newspaper article that is example of what I’m talking about:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artlist.c ... 2007/02/17
Gardeners Save The Day As Butterfly Habitats Disappear

“For $16 worth of seeds, plus space and time, gardeners across the country can counter the precipitous loss of monarch butterfly habitat that has occurred in the past 10 years.....

[Mona Miller]

You didn't even add up the acreage from all those Waystations that are registered. There are many more that are not registered; for example, my backyard. Where I might say I am having a banner year for Monarchs when I'm not seeing them any place else.

You really think that other people/organizations are not making sacrifices?

This year it is more than the milkweed (habitat). The habitat is there, but the Monarchs are not there. Maybe you should stop releasing those diseased (heavily infected OE ridden) Monarchs into the environment.

[NickiM]

If we all stopped driving cars and using electricity and went back to growing our food on small plots the environment and butterflies could recover, but we all know that isn't going to happen. So, the efforts, small though they may be, of people who are raising butterflies and growing native plants at their homes may just be the only hope to keep some of these creatures from going extinct in some areas. It seems humans don't act to save animals until their almost gone--look at the bald eagle. So, until something major is done, I applaud the "feeble" efforts of individuals.