Since 2015, I have raised and released 2,373 beautiful Monarch Butterflies (1,172 females and 1,201 males) in my garden. After learning first hand that many Monarch caterpillars do not survive to become butterflies, because of predators eating them and diseases carried in nature, I bought several "caterpillar castles" to protect and raise Monarch caterpillars. I do not breed Monarchs, but instead, when a wild female Monarch lays eggs on my Milkweed plants, I remove the eggs from the plant, incubate the eggs in Tupperware bowls, and place the newborn caterpillars within a castle (where I have fresh Milkweed in pots) until they transform into butterflies. I have had great success with this system.

But, I never intentionally set out to raise Monarchs and educate others about the plight of the Monarch Butterfly. It all began when I found more than 20 Monarch caterpillars munching on the Milkweed plant I have in my garden. I did not plant the Milkweed, but instead, a seed that had blown into my garden, took root, and I watched as it grew and attracted butterflies. I loved seeing the butterflies on the Milkweed flowers, but I had no idea that Monarch eggs had been laid on the plant. So, when the 20 Monarch caterpillars consumed almost my entire Milkweed plant, I decided to learn more about the needs of the caterpillars and that is when I read that the Monarch caterpillar ONLY eats Milkweed and that Monarchs are in dire trouble. I made it my mission to find local Milkweed plants to provide enough food for the caterpillars so they could mature to the chrysalis stage. When my first Monarch Butterfly was born it was magical! And when she took her first flight, well, it was an emotional experience.

I now raise Monarchs because this iconic butterfly -- known as a familiar backyard beauty across the United States -- was once one of the most common butterflies of North America, noted for its spectacular multigenerational migration each year from Mexico to Canada and back. But in the past 20 years the Monarch population has declined by 90 percent. That's largely due to the widespread planting of genetically engineered crops in the Midwest (where most Monarchs are born) and the use there of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, a potent killer of milkweed, and illegal deforestation in the overwintering habitat for the adult butterflies in Mexico. Right now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing a proposal to include the Monarch on the Endangered Species List and on February 9, 2015, the federal government pledged $3.2 million to help save the Monarch. About $2 million will restore more than 200,000 acres of habitat from California to the Corn Belt, including more than 750 schoolyard habitats and pollinator gardens. The rest will be used to start a conservation fund — the first dedicated solely to Monarchs — that will provide grants to farmers and other landowners to conserve habitat. The conservation projects will be focused on the I-35 corridor from Texas to Minnesota, areas that provide important spring and summer habitat along the butterfly's migration path. BUT, it is the collective efforts of individuals that will make the difference in increasing the Monarch population, since it is estimated that only 10% of wild Monarch caterpillars live to adulthood.

Habitat must be protected now, before we see the day when this miracle of nature is only a memory. So, will you plant Milkweed in your garden to help this species survive? Planting new habitat will not only help butterflies around your home but will help butterflies reach others who without your assistance would not see a Monarch. One seed can change the world, but you have to plant it. Thank you for making a difference and I hope you enjoy seeing the beauty of the Monarch caterpillars and Monarch Butterflies released into my garden.