Fall is for butterflies, too

    Fall is a time when color abounds with the changing season and during that same time there are butterfly migrations. September is a month where painted lady and monarch butterflies are in high numbers. These high numbers are rapidly diminishing. According to World Wildlife Fund and the Mexican government, due to habitat destruction due to illegal logging and tourism in the small patches of forest in Mexico where they overwinter, they are running out of habitat. Eventually, they will slow down in breeding and their reproduction numbers will be low bringing them to near extinction.
    If you want to see monarchs or painted lady butterflies continue to increase in population, then think about giving them food sources in your landscape. Monarch caterpillars require milkweed while the adults take nectar from cosmos, Canada thistle, rabbit brush, zinnias and many more flowers.
    There are several sites you can go to for information on planting the appropriate plants in your region, including:
    — www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder.
    — http://bonap.net/.
    — http://plants.usda.gov.
    — http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/insect/05504.pdf.
    If you like colorful fall for more than just the tree leaves changing color, join in these different ways to participate in changing the habitat for the benefit of monarchs, painted lady butterflies and other insects. Here are a couple of ways to participate:
    — Start a Monarch Watch waystation. You can register your garden. By doing that, you receive a sign advertising your garden’s friendliness to monarchs. Then the name of the city and waystation owner will be listed on the program’s website.
    — The North American Butterfly Association has a certification program that covers habitat requirements for all butterflies.

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